General Discussion

Tommy_Carcetti

(44,027 posts) Thu May 22, 2014, 09:54 AM May 2014

This, my friends, is an actual coup. [View all]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-27517591

Thailand coup d'etat as military seizes power

Thailand's military has announced it is taking control of the government and has suspended the constitution.

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On Tuesday the army imposed martial law. Talks were then held between the main political factions, but the army announced the coup on Thursday.

Political party leaders, including opposition leader Suthep Thaugsuban, were taken away from the talks venue after troops sealed off the area.

Troops have reportedly fired into the air to disperse groups of rival supporters.

The broadcast media have been told to suspend all normal programming.

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No vague non sequiturs of cookies or phone calls. No President taking three days to pack up his valuable oil painting collection and then flying away in his own fleet of helicopters. No votes by the legislative body to remove the abdicating president. No immediate scheduling of new elections to replace said abdicating president.

Nope, just a real, live, actual coup d'état. Army comes in, forcibly removes the people in power against their will, suspends the constitution and declares themselves in charge.

Words matter.

56 replies

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This, my friends, is an *actual* coup. [View all] Tommy_Carcetti May 2014 OP

Yep, that's precisely what birthers have been calling for over the past 6 years. MohRokTah May 2014 #1

Nice post, Hitler. msanthrope May 2014 #2

Well, I actually was called a neo-Nazi here recently. Tommy_Carcetti May 2014 #3

I got called a cryptofascistauthoritariancorporatist something or other..... msanthrope May 2014 #4

No 'authoritarian swooner, mindless cheerleader' or '1984' cliches? Lucky you! freshwest May 2014 #6

We need to get some Orwell smilies. Crypto? I have no idea....it's not like I expect them to use msanthrope May 2014 #45

Say that real fast, 5 times!! Harry Monroe May 2014 #13

oh no I've watched too many horror movies to know that that's a bad idea. nt msanthrope May 2014 #33

If you do, Sean Hannity suddenly appears (nt) Jeff In Milwaukee May 2014 #38

It's the hair and the mustache! whistler162 May 2014 #46

They should make a documentary... Blanks May 2014 #5

Wow. That's just like Ukraine... SidDithers May 2014 #7

Tommy, the BBC report seems to describe a world wide trend: freshwest May 2014 #8

We aren't there, yet. Demeter May 2014 #9

In worldwide politics, every situation is unique and plays out in a unique fashion. Tommy_Carcetti May 2014 #10

Yup. I also like to think of national identity politics as familial... Chan790 May 2014 #23

I think we look for a universal cause to advance a more humane solution. Idealism is not for empty freshwest May 2014 #27

It's superficially similar to Iran as well. CJCRANE May 2014 #26

Thanks for your insight to both countries. freshwest May 2014 #28

The Thaksins are crooks. They have used their positions to make themselves fabulously wealthy. They OregonBlue May 2014 #34

wow Anyone care about Thailand, where this is happening?? oldandhappy May 2014 #11

Why would we not care about Thailand? Too far away, too small, too brown or just not the USA? pampango May 2014 #15

65 million Thai do, not to mention billions of dollars invested, they care also. Fred Sanders May 2014 #19

Yes, heard this on BBC the other night. JNelson6563 May 2014 #12

Thailand has never had a president. It has a king. Glorfindel May 2014 #14

if words matter, i'd call this a "military coup" to distinguish it from other forms of coups. unblock May 2014 #16

Very true. There are military coups and there are non-military coups. Tommy_Carcetti May 2014 #31

Is regime change also a coup? ozone_man May 2014 #40

All coups are regime changes. But not all regime changes are coups. Tommy_Carcetti May 2014 #42

An attempted coup or regime change then. ozone_man May 2014 #47

Syria and Iraq are different from one another. Tommy_Carcetti May 2014 #50

See how words acquire different meanings here. I assumed this was a John Roberts thread (nt) Nye Bevan May 2014 #17

No RW thugs incinerating police forces with petrol bombs.....I see the differences and similarities, Fred Sanders May 2014 #18

I thought you said you put me on ignore. Oh well, guess not. While I have you.... Tommy_Carcetti May 2014 #20

This time, honest, you are on ignore. Honest. Fred Sanders May 2014 #30

And yet, still no answer. Tommy_Carcetti May 2014 #32

LOL freshwest May 2014 #43

like what those american spring people were going to do barbtries May 2014 #21

my wifes Mom and her family lives there 8 track mind May 2014 #22

Oh wow. Tommy_Carcetti May 2014 #29

That's pretty awful to have to live like that. I hope she gets here safely. n/t freshwest May 2014 #44

just heard from her 8 track mind May 2014 #48

Thanks for the update and I still hope she finds a way out, or things get better. Best wishes to her freshwest May 2014 #49

Blessings to all of you. riqster May 2014 #51

"a sudden, violent, and illegal seizure of power from a government." 1000words May 2014 #24

And it can be military or not, bloody or bloodless but it's still a coup. Cleita May 2014 #36

Typically, even "bloodless" coups involve at least the threat of violence by its perpetrators. Tommy_Carcetti May 2014 #39

Or in the case of Al Gore, not being able to be sworn in as the elected Cleita May 2014 #41

According to the guardian arikara May 2014 #25

Most of those have been bloodless and pretty non-violent. Thais have very strong opinions and no one OregonBlue May 2014 #37

That's a military coup. Saw many of them when I lived in South America Cleita May 2014 #35

Thai coups are nothing like South American coups. They are generally pretty non-violent and OregonBlue May 2014 #52

I hope so, but my expectations for non-violent ones goes Cleita May 2014 #53

They've had many coups. Mostly by the military and most of them have been pretty OregonBlue May 2014 #54

or is it a putsch? Enrique May 2014 #55

Perhaps that as well. nt Tommy_Carcetti May 2014 #56