I think the lesson is that Curtis/Qin Shi Huangdi is foolish if he thinks he can evaluate the political parties of foreign countries without being familiar with the issues, the parties or the countries. But the thread’s been entertaining.
Seriously. I mean, cmon…the Democratic Party of China? They might as well not even exist!
I don’t know enough about the Indian Congress Party to opine. Where do they stand economically?
Yeah, well, he’s thirteen. (Or whatever. Fourteen by now?) I remember being absolutely shocked on moving to Italy at age twelve to find that the Communists were the second largest party in the country. Not to mention the pro-Facist slogans painted on all the pillboxes.
I’m becoming extremely disappointed in [del]Curtis[/del] Qin though. His naive and simplistic OPs have created a tremendous opportunity for him to both learn of the real world and improve his arguments in support of his world, yet his OPs and arguments in support of them continue to be naive and simplistic.
I wonder if he’s getting class credit on his home-schooling for his posts here.
I support the Democrat Party in Thailand. The wife’s a lifelong supporter, although – peaceful Buddhist that she is – she at one point earlier this year swore never to vote for them again since they refused to kill all the red shirts. But she relented and voted for them again in the next locl elections.
Are you a Thai citizen? Can you vote?
No, I am a white American citizen. Even if I were to obtain Thai citizenship (haha!), naturalized citizens are not allowed to vote.
Is Curtis home-schooled? It would kind of explain some things, if so.
No I’m not.
I think what he meant was that he supports most of their positions and would align himself with their platform if he was politically active.
Also, Curtis, didn’t you once mention having some bitter feelings towards Japan (IIRC you were even warned for calling them “Japs”) due to your Korean heritage? If so, why you would support the LDP, one of the most anti-Chinese/Korean/Foreigners-in-General parties in Japan, baffles me.
Some of the LDPers are honest and agree that Japan deserved the atomic bombs though: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitoshi_Motoshima
And that’s enough for you to be an LDP supporter?
First of all, that’s extremely shallow.
Second, it’s reprehensible.
There are credible people who may argue that use of the bomb was necessary or justified, but no one with any sense of decency would argue that Japan “deserved” it.
Oh, I know. I was just curious. Naturalized citizens aren’t allowed to vote? Huh. That’s interesting.
Uh, yeah…
First, he didn’t say Japan deserved the atomic bombs (I’m assuming that’d have been career suicide for the freakin’ MAYOR OF NAGASAKI to say), he said the emperor “bore responsibilty” for the war. He also said that it was “a matter of course” for the bombs to have been dropped, not that they should have been. While I appreciate his willingness to be honest and state plain historical facts, that in no way means the LDP is a desirable party.
Second, did you read that part in the article you just linked where it mentions that LDP officials asked him to retract his statement about the emperor and then punished him after he refused to do so?
Third, you are aware, I hope, that infamous war criminals like Yoshio Kodama were instrumental in the development of the LDP? Read Robert Whiting’s book Tokyo Underworld sometime.
Fourth, SHINTARO ISHIHARA. Nuff said.
The LDP can kiss off.
It was deserved because it was necessary not because I take delight in the death of civilians.
The first Westerner to take Thai citizenship, at least in modern times, was a Dutchman three decades or so ago maybe. This being unheard of at the time, he was featured on the news, where he proclaimed to all how proud he was to become Thai and could not wait to exercise his vote at the first opportunity. This created quite a stir among the authorities, who apparently did not think about him actually wanting to vote. After poring over the laws, the government heaved an audible sigh of relief when it announced nothing could be found on the books about naturalized citizens actually being allowed to vote, and so no, Dutchie could not. So the story is told, but regardless of whether that actually happened, no, only native-born Thais are allowed to vote.
It’s not too uncommon these days for Westerners to take Thai citizenship, although it is not an easy process. They’re almost all Western businessmen wanting to take advantage of the fantastic tax breaks afforded to locally owned businesses but not to foreign ones. The most prominent example is the American Bill Heinecke, CEO and chairman of Minor Corporation, CEO and chairman of Minor International and chairman of the Minor Food Group. These people are all expected to give up their previous citizenships, dual citizenship past the age of 18 being prohibited here, but there’s no real way to check that they have, and no one I know believes they really have. They just keep quiet about it.
On the other end of the scale are other Third World and even Fourth World migrants who cannot get into the US or the EU and somehow manage to snag citizenship here – through marriage say, or maybe religious affiliation with the southern Muslims or even the small local Hindu community – leaving behind such hardships as make them not mind a lifetime of being treated as a third-class citizen here.
Could you, please, supply a cite for that?
Curtis would support the R.P.R. in France but in Sweden would support a party funded by France’s National Front.
Supporting the UUP would be a bit pointless in Northern Ireland these days, they’re a spent force. Why not go with something like the Alliance Party?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweden_Democrats
They are rather too liberal and just ignore the main issue. I’d go with DUP then.