Transcript of the above video: 

As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing Simple Song of Freedom. What does that mean? Well the thumbnail is from - I'll go ahead and put a link in the description below for the photo credit - but it's actually a Bobby Darin song, a song he sang I should say and it's quite a good song. I think it's really relevant for the particular moment we are in here in Thailand. There are some great lines in it especially regarding politicians. There's a great line where it says, ‘let's all build them shelves so they can fight it out among themselves,’ which frankly this whole consternation that has come about as a result of things going on at the border at Cambodia, again one of the main refrains in the song is, "we the people here don't want a war." I don't think really the people on either side of the Cambodian/Thai border really want a war. I think what they want is some trade. I did videos on this when this dispute like first started to kind of percolate up, that there was a lot of talk about, "oh hey wait a minute”, in that sort of aftermath of the initial de-escalation, "hey there's some cross-border trade incentives too. The Khmers can send mangoes and cassavas over here for processing." There was talk of all kinds of trade, great trade relationships that can happen between Cambodia and Thailand. And frankly, I think this has been this consternation if you will that has now even gotten to the point where we have seen this really controversial leaked call between the Prime Minister of Thailand and Hun Sen over in Cambodia. I'm starting to think that a lot of this has been driven by politicians, and I have discussed this in other videos. I was here in Thailand going back in 2008, '9, '10 and the lead up to that, it seemed like the then iteration of the current “Core Coalition Party”, anytime they get their political back up against a wall, oh one of the political tropes that they fall back on is stirring up so-called nationalism with "problems” at the border. Back then it was the Preah Viharn Temple. Again I find it not only disconcerting because of how it is disingenuous, but I also find it problematic because look there are real people who live here, and nobody wants a war. And I love that song, again Simple Song of Freedom, “sing it like you have never sung before; we the people here don't want a war.” Those are good sentiments. Then meanwhile there is a great line in there, "tell me if the man who is plowing up your land has got the war machine upon his mind". These politicians, be they supranational like the World Economic Forum, which at present seems to have been targeting Thailand, or folks that have come in recently, again local politicians who stir up talk of sovereignty while again talking to sovereignty infringing organizations like the WEF, and then they are undercutting our own military commanders when talking to foreign powers. Again how is that de-escalating the chance of war? And how is that sort a Simple Song of Freedom? 

Meanwhile, going back to the whole notion of freedom, I know outsiders may not understand Thai politics, but as an American born person who came to Thailand, naturalized to Thai nationality, became Thai, I love this country in many, many ways and I have found that freedom can be found in different forms. It doesn't have to all be through “so-called” democracy. I really hate that buzz word now because all these “so-called” democratic governments like France who had a massive no confidence vote, then nothing happened, or these countries in Western Europe where there doesn't seem to be any actual representative democracy when the rubber hits the road. And then in America where yeah finally Trump got back in - and I am not saying one thing or the other about Trump - and there clearly was chicanery in the 2020 election to keep him from Office. I have a problem listening to all of that talk and then meanwhile what do all of these Western nations have? Do they have real freedom? I've experienced real freedom in Thailand and quite frankly I've noticed it being eroded and corroded these past few years especially in earnest since we have gotten this new government and especially all this WEF talk which by the way say what you will about the generals and all of that, they weren't inviting the World Economic Forum over here. 

So the point I am trying to make is you can find freedom in different forms and freedom can be maintained and preserved through different forms of Government. Here in Thailand we have a Constitutional Monarchy. Yes, I know folks are, they will talk about the fact that we get coups and things over here; it's a different system. I'm not saying one's going to happen by the way, I'm simply saying the history of Thailand. But if you come over here and live in Thailand, if you have ever been here for any period of time, tell me you don't feel like there is a massive weight that has come off your shoulders in terms of real personal liberty on a real grassroots level than you will find in Thailand. This is a very free country, and it is one of the reasons I find the notion of her sovereignty being undermined so concerning.