Tag: politics
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In Brexit Britain, the Knives Are Out
A knife in the back is something that British foreign secretary Boris Johnson should know quite a bit about. It was just last year when the flamboyant Brexit poster-boy, who had been so sure that he was about to succeed David Cameron as prime minister, was betrayed by best buddy Michael Gove. It worked out…
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The Story of Thai Democracy: Lessons Learned
Thailand, today, remains mired in a political crisis. The country is still as divided as ever. Conflict over what Thai democracy should really be like remains. Trouble seems to continue to loom by the time the next election comes around. In these circumstances, it would be probable that many would now be dusting off their…
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Conspirator in Chief?
“What did the president know, and when did he know it?” This was the question asked by Senator Howard Baker who worked on the Senate committee investigating the Watergate Scandal. It was an appropriate question back then when it pertained the extent to which Richard Nixon was involved in the Watergate scandal. The question remains…
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The Story of Thai Democracy: Black May
This post is the ninth post in the series ‘The Story of Thai Democracy’, covering the political history of Thailand since the transition from absolute to constitutional monarchy. You can see the rest of this project here. The era of Generals Kriangsak Chamanan and Prem Tinsulanonda had been peaceful and stable, but what did not…
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The Story of Thai Democracy: Premier Prem
This post is the eighth post in the series ‘The Story of Thai Democracy’, covering the political history of Thailand since the transition from absolute to constitutional monarchy. You can see the rest of this project here. The period between the twin October tragedies had been chaotic even by the standards of Thai politics. True,…
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The Story of Thai Democracy: Octobers of Tragedy
This post is the seventh post in the series ‘The Story of Thai Democracy’, covering the political history of Thailand since the transition from absolute to constitutional monarchy. You can see the rest of this project here. The death of Sarit Thanarat left a vacancy in the post of prime minister. Aside from the scandalous…
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Emperor Macron
Emmanuel Macron seems to have royal aspirations. That is an odd statement to have to make about France’s new president. At 39, he is France’s youngest president in history; hardly a man who would have the gravitas necessary for the grandeur of royalty. A political centrist who favours greater European integration and globalisation, the forward-looking…
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The Story of Thai Democracy: The Triumvirate
This post is the fifth post in the series ‘The Story of Thai Democracy’, covering the political history of Thailand since the transition from absolute to constitutional monarchy. You can see the rest of this project here. On 29 June 1951, prime minister Plaek Phibulsongkram (Phibun) was aboard the US navy ship Manhattan to attend the…
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Welfare State Woes
What do Mitch McConnell and Prayut Chan-o-cha have in common? Not much at first glance. One is the Republican Senate Majority Leader of the United States, a masterful tactician who many in Washington fear. The other is the prime minister of Thailand, who came to power by means of a coup and is now preparing…
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The Puzzling Embrace of Jeremy Corbyn
I didn’t intend to write about the British election again so soon, but a topic has intrigued me enough that I felt the need to write a short post. Over the past few days since the UK general election, we have been witness to one of the more rapid and curious transformations in public opinion…
Ken Mathis Lohatepanont 