" through a southernly route "

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once known for it's beautiful flourishing rural and engaging land, the southern region of thailand has slowly gained more of what capitalists might call "progressive infrastructure." i tend to see this unnecessary growth as a gaudy veil of national delusion, in the face of the truths regarding the nature of the economy.

there is a widening disparity between what modern thai culture desires, and what it actually has and needs. you ask some kid walking around what is the hot shit of the moment, and (s)he'll probably tell you hip-hop music, or F4 (chinese singing b-band), or something equally pop-americanized or MTV'd. it's sickening that the realities of life aren't hard-pressed into this younger generation, to allow for a really sweeping dramatic change in the coming generations.

this is not to say that there are not people who see that the economic growth isn't important to restructuring the country's post-1997/economic collapse, but there is less exposure due to government pig-headedness/pride/losing face issues, and that's just sad.

when you watch the television programming, which is controlled by a few entities (and boasts a limited scope of worthwhile international information), you can see that the "ideal" lifestyle is one that tends to lean towards money, material, and luxury. it's not something new, but there is almost no adequate representation. it's like trying to sell a diamond ring to a beggar; it looks pleasing to the eye, but there's no reality behind it.

at least not at the present time.

tomorrow i head down to the south of thailand where there is an explosion of violence currently escalating in three of the major provinces. why is this happening? why isn't the government helping out at all. why is it always the poorest people who have the heart to fight against such violence?

why isn't thaksin (the PM of thailand) apologizing for the over 80 deaths in the southern provinces, that the military/police killed while in transport to a jail facility? is it that important to "look good" in the face of factual information. i mean, apologize and create a positive change from a genuine place. more and more each day, his actions resemble those of bush. the lies, the hesitation to admit mistakes were made. the amount of control over the output of media information is frightening.

none of these things help anyone heal or move forward and it's just depressing to think that the people with the most power are this shallow.

there are things happening all over the world that warrant a major global-change, but when will it happen? in the meanwhile, i'm going to visit my family in the south for a few days.

this weeks homework:

learn yourself some real factual knowledge, and try to share it at a local level. create some awareness and facilitate change in your area. eventually that shit will grow and expand. let's get the people that can make the most change, into the limelight, and build something that's really attainable; hope for tomorrow.

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