waerth Posted April 28, 2010 Report Share Posted April 28, 2010 Cent,Over the years I read hundreds of comments from foreigners in the postbags of the Nation or Bangkok Posts as well as in forums like this basically always saying the same line: “Don’t complain and try to change them. It is their country and not yours. If you are unhappy just pack your bags and leave.†Such attitude pisses me off and let me tell you why: Irrespectively in which country I am living, working and doing business I have an influence on society. I pay my taxes, spend my money contributing to its GDP and even might provide jobs for locals and fellow expats. I contribute as much as the locals are doing. Still just because I am a foreigner and don’t have the right passport I have only limited rights. This is particularly true for Thailand but more or less happen any other country too. Shouldn’t I have the right to express my frustration about this and asking for changes? I think I and every other expat absolutely should have this right. WTF do I care about voting in my home country which I have left for good over 12 years ago? Do I care about their new politics, laws regulations taxes, … I read about it to be up to date but to be honest hardly give a shit. Do I care about these things in the country I chose to live and built my existence, which by chance is to be Thailand, but could actually be any other country except for my home country? Yes I care a lot because they affect my daily life and future. I am not a nationalist and strongly believe that national states are becoming more and more irrelevant in the future. People should have the right to vote, same rights as the locals and actively participate in society in the country they live and pay taxes not the country they have been born. Protectionism should be a thing of the past as people should have learned that it never worked in the long run. Anyway, if I misunderstood your stand on this you have my apologies. With morons I title these foreigners who believe it is absolutely OK that foreigners that foreigners have limited rights in Thailand and attack fellow foreigners who think this not right with stupid platitudes as I quoted at the beginning of this post. I totally agree with you Hardy. Those comments make me pissed of as well. Even if your influence is minimal. Saying you should not care about your new country of residence is a fucking insult. In my work as a comedian and on tv I feel I do have a chance to change things from time to time. Even if it is only the perceptions that all the kids will have of foreigners. I am actually taking the fear of a foreigner away from many kids at a young age. And there is a lot more influence, be it small we have on Thai society. Our relatives and our friends. We do have an influence all be it not through the ballot box. Look at what Nervous God is doing and me and many others. W Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wallenda Posted April 28, 2010 Report Share Posted April 28, 2010 Ohhh c'mon you two. Time to make peace, before the forum's government decides a - rightful - crackdown. ;-) They're starting to spread razor wire around this thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Central Scrutinizer Posted April 28, 2010 Report Share Posted April 28, 2010 CEnt are you blind as well as stoopid? Your post was a reaction to me saying I defend anyone from either side of politics having their opinion and being able to say it. You seem to have no idea what you've written do you? < To which some numbskull replied: Really? Doesn't seem so here in this thread.>> Stoopid!? Numbskull!!?? You'll pay for that bitch. I am buying Ramone a very big strap-on. Hmmmm. On second thought, it may well fit you perfectly and you might enjoy it too much. I'll think of something else. Trying to reply to your posts but the internet here keeps cutting off. Well, it seemed my input was not so welcome from the nervous deity! Look, if you read some sort of insult or slur on your parenting skills in my post, you are far off base on this my friend. There was none. I just wrote a reply to that post and the frigging thing disappeared when I went to post it. I won't write another. Let's continue the chat over a beer one day soon. We can wrestle for the bill. Just don't pinch my pecker this time you cheating cunt. :-) Now I can't even get the fucking smilies to show. The internet here is screwed up the past week. I have to keep resetting the wi-fi at the base unit. Pain in the ass. Cent p.s. I don't 'react' to posts. I deliberate and reply in a calm, clear, intelligent manner, which is what throws you off. 55555. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Central Scrutinizer Posted April 28, 2010 Report Share Posted April 28, 2010 Waerth, "I totally agree with you Hardy. Those comments make me pissed of as well. Even if your influence is minimal. Saying you should not care about your new country of residence is a fucking insult. In my work as a comedian and on tv I feel I do have a chance to change things from time to time. Even if it is only the perceptions that all the kids will have of foreigners. I am actually taking the fear of a foreigner away from many kids at a young age. And there is a lot more influence, be it small we have on Thai society. Our relatives and our friends. We do have an influence all be it not through the ballot box. Look at what Nervous God is doing and me and many others. W" It looks to me like your reading skills are the most insulting thing here, Waerth. Nowhere in my posts did I say "Saying you should not care about your new country of residence", or anything even slightly, remotely, minutely close to that. Show me where I said this! Firstly, this is not my 'new' country of residence. I have been here and coming here for many years. I've seen what happens here over and over throughout the years. I follow the politics here and understand it a lot better than most. Secondly I love Thailand and the Thai people, and people who know me know that. But I am a realist and know that walking around in a haze with blinders on does one no good at all, which ever side you are rooting for. Thirdly I never said I didn't care, I said it amazes me how upset farangs are over this red shirt stuff and that we have no real influence to affect this in any concrete form but can only sit back and watch what the Thais do and how they handle this, as they are the ones who need to fix this and the only ones who CAN fix this, which they will do as they see fit in the time-frame they so choose to do so. Again, realistically speaking. We can rant and rave and post all we want here, but we, as farangs, will not make one damned bit of difference in the big scheme of things. And what you do has no influence 'in the big scheme of things'. What you are talking of are small things, small influences, and in the big picture they mean squat, even though they are admirable. We all make our small influencing actions on a day to day basis. And I do believe those decent, good actions help us as foreigners living here to some extent, but many are canceled out by the rude and obnoxious actions of many other farang living and visiting here. It's basically a wash at times except in the smaller ways that affect the lives around us (which is still a good thing in my eyes). I'm talking about the bigger picture though. Khao jai mai? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BaronTT Posted April 28, 2010 Report Share Posted April 28, 2010 Please don't attack the messenger... but what I keep reading from you today is that everyone is misunderstanding what you write. I know that you pride yourself with your writing skills, so perhaps you should take the time to write a bit more clearly so that others do not misunderstand. Just my 2 cents worth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpiceMan Posted April 28, 2010 Report Share Posted April 28, 2010 I understood exactly what Cent mean't. If I can do it I'm sure others can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardy641 Posted April 28, 2010 Report Share Posted April 28, 2010 Cent, you sound frustrated! If I understood you right you contemplating about the inability of an individual to change the big picture. You are actually questioning the fundamental of democracy "every vote counts". A lot of westerners don't vote because they feel powerless like you and that their single vote won't change nothing. This actually has nothing to do with limited rights of foreigners here in Thailand, as the overwhelming majority of Thais feels as helpless in this dramatic conflict despite all their public and voting rights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nervous God Posted April 28, 2010 Report Share Posted April 28, 2010 Waerth, while we disagree wort times, i agree with your post. I'll always support your right to say what you believe as long as you don't insult my small dick. This country needs farang from both sides to say what they think is right. I know the thai's i mix with listen and think about what i say. As in your home country a lone voice means little, but oddly, sometimes we residents forget, our words and actions are looked at and thought about. Don't follow the cent line. Talk, discuss, show that you case about thailand. It will make a small impact. If 9 out of 10 ignore you, who cares, if you can change the thinking of the 10th, the world and thailand is a better place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waerth Posted April 28, 2010 Report Share Posted April 28, 2010 Waerth, while we disagree wort times, i agree with your post. I'llalways support your right to say what you believe as long as you don't insult my small dick. This country needs farang from both sides to say what they think is right. I know the thai's i mix with listen and think about what i say. As in your home country a lone voice means little, but oddly, sometimes we residents forget, our words and actions are looked at and thought about. Don't follow the cent line. Talk, discuss, show that you case about thailand. It will make a small impact. If 9 out of 10 ignore you, who cares, if you can change the thinking of the 10th, the world and thailand is a better place. It is good to agree from time to time. I know that even though they say they are not ... Thais usually do think about whay you tell them (like you said). I know that a few of the motorcyce guys at my condo stopped going to Ratchaprasong after I explained to them the damage they are doing to their own country. The ones that didn't listen still stay friendly with me and we discuss it every time I need their services. Fortunately I have been here in this condo for long enough (11 years) that my opinion even when disagreeing with theirs is being listened to. And most consider me to be Thai anyway ... same goes for most people in the comedy, tv and movie business they all listen and discuss and consider my opinions of as much (or little) value as those of Thais. Virtually none will throw the but your not Thai argument at me. And those that do usually get scolded by the others as they feel I have as much a right as they do as my life is here! W Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardy641 Posted April 28, 2010 Report Share Posted April 28, 2010 I second this. The people are hardly the problem, if so I would have long time left. The issue are the racist and restrictive laws towards foreigners which should revised a long time ago. Most normal Thais are even not aware of the disadvantages foreigners face here. TIT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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