Editor's note: iReport: Are you there? Share your photos and videos, but please stay safe. (CNN) -- As the political situation in Thailand worsens with deaths on Bangkok's streets this week , CNN takes a look at the root causes of the protests, and what the latest developments might mean for the country's political future. Who is protesting and why? Unlike the 2010 protests, which saw red-shirted supporters of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra turn out in force, this time around it is opponents of his younger sister Yingluck Shinawatra's government who are protesting in the capital. As with previous protests, the country is largely divided between a younger, educated urban middle-class and a conservative class of poor rural voters, largely from the north of the country. It is the former group who have taken to the streets and are currently battling the police after months of deepening political division. The protestors, led by Suthep Thaugsuban -- a deputy prime minister in the previous Abhisit Vejjajiva-led government -- rejected YIngluck's poll in early February and are calling for the creation of an unelected "people's council" headed by a premier appointed by Thailand's king. What triggered the current crisis? Photos: Political turmoil in Thailand Camera catches attack on Bangkok cops Police, protesters exchange gunfire Life in Bangkok amidst political chaos Yingluck's prime ministership was largely stable until her party attempted to pass a controversial amnesty bill in November. The bill would have nullified former Prime Minister Thaksin's corruption conviction and would have allowed him to return to the country. The policeman-turned-tycoon has been living in exile in a number of different locations, most recently Dubai, since he was removed in a bloodless coup in 2006. He briefly returned to Thailand in 2008. Later that year, he was convicted by a Thai court of corruption and sentenced in absentia to two years in prison over a controversial land deal. Courts have also frozen billions of dollars of his assets, but he is believed to still have a great deal of money held elsewhere. What is Thaksin's role in the current crisis? While he technically plays no part in the current political situation, the deeply-divisive Thaksin is never far from the heart of Thai politics, communicating with supporters via social media and video messages. With his younger sister in power since 2011, his influence remains strong. Critics say Yingluck is Thaksin's proxy but she insists she has always been independent. The current protests were sparked by attempts by her government to enact the amnesty law that opponents said was designed to protect him and others, facilitating his return to the country -- and ultimately, to an active role in Thai politics. Why are Thai protests in the news so often? The country has had a restive history since the dissolution of its absolute monarchy in 1932. There have been a dozen military coups d'etat over the years, most notably in 1947, and again in the 1970s, which led to the creation of a new constitution. The most recent military coup was in 2006, which led to the ouster of Thaksin. Thai elections inconclusive CNN producer caught in dramatic gun fight Civilian rule was restored with a Thaksin-linked civilian government in charge but protests in 2008 -- including the blockade of the capital's airports -- eventually led to the creation of a coalition government. 2009-10 saw pro-Thaksin supporters, known as the red shirts, take to the streets and demand fresh elections, eventually leading to Yingluck's election -- which brings us to the current situation. What impact did the February 2 election have? Under pressure, Yingluck dissolved parliament and called for new elections at the beginning of February. These were disrupted by protestors, particularly in the capital and in the south of the country. Ahead of the elections, Suthep -- the leader of the protests -- urged his supporters to boycott the poll and recently petitioned the Constitutional Court to annul the election. They were not successful and while the results are still in doubt, the country is being ruled by an interim government headed by Yingluck, but one that lacks absolute authority. What role is the Thai king playing in all this? Despite the turbulent nature of Thailand's democratic political scene the country is home to the world's longest-serving monarch. Bhumibol Adulyadej, aged 86, is universally revered in Thailand but prefers to remain ostensibly neutral in matters of government, although he called for national unity in his birthday speech in December. What caused the latest flare-up? After a period of relative calm -- and a feeling that appetite for the protests was dying down -- trouble has flared up again this week as police in the capital tried to reclaim official government sites occupied by protestors. Reacting to the attempted eviction, around 6,000 demonstrators were estimated to be on the streets of the city Tuesday. An outbreak of violence that day saw five people -- including at least two protestors and a police office -- killed in central Bangkok. Following police action in which tear gas was fired in an attempt to disperse crowds of demonstrators in the streets, people among the protesters began firing guns at police, who responded with both rubber bullets and live fire. 15,000 police are said to have been mobilized in the latest operations. Seventy-three people -- both police officers and opposition supporters -- have been wounded in recent clashes. Will the military step in? Up until now the military has resisted calls from the protestors to intervene on their behalf, and it seems that its current leadership lacks the appetite for regime change. However, the country's army chief, General Prayuth Chan-ocha, has not ruled out the possibility that the military will intervene if violence on the streets of Bangkok worsens. What ' s the story with the rice-pledging scheme? The political crisis took on a new twist when a subsidy program that benefited rice farmers -- part of Yingluck's base -- was decried as corrupt by opposition leaders. The scheme was a centerpiece of Yingluck's election platform and has been beset with payment problems. Yingluck criticized her opponents for politicizing the issue, but this week the country's National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) announced their decision to charge her with "dereliction of duty," which could have serious implications for her retention of the premiership. She is expected to answer the charge on February 27, according to the Bangkok Post. Is Thailand safe? In the run-up to the elections several countries issued travel advisories for tourists and in the wake of this week's fatalities it is likely that these precautions will be used more frequently. Reports of office closures in Bangkok on Tuesday and Wednesday have been received by CNN as the situation on the ground escalates. READ: Thailand's 'up country' boom fuels political divide READ: Thai anti-government protesters gather outside defense compound READ: From flames to fiery opposition, protests rock Thailand, Ukraine, Venezuela
It Doesn't Matter Submitted by Tyler Durden on 11/06/2012 21:22 -0500 ABC News Congressional Budget Office ETC FBI Finland Germany Gross Domestic Product Hong Kong Medicare National Debt NBC Tax Revenue Wall Street Journal Via Simon Black of Sovereign Man blog , It’s really hard to ignore what’s happening today; the election phenomenon is global. Over the last several weeks, I’ve traveled to so many countries, and EVERYWHERE it seems, the US presidential election is big news. Even when I was in Myanmar ten days ago, local pundits were engaged in the Obamney debate. Chile. Spain. Germany. Finland. Hong Kong. Thailand. Singapore. It was inescapable. The entire world seems fixated on this belief that it actually matters who becomes the President of the United States anymore… or that one of these two guys is going to ‘fix’ things. Fact is, it doesn’t matter. Not one bit. And I’ll show you mathematically: 1) When the US federal government spends money, expenses are officially categorized in three different ways. Discretionary spending includes nearly everything we think of related to government– the US military, Air Force One, the Department of Homeland Security, TSA agents who sexually assault passengers, etc. Mandatory spending includes entitlements like Medicare, Social Security, VA benefits, etc. which are REQUIRED by law to be paid. The final category is interest on the debt. It is non-negotiable. Mandatory spending and debt interest go out the door automatically. It’s like having your mortgage payment autodrafted from your bank account– Congress doesn’t even see the money, it’s automatically deducted. 2) With the rise of baby boomer entitlements and steady increase in overall debt levels, mandatory spending and interest payments have exploded in recent years. In fact, the Congressional Budget Office predicted in 2010 that the US government’s TOTAL revenue would be exceeded by mandatory spending and interest expense within 15-years. That’s a scary thought. Except it happened the very next year. 3) In Fiscal Year 2011, the federal government collected $2.303 trillion in tax revenue. Interest on the debt that year totaled $454.4 billion, and mandatory spending totaled $2,025 billion. In sum, mandatory spending plus debt interest totaled $2.479 trillion… exceeding total revenue by $176.4 billion. For Fiscal Year 2012 which just ended 37 days ago, that shortfall increased 43% to $251.8 billion. In other words, they could cut the entirety of the Federal Government’s discretionary budget – no more military, SEC, FBI, EPA, TSA, DHS, IRS, etc.– and they would still be in the hole by a quarter of a trillion dollars. 4) Raising taxes won’t help. Since the end of World War II, tax receipts in the US have averaged 17.7% of GDP in a very tight range. The low has been 14.4% of GDP, and the high has been 20.6% of GDP. During that period, however, tax rates have been all over the board. Individual rates have ranged from 10% to 91%. Corporate rates from 15% to 53%. Gift taxes, estate taxes, etc. have all varied. And yet, total tax revenue has stayed nearly constant at 17.7% of GDP. It doesn’t matter how much they increase tax rates – they won’t collect any more money. 5) GDP growth prospects are tepid at best. Facing so many headwinds like quickening inflation, an enormous debt load, and debilitating regulatory burdens, the US economy is barely keeping pace with population growth. 6) The only thing registering any meaningful growth in the US is the national debt. It took over 200 years for the US government to accumulate its first trillion dollars in debt. It took just 286 days to accumulate the most recent trillion (from $15 trillion to $16 trillion). Last month alone, the first full month of Fiscal Year 2013, the US government accumulated nearly $200 billion in new debt– 20% of the way to a fresh trillion in just 31 days. 7) Not to mention, the numbers will only continue to get worse. 10,000 people each day begin receiving mandatory entitlements. Fewer people remain behind to pay into the system. The debt keeps rising, and interest payments will continue rising. 8) Curiously, a series of polls taken by ABC News/Washington Post and NBC News/Wall Street Journal show that while 80% of Americans are concerned about the debt, roughly the same amount (78%) oppose cutbacks to mandatory entitlements like Medicare. 9) Bottom line, the US government is legally bound to spend more money on mandatory entitlements and interest than it can raise in tax revenue. It won’t make a difference how high they raise taxes, or even if they cut everything else that remains in government as we know it. This is not a political problem, it’s a mathematical one. Facts are facts, no matter how uncomfortable they may be. Today’s election is merely a choice of who is going to captain the sinking Titanic. Average: 4.413795 Your rating: None Average: 4.4 ( 29 votes) Tweet Login or register to post comments 17511 reads Printer-friendly version Send to friend Similar Articles You Might Enjoy: Why A Balanced Budget Is Impossible In America Chart Of The Day: Entitlements Or Growth Taxes Vs Debt: Where Does US Funding Come From - Chart Of The Day Guest Post: Americans Want Smaller Government And Lower Taxes Spot The Unsustainable Entitlement
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