Posts

What Peace? Trump’s Peacemaker Theatre for Thailand and Cambodia?

  Donald Trump wants the Nobel Peace Prize. Again. This time, he’s not just claiming credit for Gaza’s ceasefire or Venezuela’s de-escalation—he’s demanding a photo-op peace deal between Thailand and Cambodia at the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur.  But beneath the choreography and theatrics lies a terrain of unresolved violence, symbolic overreach, and institutional fragility. Gaza: Peace by Proxy or Power Play? Trump’s 20-point Gaza plan promises hostages returned, Hamas disarmed, and Gaza rebuilt under a technocratic committee chaired by Trump himself. Arab states, the EU, and even China have endorsed it. But Hamas wasn’t at the table. Palestinian voices were sidelined. Israel continues air raids. Bibi is on the run from ICC. And the plan’s architecture—led by a “Board of Peace” outside UN frameworks— lacks authority. But after 2 years and 65-250,000 deaths, once the rubble is cleared, a Trump deal is better than none. Venezuela: Surveillance, Not Settlement In the Caribbean, ...

UK policy no brainers #2 - the Overton Window opens

  Is it unthinkable or impossible to have:  # Universal Basic Income - fewer jobs/work days with AI thus compensatory living costs in a globalised financial system # 4 day work week: fewer jobs/work days again, job shares and 3 day weekend an extension of Social Contract # Mars and Moons: global exploration and settlement plan: tech rivalry overcome for unified plan - plus Asteroid protection, Solar Flares and Space Junk # Rejoin - did UK even leave? # Minister for Longevity: whole life plan beyond a year or two increases per decade - or mortality declines by postcode or Austerity (330k excess deaths) or Covid (227k deaths) # Minister for Cancers: focus on cures # Monarchy Abolition: Wills and family irrelevance after QE2 and King Chuck? End of Law exemptions and Duchies fees: Estate £16BN, Cornwall £1BN, Lancaster £652M to Treasury/public, 7 main Palaces as National Trust and tourism sites and Sandringham/Balmoral/Highgrove revert to public, Honours/Titles only by Parliament;...

As Gaza war ends...Time for a White Phosphorous and Cluster Munitions ban

 Time for global ban on white phosphorous and cluster munitions - the global community must urgently enforce a universal ban on white phosphorus and cluster munitions—two indiscriminate weapons whose use continues to devastate civilian populations and violate international humanitarian law. Their use in Gaza is drawing to a close leaving much smaller use in Ukraine and Myanmar and briefly in the Thai-Cambodia War. While air raids in general look increasingly a de facto war crime with mainly civilian deaths and increased drone use. Cluster munitions, which disperse dozens or hundreds of submunitions over wide areas, have been used by both Russian and Ukrainian forces in 2024–2025, despite the Convention on Cluster Munitions prohibiting their use, production, and transfer. These weapons fail to distinguish between combatants and civilians, and unexploded bomblets remain lethal for years. In 2023 alone, civilians accounted for 93% of global casualties from cluster munitions, with chil...

UK policy no brainers #1

  # cancel BBCTV licence: public saving, reduced compliance/court costs, national tax simplicity and transparency # rail fare £50 cap for any return UK journey: simpler/cheaper fares with peak/off peak and ultimately free or monthly travel as Luxembourg and Germany. Government Golden Shares in rail companies for control and Tube-style zones by miles/hours for simplicity # end gas link to energy prices: scraps fossil fuel link to renewables for cheaper and ultimately free ration - too cheap to meter # bury electricity pylons: storm resilience, beautification and jobs # nationalise water companies as they go bust at no cost and Golden Share for control: free daily ration and Board salary/dividends control as Scotland # free laptop and wifi for skool kids # free town centre wifi

Orbital Corruption: Scam Empires, Iris Scans, and the Thai Parliamentary Firewall against Big Brother?

  In a region where biometric scans promise digital salvation and scam centres bankroll political dynasties, Southeast Asia’s corruption isn’t just endemic—it’s engineered. From Bangkok’s parliament floor to Cambodian call centres, the machinery of impunity runs on crypto, casino bills, and compromised identities. Parliament as Firewall: Rangsiman Rome’s Exposés Thai MP Rangsiman Rome has become the country’s most persistent firewall against elite impunity. In a blistering Section 152 debate, he accused a sitting senator—linked to the ruling Ruam Thai Sang Chart Party—of owning land used for party headquarters while allegedly being wanted for drug trafficking and money laundering. The senator responded with a ฿100 million defamation suit despite parliamentary privilege of free speech. Rome’s revelations didn’t stop there. He exposed electricity deals with Myanmar drug lords, police aviation units laundering funds, and the systemic rot within the Royal Thai Police. His disclosures t...

Craters of Power: From Bangkok Sinkholes to Philippine Ghost Floods

  In the shadow of collapsed tunnels and crumbling promises, Southeast Asia’s infrastructure tells a story not of progress—but of elite impunity, buried accountability, and seismic corruption. Thailand: When the Ground Gives Way Bangkok Sinkhole (Sept 2025): A 50m-deep crater opened near Vajira Hospital, swallowing police vehicles and rupturing public trust. The culprit? Soil subsidence linked to the Purple Line subway tunnel—contracted to Sino-Thai Engineering, whose ties to Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul are no secret. Khao Kradong Land Encroachment: Over 5,000 rai of railway land in Buriram, ruled by Supreme Court as state-owned, remains occupied by 900+ private entities—including the Chidchob family. Decades of delay, ministry interference, and vote-rigging allegations have stalled restitution. Golf Club Runway Encroachment: Rancho Charnvee Resort, owned by Anutin’s family, built a private airstrip overlapping 450m of public road. DSI investigations revealed no valid per...

Clashing Scripts and Cross-Border Scandals: Southeast Asia’s Cultural Battlegrounds

  Clashing Scripts and Cross-Border Scandals: Southeast Asia’s Cultural Battleground From heritage disputes to monastic scandals to riots and revolution, the latest headlines across Asia reveal not just isolated incidents but a deeper reckoning of identity, soft power, and regional dynamics.  In an era where cultural diplomacy and tourism are currency, the battleground is increasingly metaphorical—played out through temple steps, theatre scripts, and high-stakes media campaigns. Cambodia vs. Thailand: Ballet, Border, and Bickering A digital firestorm has reignited tensions between Cambodia and Thailand over the UNESCO inventory of Khmer classical works. Cambodia’s submission of 20 dramatic scripts for ballet performances was met with outrage from Thai critics, alleging appropriation of Thai literary heritage. The controversy has coined a new term online: “Claimbodia” , reflecting nationalist anxieties, to rival "Scambodia" and the border scam centres/casinos/traffikers. The d...