The Economist (May 10)
“Long in crisis, Thailand is close to the brink. Without compromises on both sides, it may well collapse.” Thailand has fallen hard. Not long ago, it was a “shining example” of democracy with its booming economy. Now “everything is broken.” The latest blow came when a court dismissed Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and nine cabinet members in what is being viewed by many as a political intervention. The country remains split in two politically. “The irreconcilable differences between the two sides have swallowed up Thailand’s courts, its army and even the monarchy—and left Thailand at the abyss.”
Tags: Army, Brink, Broken, Cabinet, Collapse, Compromise, Courts, Crisis, Democracy, Economy, Monarchy, Politics, Prime minister, Thailand, Yingluck Shinawatra
Boston Globe (August 2)
In the U.S., Republicans and Democrats have been battling down to the wire over a debt deal. The final deal, “like all compromises…is not a win for either side.” It could have been better, especially if it created additional revenue, but it did avoid a disastrous default. The debt deal also has some positive aspects. The cuts are “spread across federal programs—including defense.” Moreover, the deal “delays any serious cuts for two years, to give the economy more time to recover.”
In the U.S., Republicans and Democrats have been battling down to the wire over a debt deal. The final deal, “like all compromises…is not a win for either side.” It could have been better, especially if it created additional revenue, but it did avoid a disastrous default. The debt deal also has some positive aspects. The cuts are “spread across federal programs—including defense.” Moreover, the deal “delays any serious cuts for two years, to give the economy more time to recover.”
Tags: Compromise, Congress, Debt, Democrats, Economy, Republicans, U.S.
Washington Post (July 30)
It’s high time for Congress to grow up and reach agreement on the debt ceiling. They are holding a “gun to the head of the nation’s economy. That makes for a dangerous atmosphere in which to conduct negotiations but one in which, we continue to hope, enough clear-thinking lawmakers will conclude that the time for compromise is now.”
Tags: Compromise, Congress, Debt ceiling, Economy, U.S.
