Word: lowerers
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...protest last year. The overall mood was one of fortress Bangkok being surrounded by alien beings. Then the unexpected happened. As tens of thousands of red-shirt vehicles wound through Bangkok streets on March 20 in a miles-long caravan, members of the city's lower and middle classes emerged to cheer on the crimson convoy. Short-order cooks waved their toques, teeth-whitening technicians handed out spears of green mango and Starbucks baristas clapped in unison. A gaggle of mini-skirted ladies from the Eros Lounge even shook their booties for the crimson cause. Far from the air-conditioned...
...Yawning Gap Anger on the streets is directed not only at current Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, an Oxford-educated economist, but also at an entire political and military establishment that many in the lower classes believe lives only to enrich itself at the common man's expense. For the red shirts it doesn't matter that Abhisit appears to be a rare clean politician in a country where politics and corruption seem as closely linked as mango and sticky rice. Nor is it significant to them that during his 15 months in power the Prime Minister has unveiled a raft...
...pale-complexioned ethnic Chinese with nary a callus on his palms. (Abhisit fits that category too.) But Thaksin knew how to tap into a voter base long underexploited by traditional Thai politicians. His populist policies, which included heavily subsidized health care and microfinancing schemes, delighted the lower classes and helped Thaksin win the largest electoral mandate in Thai history. Economists have critiqued the loan projects, pointing out that much of the money was spent on satisfying consumption cravings, as opposed to building businesses, thereby creating unsustainable debt loads. Long-term reality mattered less, however, than short-term perception. At last...
...commanding officer of a Navy warship is somewhat akin to a god and must act as such. I served seven years in the Navy, four at sea, and never heard a commanding officer swear at others or berate officers in front of lower-ranking individuals. That is not how a CO is supposed...
...lower house of Belgium's parliament is set to vote on the bill on April 22 and it could enter into law in June or July. But even if the measure is delayed by court challenges, it is still hugely significant for Belgium and its relationship with its Muslim community, according to Carl Devos, a political scientist at Ghent University. "The Muslim community is not yet well-integrated in Belgium. The difference between them and us is still there," he says. "This law draws a line, saying we in western European democracies accept Muslim beliefs, but in order to live...