Showing 1 - 10 of 32
No, really, Big Brother is watching
News, Alan Dawson, Published on 25/06/2017
» The Big Three of International Computing have convinced tens of millions of customers to spy on themselves. Considering this, what's the big deal when the government listens in too -- well, apart from the going-to-jail part -- at least?
The big issue: Sparing country [redacted]
News, Alan Dawson, Published on 14/12/2014
» In 2002, in the wake of the 9/11 terrorism and US military pushback, the CIA opened a secret facility in central Thailand. The agency brought two high-level al-Qaeda operatives, Abu Zubaydah and Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, to the site and launched a new programme of "enhanced interrogation" techniques on them including physical assault and waterboarding, distressing many US officials.
Fairness needs to be ensured
News, Alan Dawson, Published on 27/01/2019
» In sports, as in politics, they call it a "tilted playing field". One or many tiny modifications to the game area give advantages that don't absolutely guarantee that the home team wins, but help to make it more likely.
Kra me a river
News, Alan Dawson, Published on 17/09/2017
» They say that in 1677 King Narai the Great came up with the idea of excavating a ditch for a canal from Songkhla to Burma. His French engineer de Lamar travelled to the South, looked around and reported back that it was impossible.
Man for all reasons
News, Alan Dawson, Published on 16/07/2017
» If you really were up against it, had to stop all the generalising and nonsense political talk and get down, really seriously down, to one set of reforms in one tough place that really, really needs reform, where would you choose?
First they came for the net idols
News, Alan Dawson, Published on 11/06/2017
» The always interesting National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) made a new power play last week. It will go a long way to negate the constitution's already somewhat nominal "liberty to express opinion ... by any means".
That election: CliffNotes edition
News, Alan Dawson, Published on 13/11/2016
» Well, since at least half of us here today, dear reader, correctly predicted both fact and scope of the Orange Crush express months ahead, here are thoughts on that.
A question of interpretation
News, Alan Dawson, Published on 20/11/2016
» After 15 months of extremely iffy police work and very interesting prosecution strategy, the two button men of the Erawan Shrine atrocity got their destined opportunity to turn their trial into political theatre.
The big issue: You can't win 'em all
Alan Dawson, Published on 03/07/2016
» If demotion was humiliating two years ago, the promotion from the dark and dank cellar of Tier 3 wasn't exactly a champagne moment either. Even the new designation, "Tier 2 Watch List" is a 24/7 reminder that the world policeman is still watching the human trafficking scene in Thailand.
The big issue: The US-Thai nexus
Alan Dawson, Published on 17/07/2016
» The Law of the Sea Tribunal demolished China’s claims about the nine-dash line, historical ownership and even — this one is quite out of the blue for everyone involved — the claim that rocks, outcroppings and shoals are "islands" that can belong to a country.