"V" for Vomit - Thai Ultra Royalists Protest

About 100 clueless Thai royalists gathered in front of the US embassy in Bangkok last Friday (December 16, 2011) in support of the kingdom's draconian laws against insulting the monarchy, following criticism from Washington.

"We call on the US embassy and Ambassador Kristie Kenney to apologize to all Thai people for their improper action towards our beloved king," said protest leader Chaiwat Surawichai.

Well, I call on protest leader Chaiwat Surawichai to put his head between his legs and kiss his own smelly ass!

Some demonstrators held signs reading "Kristie Kenney SHUT UP" and "We will protect article 112 with our lives," referring to the section of the Thailand’s hideous criminal code concerning royal defamation.

But here is what confuses me, some demonstrators wore Guy Fawkes masks!

I can’t think a more inappropriate use of wearing Guy Fawkes masks while rallying in favor of supporting lèse majesté. Don't these idiots know that Guy Fawkes tried to assassinate the reigning king of England at the time - James I? I guess the irony is lost on them.

Of course, these bozos could have been trying to emulate the main character in the 2006 British movie, “V for Vendetta,” who wore a Guy Fawkes mask. However, that character was a shadowy freedom fighter which used terrorist tactics to fight against his totalitarian society, an anarchist revolutionary who launches an elaborate, violent, and intentionally theatrical campaign to murder his former captors, bring down the government, and convince the people to rule themselves.  I would think this to be a very inappropriate choice of symbolism for these cruel supporters of a repressive monarchy.

Besides, the mask is more British in origin than American. And if you are going to protest against America at an American Embassy at least use an American symbol which we can better relate to. A symbol which better reflects their true identity and what they are in favor of: making reckless, unsubstantiated accusations of disloyalty, subversion, or treason without proper regard for evidence as well as demagogic attacks on the character or patriotism of political adversaries.

I know! Those ultra royalists should be wearing Joe McCarthy masks. Here, I’ll fix the scene in the photo appropriately. 

There, that's much better. 

  

And while I am trying to fix "things," I’d like to focus on another, King – a great American.  Martin Luther King Jr., in his famous "Letter from the Birmingham Jail," called on all Americans to actively oppose laws that are morally wrong. King wrote:

"There are just laws and there are unjust laws. I would agree with St. Augustine that an unjust law is no law at all... "

As Americans we must remember that when injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty. Speak out against Thailand's lèse majesté laws! Free Thailand's political prisoners!

US Issues Lese Majeste Travel Warning On Thailand

The US State Department issued a Lese Majest travel warning on Thailand. It was slow to come out. It was quiet - no press conference. Just buried in the US State Department Travel Website here.

"CRIMINAL PENALTIES: While you are in Thailand, you are subject to Thai laws and penalties, even if you are a U.S. citizen. If you violate Thai laws, even unknowingly, you may be fined, arrested, imprisoned or expelled. Foreign laws and legal systems can be vastly different than our own. For example, Thais hold the King and the royal family in the highest regard, and it is a serious criminal offense in Thailand to make critical or defamatory comments about them. This particular crime, called "lese majeste," is punishable by a prison sentence of three to fifteen years. The offenses include actions that in the U.S. would be sanctioned as the exercise of free speech. If you use the Internet for this crime, you may be subject to additional criminal sanctions of up to seven additional years in prison. Thai authorities actively search for and investigate Internet postings, including blog entries and links to other sites, for lèse majesté content. They have arrested and charged U.S. citizens and others with lèse majesté offenses for actions that occurred outside of Thailand. You can also be charged if you do not remove a potentially offensive item fast enough from an Internet site you control. Purposely tearing or destroying Thai bank notes, which carry an image of the King, may also be considered a lese majeste offense, as can spitting on or otherwise defiling an official uniform bearing royal insignia."



Note that it doesn't go far enough. It doesn't warn potential travelers that they can expect no help from the US ambassador there, Kristie Kenney.

Here is the screen shot.

A Famous Couple and Their Dog Foo-Foo (With Video Footage)

I'd like to share an old video of a very famous small white poodle named Foo-Foo.

No! Not THAT Video and not THAT Foo-Foo! This video is of Miss Piggy’s dog Foo-Foo when she was a regular on “The Muppet Show.”

In November 2011, during the promotion for the recent movie “The Muppets,” Miss Piggy told People Magazine (no, I’m not making this up) that she has had to "re-home" Foo-Foo.  

"[Foo-Foo] really didn't much care for Kermit, it seems... She seems to be prejudiced against green people. Anything the color green, she would nip at. So in order to have a future with my Kermie, I had to make that sacrifice." Piggy assured People that she is sending Foo-Foo to pet therapy, and she'll be happy to welcome her dog back home when she gets over her aversion to Kermit."

Just wanted to avoid confusion over another famous couple and their small white poodle named Foo-Foo.

By the way, speaking of birthday parties, Thailand’s future queen is 40 years old today, December 9^th. Happy Birthday!