Thailand (was Re: [thechat] "Eight Miles High" (was Re: Gotta new Mac - now what?))

[Martin Burns]

On 10 Dec 2003, at 10:19, Drew Shiel wrote:

> At 03:57 09/12/2003 -0500, noah wrote:
>
>> I hadn't seen that news item before, but it doesn't surprise me. In 
>> Thai culture, it is considered very bad manners to show disrespect 
>> toward anyone, particularly toward your elders or superiors. Since 
>> there's no one superior to the king, to disrespect him is just about 
>> the worst thing you can possibly do.
>
>   Has "democracy" been ingrained so deeply in America that they can't 
> comprehend any other system of government? I mean, surely it was 
> reasonably obvious that any kind of mocking portrayal of a ruling 
> monarch is going to be trouble?

And perhaps more tellingly, there seems to be a problem comprehending 
any other *form* of 'democracy' than that practised in the US (ie the 
government pretends that it's run by its people (demos), rather than by 
its corporations).

Cheers
Martin
--
Now playing on iTunes: "Unchained Melody" by U2 from 'B-Sides 
1980-1990' - a hit from way back in 1989