Doing a "Thailand" Here

lizzyrocker

As per what happened in Thailand lately imagine this (unlikely) scenario.

Imagine that people here one day became so disillusioned with all the political parties (maybe during a prolonged recession/depression), that the people started regularly protesting on the streets (like in Hungary at the moment). The army commanders see what is happening with public sentiment and agree a consencus and oust the government in a coup d'état while all the Dail politicans were away on their annual freebie St. Paddy's day parade "guest" trips all around the world. The world is taken aback in shock.

tbh, we don't have much of an army, but how would people react? I'd love to here peoples (hopefully amusing) opinions?

I myself would find it very amusing, and to have a fresh slate politically would be no bad thing, I think it would be great to get rid of all the incompetent lifers in the dail, they're all as bad as each other imo no matter what party.

Max_Damage

Agreed, I'd be for it as well, get rid of Bertie and his cronies.

OctavarIan

Sounds good, I'll see you there.

I would enjoy something like this.

An army state would be amusing?I say you found Stalin's puges a real laugh.:rolleyes:

djkeogh

Has you not read Animal Farm.

Spastafarian

Deleted User wrote:

An army state would be amusing?I say you found Stalin's puges a real laugh.:rolleyes:

Feckin' Stalin. There's always somebody who ruins it for everyone else.

stepbar

Great! anyone up for organising a coup? I could round up a few students..... shur we'll protest at anything!

Dragan

The only reason it worked in Thailand is due to the King. The people love him, and while they might ought a government they still have that figurehead to hold on to, and keep them in line so to speak.

Over here it would be a case of "oust the political parties and then........eh.......well......."

Agamemnon

I'd be well up for taking part in a military coup, even though I'm not a member of the armed forces. I could give myself an arbitrary rank: Colonel Agamemnon has a nice ring to it.
I want to be chief of the secret police in the new dictatorship. I'll combine the ruthlessness of Himmler with the PR flair of Goebbels. What other roles does anyone want?

kevmy

I want to be president ... no vice-president ... wait ... executive vice-president kevmy:D
Good to see the auld military coup. There going out of fashion these days:( *sighs* time was when i was a young'un that there'd be a coup d'etat once a week in some banana republic eg. Chile, Uganada, Leitrim

cushtac

agamemnon wrote:

I want to be chief of the secret police in the new dictatorship. I'll combine the ruthlessness of Himmler with the PR flair of Goebbels.

How secret is this secret police going to be if you're doing PR?

Agamemnon

cushtac wrote:

How secret is this secret police going to be if you're doing PR?

As Head of the Secret Police, I will have a high public profile, making regular televised addresses to the nation, attending mass executions, reviewing military parades, opening supermarkets and so forth. However, the spies, assassins and torturers under my command will be operate in secret and remain anonymous, their faces hidden behind black visors.

Your interest is commendable, cushtac. What position would you like?

cushtac

I'll go for state executioner, but only if you let me use a guillotine.

Black Swan

lizzyrocker wrote:

As per what happened in Thailand lately imagine this (unlikely) scenario.

Imagine that people here one day became so disillusioned with all the political parties (maybe during a prolonged recession/depression), that the people started regularly protesting on the streets

Cannot remember the book, but there was a study done on the French, British, and American revolutions. They occurred not during economically declining times (recession/depression), but rather times when their economies were improving at the same time that their governments were incompetent and abusive. If I recall, Thailand's economy was also on the rebound when the coup occurred, but the PM was accused for graft and corruption?*





*Of course, coups are not revolutions.

Ruu_Old

Where do I sign up?

Sarky

Deleted User wrote:

An army state would be amusing?I say you found Stalin's puges a real laugh.:rolleyes:

Personally, I laughed til I peed just a little. I was never popular in history classes. Besides, Stalin had some of the greatest facial hair on the planet.

Agamemnon

cushtac wrote:

I'll go for state executioner, but only if you let me use a guillotine.

A guillotine it is then! You have excellent taste in execution mechanisms - it's my favourite as well. When I'm full of drink at the end of the night, I always say to my friends "I'm going to make like a guillotine and head off."

Ruu wrote:

Where do I sign up?

I've already posted out your membership card, Ruu, or "General Ruu" as you will be known from now on. You can now seize control of all of boards.ie and rule it with an iron fist. Have anyone you don't like arrested and sent to cushtac for the chop.

Blitzkrieger

Our goverment collapsed once before. Most people didn't notice.........

Archeron

agamemnon wrote:

As Head of the Secret Police, I will have a high public profile, making regular televised addresses to the nation, attending mass executions, reviewing military parades, opening supermarkets and so forth. However, the spies, assassins and torturers under my command will be operate in secret and remain anonymous, their faces hidden behind black visors.

Your interest is commendable, cushtac. What position would you like?

Will there be popcorn and snacks available at these mass executions or will be expected to bring our own? This could be a serious issue, and the wrong answer will result in yet another coup performed by the Peoples Alliance for the Free Availability of Snacky Things.

lostexpectation

Dragan wrote:

The only reason it worked in Thailand is due to the King. The people love him, and while they might ought a government they still have that figurehead to hold on to, and keep them in line so to speak.

yeah exactly Mary Robinson where are ya?

Ruu_Old

Ooo iron fist eh. All I have is the foam fist with the finger for waving. I guess it will have to, that'll strike the fear into them!

FlutterinBantam

I am appointing myself as Strategy Officer...

Right ..the coup is january 03 2007... RTE are on automatic pilot... no one at the controls... Everyone else is p1ssed/hungover/on holidays/the whole frikken country is shut down.. Just the non nationals still workin....

Josef...? Ahmed? ... Dmitry? Ah three or four would be enough to pull it off.... Game on........................................

Agamemnon

Archeron wrote:

Will there be popcorn and snacks available at these mass executions or will be expected to bring our own? This could be a serious issue, and the wrong answer will result in yet another coup performed by the Peoples Alliance for the Free Availability of Snacky Things.

Your concerns have been noted and you have been appointed Minister for Food Production and Distribution, Major Archeron. You will turn the Irish countryside into a giant labour camp for the production of popcorn, snacks and any crops required for making booze. Legions of slaves will be yours to command and you shall fertilise the earth with the blood of our enemies. We'll make the Khmer Rogue look like the feckin' Girl Guides.

FlutterinBantam wrote:

I am appointing myself as Strategy Officer...

Now we are truly invincible. Oh brave new world that has such boardsies in it!

Monty - the one and only

curious as to what the laws on treason are here...anyone know? might be an idea to find out before saying anyting :P

Archeron

Would it be considered too soon for a hearty Mwahahahaha? Probably best to wait a while, just to be safe.

Agamemnon

It's never too soon for a hearty Mwahahahaha!

All together now: Mwahahahaha!

jor el

Monty - the one and only wrote:

curious as to what the laws on treason are here...anyone know? might be an idea to find out before saying anything :P

From http://www.justice.ie/80256E01003A02CF/vWeb/pcJUSQ5XUD5V-en
The Criminal Justice Act, 1990 provides that a person convicted of treason or murder shall be sentenced to imprisonment for life. Where a person is convicted of treason or of what formerly would have been capital murder, the Act obliges a court to specify imprisonment for a period of not less than 40 years as the minimum period to be served.

So if we're going to do it, we'd better do it right. Isn't the Dáil still on it's 20 week Summer holiday? Now would be a good time, what with all the commotion over Mary Harney stepping down and what politicians are left in the country being at the K-Club. It's the perfect distraction

Blitzkrieger wrote:

Our government collapsed once before. Most people didn't notice.........

Just because nobody cared, doesn't mean they didn't notice. OK, most people probably didn't actually notice.

their economies were improving at the same time that their governments were incompetent and abusive

Sound familiar?

5starpool

I can choose the members of, and 'ensure quality' of the executive vice-presidents personal harem. Thorough investigation will be needed on this subject, but I am up to the task.

Every good evil dictator and his close advisors should have a harem.

Sam Vimes

agamemnon wrote:

I'd be well up for taking part in a military coup, even though I'm not a member of the armed forces. I could give myself an arbitrary rank: Colonel Agamemnon has a nice ring to it.
I want to be chief of the secret police in the new dictatorship. I'll combine the ruthlessness of Himmler with the PR flair of Goebbels. What other roles does anyone want?

i'm already a commander so i'm ready to go. i'll take up command of the city watch again

The biggest problem with a coup in Ireland is how will people get there? I mean, will they take the 4x4/SUV? They are gas guzzlers and parking can be a pain. They'd take the little run around only one of the lads will have borrowed it to go rugger training. And Roger has the beemer and is working late at the office. They'll just have to watch that coup on the 40" plasma I guess...sipping a g 'n t...

Endasaurus

I make an excellent subordinate Sir!!

EOA_Mushy

Suggestion: Get fully qualified team together. -> Pay them as if they were a company. -> Kill off present government. -> Set 4 year contracts for government.

kevmy

5starpool wrote:

I can choose the members of, and 'ensure quality' of the executive vice-presidents personal harem. Thorough investigation will be needed on this subject, but I am up to the task.

Every good evil dictator and his close advisors should have a harem.

As close the top of the recently appointed figurehead government I belive this job is vital and should be filled fothwith. I must warn you I demand high standards in my harem and your job maybe ardudous and the hours long.

Cy Kotic

I'm in. I'll meet ye on the barricades.

Capt'n Midnight

Do it on St Pat's day , all the politicians will be out of the country.
And no fear of a counter attack with the traffic blocked by the parade.
You could hide gear in the parade floats too.

Endasaurus

Yes but if we do it when every politician is away then how can we ever expect to be able to make examples of this and demonstrate our supreme power!!

billy the squid

Monty - the one and only wrote:

curious as to what the laws on treason are here...anyone know? might be an idea to find out before saying anyting :P

Any such laws would only apply should the revoloution / coup fail

Archeron

Just to make things a bit easier to organize, could anyone who wants to take part in overthrowing the government please wear a large white badge saying "I'm a coup member" and stand to the left of the gathering point? You know yerself, when the randon killing and bloodshed starts, it would be handy to know who is on our side. If anyone asks, tell them its something to do with a new chicken farming support group.

r3nu4l

Will the new army have ridiculous amounts of gold braiding? Any good army performing a coup needs lots of gold braiding!

Also, we need to cast a number of medals to hand out at anniversary ceremonies. I suggest converting SuperMacs badges to medals by clever use of sticky tape and ribbon!

Finally, I propose a Ministry for Silly Walks, Ridiculous Marching Steps and Shiny Boots!

Siogfinsceal

recently saw 'V for Vendetta' which has this type of theme. Governments should rule for their people and should fear their people. Instead we are in a situation where the government make rules without ever even consulting their people! So many of us are unhappy but we fail to recognise strength in numbers and do something about it. If we all turned around tomorrow and said 'no i am not doing an NCT' for example the government could not do anything about it what are they going to do arrest and fine us all? The only people in Ireland who actually understand this and act upon it are the Taxi Drivers. When the government make a decision about them without consulting them they group together and fight back. We are paying the taxes our voices should be heard

r3nu4l

Siogfinsceal wrote:

When the government make a decision about them without consulting them they group together and fight back. We are paying the taxes our voices should be heard

And then it suddenly turned serious and silence fell. Who was this mysterious Siogfinsceal, proposing the revolution? A Government spy or a true leader of the united revolutionary front? Only time would tell but the boardsies waited with baited breath for Siogfinsceal to raise the flag and call out the long-awaited war cry!

Siogfinsceal

FREEEEEEEEDOM!!!! lol

kevmy

I don't know if we really want to go down the whole William Wallace route. I heard on Ray D'arcy todat he was hung, drawn and castrated before the eventually beheaded him:eek: I don't know how I want to go but thats not the top of my list.

Anyway he lost and our revolution is unstoppable.

unstoppable I tells ya

Marksie

Blue_Lagoon wrote:

Cannot remember the book, but there was a study done on the French, British, and American revolutions. They occurred not during economically declining times (recession/depression), but rather times when their economies were improving at the same time that their governments were incompetent and abusive.

we should be due for one anytime now then

agamemnon wrote:

As Head of the Secret Police, I will have a high public profile, making regular televised addresses to the nation, attending mass executions, reviewing military parades, opening supermarkets and so forth. However, the spies, assassins and torturers under my command will be operate in secret and remain anonymous, their faces hidden behind black visors.

I think the mad mullah mcdowell beat you to it

Agamemnon

McDowell McSchmowell. A rank amateur, I'll show him how it's really done when I have him executed by firing squad and his body hung from a lamppost in Listowel.
I am heartened to see the support for our coup among the ordinary, decent people of boards.ie. I am but a simple soldier and a true patriot and I seek no reward for this glorious undertaking. All I ask is that a golden statue of me be erected in every town square, two public holidays a year be declared in my honour and our biggest aircraft carrier be named after me.
We still have posts to fill in our junta: any volunteers for the prestigious post of Head of Nuclear Weapons Research? We urgently need a stockpile of hydrogen bombs. If Bush gives us any hassle, we'll pop a cap in his ass.
Onward soldiers, history awaits...

ircoha

agamemnon wrote:

Onward soldiers, history awaits...

Louder please:)

Dooom

Sound off?

/taps mute button

gandalf

Hmm Public Executions sounds good but only if I get the Head of Secret Police job, I reckon I would look good in a full lenght leather coat.

/me strokes imaginary leather coat and shudders "mmmmm nice"