PPRP caught while not telling the truth
All right, children, take your seats. Today is Saturday, the last Saturday in the month of May, 2022.
You're feeling sleepy...
PREP NOTE
PPRP is Palang Pracharath Party (Thai: พรรคพลังประชารัฐ, English: People's State Power Party) is
a military-civilian front organisation formed in 2018 specifically and uniquely to back and protect the 2014 coup, the military's junta and specifically the one, only 'prime minister' ex-army general Prayut Chan-o-cha.
The nominal leader is Thaksin's ex-buddy and former army commander Prawit Wongsuwon - but the leadership is shaky.
Policies
The current, best precis of the coupmeisters' policies, in English, is here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palang_Pracharath_Party#Policies
PPRP STORY
Earlier this week, the PPRP was caught removing an official party Facebook graphic detailing the policies and promises of the PPRP and Prayut.
Immediately (i.e. yesterday) party poo yai began telling untruths.
Deputy PPRP leader Paiboon Nititawan (photo, above) denied removing the graphic because, actually, you know, it never existed. Although it did.
Among other promises, the PPRP promised to institute a daily minimum wage of 400-to-425 baht, which it didn't do.
Enforce a minimum monthly salary of 18,000-to-20,000 baht for graduates, which it has not done.
Order an immediate personal tax reduction of 10 per cent, which has never happened.
Paiboon has poured fog on the issue. "Our team that manages the party's fan page insists that it has not deleted any posts." Although they did.
Fake News, Fake Internet Posts, Misinformation... Paiboon promised a full investigation, Translation: Paiboon and Friends Including Prayut and Prawit will try to wait out the political charges.
https://www.matichon.co.th/politics/news_3369773
THAILAND CORONAVIRUS
These are the preliminary, official statistics for the Friday toll by Covid-19.
Friday
4,837 new cases
29 deaths
46,205 active cases
5,198 recovered
Answer FAILURE. MASSIVE, ULTIMATELY-UNCONCEALABLE FAILURE.
What's next for China's zero COVID policy?
♫ ♫♪ ♫ Step right up, sit yourself down...
https://www.popsci.com/science/china-zero-covid-goals-next-steps/
RIP Ray Liotta
At 67, in his sleep, in the Dominican Republic, where he was filming 'Dangerous Waters'. Scorsese and all movie watchers agreed that Liotta's portrayal of mobster Henry Hill is what made the gangster flick Goodfellas an excell... no, a classic movie.
ZERO COVID
https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-61603304
THAILAND ECONOMY
Thailand's exports in April rose 9.9%, year on year, below forecasts of a 14.6% rise, and below junta expectations.
https://bityl.co/COZX
THAILAND VIETNAM DICTATORSHIP
Prayut and Loyalists have announced plans to merge markets with the Vietnam Communist Party, to try to raise the price of rice, worldwide.
[It is a typical move of dictators as their powers diminish.]
Prayut sent out his spokesman to announce the effort, following a visit on Thursday by Vietnam's vice-minister of agriculture, Tran Thanh Nam.
The two countries will try to sell the plan as a 'food security' measure.
In fact, they hope to push farmers in both countries to adopt Party-directed measures.
The spokesperson said the discussion was intended for the two major rice exporters to raise rice prices to increase farmers' income and boost their bargaining power in the global market after more than 20 years of low prices.
While they were at it, Thailand also asked Nam to support the establishment of the ASEAN Rubber Council to boost cooperation and support the rubber industry.
PHOTO: Nam (left) will carry the junta's proposal back to Hanoi for a Vietnamese study.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2317054/
THAILAND SOUTH MARINES
Last Wednesday night, 'someone' attacked and burnt a Thai Marines outpost in Tak Bak district of the deep South.
A Marine private and two defence volunteers were injured in the attack.
The commander of the 4th Army, Lt. Gen. Kriangkrai Srirak says he knows who it was: a gang involved in smuggling, drugs and human trafficking. And he knows why: the Royal Thai Army and Police had been busting these gangs, seriously and successfully.
He had no response when asked, "Who?"
PHOTO: The attackers burned out the outpost's main transportation.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2317122/
U.S. Secretary of State 'Don Tony' Blinken (photo below), who has dodged visits to Thailand twice, ruled there must be no Cold War with China.
Beijing, he said during a speech at George Washington University, posed "the most serious long-term challenge to the international order" despite months of US focus on Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
"Beijing's vision would move us away from the universal values that have sustained so much of the world's progress over the past 75 years,"
[Maybe that's the goal?]
At the summit of The Quad, new Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia rebuked China for the heavy tariffs that the Chinese Communist Party placed on Australian exports two years ago.
"We will respond appropriately in time, when I return to Australia," Albanese told journalists in Tokyo.
No further details.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/australia-pm-albanese-scolds-china-trade-tariffs-quad-summit-2703686?cid=internal_mcdrecs_27052022_cna#mdcrecs_s
Channel News Asia Commentary:
Australia's New Prime Minister Should Reset Defence Ties With China
Australia's new Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his Labor government have promised to match the Morrison administration's defence spending commitments, but they have a chance to put the country's defence plans on a new footing.
PHOTO: Albanese (the only male pictured) celebrates with red-clad Labor senate leader Penny Wong (left) in Sydney last Sunday (May 22), after Prime Minister Scott Morrison conceded defeat.
https://bityl.co/COZ7
Canada's delayed ban of Huawei gear exposes lack of Indo-Pacific strategy
[REUTERS]
... Last week's decision [by Canada] to ban Huawei 5G gear was the last vestige of a diplomatic dispute with China that dates back to 2018. With that, Canada joined its Five-Eyes intelligence-sharing partners United States, Britain, Australia and New Zealand to ban Huawei equipment over national security concerns.
NOT BFF
China's President Xi Jinping (L) and Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attend the session on women's workforce participation, future of work, and ageing societies, at the G20 Summit in Osaka, Japan, in 2019.
https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/canadas-delayed-ban-huawei-gear-exposes-lack-indo-pacific-strategy-2022-05-26/
THAILAND DRUGS SEIZURE
Police have seized 11 million methamphetamine pills from three pickup trucks abandoned by fleeing smugglers in Chiang Rai town and outlying Chiang Khong district.
The drugs were said to belong to a major smuggling network run by a fugitive trafficker known as "Porlee".
... Drug suppression police from Provincial Police Region 5 and Chiang Rai police followed two suspected pickup trucks travelling from a border area in Mae Suai to downtown Chiang Rai town around 11p.m. on May 19.
The vehicles were parked at Hua Doi intersection in tambon Tha Sai of Muang district. When police approached, the drivers fled into the darkness.
SINGAPORE DRUGS HANGING
The Lion City's Court of Appeals acquitted a man on Death Row, accused of trafficking 1.8 kilos of cannabis.
Judges overturned the conviction of Raj Kumar Aiyachami, 40, claiming that it was a case of mistaken identity.
He and a second man were arrested in 2015 when anti-drug narcs found a red plastic bag in truck bound from Jahor Bahru into Singapore. Police said the arrests came after a tip-off.
Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon said that Raj had ordered chemically sprayed tobacco, known as "Butterfly", and the weed was delivered to him by mistake. Sure.
https://bityl.co/COYZ
The excellence of WHO. Again.
China-owned agency says 'Covid-19 cases mostly drop, except for the entire western hemisphere'.
PACIFIC CHINA
Beijing is making an open attempt to buy votes and support for countries in the South Pacific.
https://apnews.com/article/penny-wong-solomon-islands-china-fiji-40cca61cd3160caabb9dc60aeb66c426
FOR EXAMPLE
China's FM visits Kiribati, where fishing ground is at stake
PHOTO: Wang Yi arrives in the Solomons.
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/05/26/asia/china-pacific-islands-security-pact-wang-yi-tour-intl-hnk/index.html
SCOOP! SCOOP!
The heavy-left 'news' website Politico claims an exclusive:
[Politico and the C.I.A. seems like a match made in Hell, but you never know...]
A Forecasting Model Used by the CIA Predicts a Surprising Turn in U.S.-China Relations
Tensions will ease significantly between the U.S. and China soon, as the Biden administration slashes consumer tariffs and Beijing welcomes the move, at least privately. Expect a new round of trade negotiations too.
... Biden argues that confronting Beijing is the work of generations. It's the battle that your grandchildren will study in college: Will democracy or autocracy prevail across the globe?
One Biden aide said a vague proposal was the only way that squabbling officials could come to a public consensus.
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/01/31/biden-china-trade-politics-00003379
NORTH KOREA UNITED NATIONS
The U.N. Security Council was debating the possibility oif censuring and blacklisting Pyongyang for all its recent missile and nuclear testing.
China and Russia barged in, tut-tut you can't do that! They both called on Washington to "improve dialogue with" the land of Kim Jong-Un.
The United States in particular was ticked off at the veto. Paris was the most openly disgruntled. "Using a veto protects the North Korean regime and gives it carte blanche to launch more weapons,” said the French ambassador, Nicolas de Riviere.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/5/27/north-korea-escapes-further-sanction-as-russia-china-wield-veto
Wait, what? I was assured that all smokers get lung cancer.
But this cabal of scientists and experts say 'nah'.
The Mystery of Why So Many Lifelong Smokers Never Get Lung Cancer May Be Solved.
Repeat: Scientists and experts. You will not argue!
https://www.sciencealert.com/we-re-closer-to-understanding-why-most-lifelong-smokers-never-get-lung-cancer
SPACE CHINA ELON STARLINK
What a headline!
China Must Be Able to Destroy Elon Musk's Starlink, Researchers Say
South China Morning Post
Chinese researchers said China needs the ability to counter Elon Musk's Starlink satellites, which already has thousands of satellites in orbit, making it more resilient.
PHOTO: A Starlink launch
https://www.businessinsider.com/china-need-ability-to-destroy-elon-musk-starlink-researchers-say-2022-5
TECHNOLOGY
Okay Bill, you uneducated medical know-it-all symp, will you choose the next African village to incinerate so your odious 'pandemic plan' will be exactly like your favourite Hollywood movie?
We understand. You've got money and a mid-life crisis.
PHOTO: That is the actual Bill Gates.
Funny thing about our betters: They always dine quite well.
Apple is hoping to release the new iPhone 14 MAX. Right now, work on the phone is "weeks behind scheule".
https://ggle.io/58vj
U.S.A. ECONOMY INFLATION
Ugh. Read the whole thing. If you dare.
It's not (very) political and the guy knows what he's talking about. And he's arguing that the Expert Class - the Smartest Guys in Any Room, the people you should always defer to because they are good at thinking and you are not - have built an inescapable trap for us.
Like, do you know that when the U.S. Fed promised in 2008 to stop buying mortgages, the U.S. Fed was lying through its teeth, while it continued buying mortgages, right up until today.
DOOM: The American Economy Now Runs on Fake Money and Slowing the Fake Money Production Loop May Cause the Fake Economy To Crash
https://amgreatness.com/2022/05/23/the-economic-doom-loop-has-begun/
GROAN DU JOUR
Husband: I saw a deer this morning on the way to work.
Wife: How did you know it was on its way to work?
This is England, the land that discovered that sucking on lemons cured all their scurvy.
Specifically, it is Cambridge, England, where adult men are encouraged to use women's bathrooms if they feel the urge.
You know. 'The Urge'.
Related
This is the U.S.A., which also encourages adult men to use female children. And males.
But the kiddie fiddler is only a "suspect", please emphasise that. Kids are such liars, right?
