75 years for insulting the King?

[Masquerouge]

No I didn't miss it, but you can't rationalize 15-75 years for vandalism because the United States doesn't criminalize flag burning but if it did it would just as bad.

What about getting 26 years for 4 chocolate chips cookies?

 

[Hygro]

What about getting 26 years for 4 chocolate chips cookies?

It's terrible.

 

[Fugitive Sisyphus]

No, what I'm rationalizing is the reverence Thais hold for the King in comparison to what some Americans hold for the flag. Defacing the King is not mear vandalism.

Oh, OK. Sorry about the misunderstanding.

 

[fishjie]

I have to say I'm completely convinced by your powerful argumentation and your incredible discursive ability there.

why thank you. id try to argue seriously, but the fact that people are saying its justified because of cultural differences makes it pointless. are any of you people asian? what would you even know about asian culture, let alone thai culture? meanwhile, in saudi arabia a woman got gangraped, and THEN sentenced to 50 lashes with a whip because she was having pre marital sex? but oh its ok, because their culture is just "different".

 

[Hygro]

fishjie, you killed your point calling a whole people "stupid" and then made an offensive joke about it.

 

[Azash]

That's a legitimate question. Based on enlightenment era philosophy: the only way to balance the Liberty TO with the Liberty FROM is a liberal democracy, in which all citizens are equally sovereign.

However, ignoring liberty-related issues, a well-managed authoritarian state could surpass a democracy in productivity. The point is, you can't condemn a state based on its form of government.

 

[Lotus49]

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/03/12/thailand.king.ap/index.html



1. If you're a foreigner in Asia, stay out of local politics or social orders. While it may not be fair, you are a guest in what amounts to what is to you a completely alien way of life and culture.

2. As sad as the present political situation is in Thailand, with a military junta calling the shots, this would have turned out this way even before the coup last year.

Discuss.

Precisely why I'll remain exclusively in the Western civilized world, during my stay on planet Earth.

 

[Shaihulud]

Originally Posted by wiki
In an authoritarian form of government, citizens are subject to state authority in many aspects of their lives, including many matters that other political philosophies would see as erosion of civil liberties and freedom.

Some countries would be more authoritarian than others, it doesn't read like there is an objective term for authoritarianism, so its a relative thing. King Bhumiphol is a cool person by all accounts, his legal authority is not much, but the Thais hold him in great respect, even the muslim seperatists. The swiss guy should be given a spanking instead, like in Singapore, but not to worry, Westerners don't get the good hard ones that Singaporeans usually gets.

 

[Lotus49]

Well, you know what they say; "Spare the rod, spoil the Singaporean".

 

[Shaihulud]

Yes the loving touch of the rod has frightened many Singaporeans from the greater offenses and punishment. Confining your stay in the western hemisphere for life is boring, although its very unlikely for you to travel throughout your environ even given a lifetime.

 

[Atlas14]

I'm not sure that Thailand is a third-world nation, and I'm not sure that Thais hate their king. I think you're assuming that Thais have Western values and ideals. They might not.

Considering they are almost completely Buddhist, perhaps not.

But if you knew that desecrating a king's portrait would get you 75 years in jail, would you do it?

No, certainly not. Neither would I deserve to be doomed to jail for life if I did.

Also, 75 years is the MAXIMUM punishment he can get. It's not automatically the one he'll get.

Thats comforting, letting a respect whore determine the outcome of someone's life for committing a petty crime. I agree this guy should be punished but the maximum possibility is just absurd, laws of the land or not.

And do you think that the "three strikes and you're out" policy is an authoritarian one? What difference is there between stealing a pizza for the third time knowing if you get caught you'll end up in jail for a long time, and desecrating the portrait of a king knowing if you get caught you'll end up in jail for a long time?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_s...ersial_results

How is being given 3 chances the same as one chance, and how is life in prison the same as 25 years in prison? I don't agree with either, they are all absurd sentences for petty crimes.

What are you trying to say here? That foreigners should not be subject to the law of the country they're visiting - in which case let me go drink alcohol when I'm 17 in the US because I'm French and I can do that in France, or that foreigners should not be liable AT ALL when in a foreign country?

No, what I am saying is Thailand should not have full power to dictate this man's punishment. The U.S. can't execute or give life sentences to foreign visitors within our country. He is NOT EVEN THAI! Is that too difficult of a concept? Thai people abide by Thai law, and are subject to their king. Visitors should still be subject to the law, but punishment should be a mutual agreement between the two nations.

You obviously do not know jack sh!t about Thailand and the Thai culture.

You obviously do not know jack sh!t about anything relevant to law.

It's not Myanmar. It's not an aggressive country AT ALL.

For pete's sake, I never said Thailand was trying to take over the world and that this guy's imprisonment proves it. I am saying the King has an arrogance and ego that dictate other peoples' lives, that do not even call him their king. I suppose you also agree the Iranian hostages in the 80s were allowed to be tortured by their superiors. I mean, Americans walked into their territory, so they automatically can have anything done to them that the Iranians wish. Their land their law their punishment, right?