Thailand

Two days ago, the general of the Thai military took control of the country through a bloodless coup. Businesses and schools around Bangkok and the military leader shut down international news stations on television. He has promised to return power to the people as soon as possible. Thailand's PM has been out of the country this entire time and will most likely step down. Should he return to Thailand, the military will arrest him under corruption charges. Already four members of his government have been detained and until a new election occurs, all political assemblies have been banned.

I wish I was living in Thailand right now. I look at pictures of people posing with next to tanks in downtown bangkok and I can't help but think how much cooler Thai politics are than American or Japanese politics. It sounds like the PM, Thaksin, had been pretty crooked, Based on what CNN had reported it seems like he was pretty crooked; but, what Asian government isn't corrupt? And the fact that the military intervened with the nation's political process makes it apparent that the country isn't ready to adopt democracy. Furthermore, as the general arranges for more democratic processes he is suspending peoples' fundamental rights until a sound democracy is created. I think it is extremely dissapointing that the country couldn't get rid of its leader through a natural process (which it was about to do in two months with another election).