What can we practically do to help with situations like this far from our normal realm of influence? Countries like NK get sanctions (rightfully), but we don't seem to do anything as a country against things like this.
https://www.amnesty.org.uk/press-releases/thailand-activist-...
We need a new generation of activists who are less self serving and more aware of the risks posed by totalitarian tendencies with a more realistic perception of how the world works.
At the moment media, academics and NGOs are quick to turn the spotlight outward and barely register or handwave issues around Snowden, surveillance, whistle blowers, the NSA, GCHQ, privacy, border checks and harassment and the 'endless' wars.
But it's quite difficult to find a tropical paradise destination with progressive liberal democratic government
But for those of us on a more restricted budget, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines provide a better value. Thailand has always pulled through in being worth it for me, especially when prices crash after a coup.
Please explain why you think a comment that basically said we shouldn't persecute people for crimes of thought/opinion/speech makes that implication.
Anyway I define it as criminalizing certain expression of ideas in a violent attempt to control what population thinks. Also you're reacting to Thailand story, so I'm not sure what American right has to do with this.
Also this discussion started with somebody asking what they can do to help, given that Thailand is far from our sphere of influence.
In your response of "Find and support people who are against persecuting thought crimes within the country", the "within the country" could be easily interpreted as whatever country the people discussing are in, which will likely be some Western democracy. So I believe your statement can easily be interpreted as trying to make a connection between free speech issues in the Thailand and the 'fight to free speech' of the alt-right in Western Democracies, asking for tolerance of their intolerant opinions (this is not just a US phenomenon btw).
Note also how the example of Chinese tourists getting arrested in Germany for making the nazi salute is used as a suppossed freedom of speech issue in this thread. A news article about that was actually one of the first results in the google search for "thought crimes" [1].
[1] http://dailycaller.com/2017/08/07/chelsea-handler-wants-thou...
The only country that was mentioned was Thailand, so I thought that "the country" would have a clear meaning.
Do chinese and germans deserve free speech too or just thais?
Edit: @0xfeba
> That argument is convincing only on the shallowest level.
Only if you are pro-censorship and have no appreciation for principles.
> Germany arrested, fined, and released those tourists.
Are you saying it's good or bad?
> Thailand has given dissidents lengthy prison sentences.
But that's the law.
> How about we worry about Germany's speech laws after we free people who are stuck in retched prisons for 10 years?
How about we worry about both? How about we worry about free speech and principles.
Talk about shallowness. The german law allows for imprisonment for 3 years for nazi salutes. If the chinese got 3 years and the thai got 3 years, would you think both are equally wrong?
You don't seem to have an argument so you are just nitpicking. I don't remember you being outraged that the chinese tourists were arrested. I remember you celebrating german law.