Impressive stuff from an old Cambodian king

[Honolulu_Blue]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3505915.stm

Cambodia's King Norodom Sihanouk has shown that advancing years are no barrier to an open mind and liberal attitude.

After watching television images of gay marriages in San Francisco, the 81-year-old monarch has decided that single sex weddings should be allowed in Cambodia too.

He expressed his views in a hand written message on his website which has proved extremely popular in Cambodia.

The king said that as a "liberal democracy", Cambodia should allow "marriage between man and man... or between woman and woman."

He said he had respect for homosexual and lesbians and said they were as they were because God loved a "wide range of tastes."

Sihanouk, who is currently in Beijing for medical treatment, also said that transvestites should be "accepted and well-treated in our national community."

Such views are not widespread in Cambodia, but the king is hugely revered, although he is a constitutional monarch and has no executive powers.

San Francisco has issued more than 2,800 marriage licences to gay couples in the past week amid a growing debate in the US over whether such unions should be allowed.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yay for the Cambodian president!

His quote about why gays and lesbians "are as they are", because God loves a "wide range of tastes" is how I always hope religious folks view whichever God they believe in. As a being/diety who embodies and inspires acceptance, kindess, love, and compassion. Most do, I reckon. Unfortunately too many religious folks also use God as an inspiration or reason for hatred, bigotry, and willfull ignorance.

For shame.

[-Mojo Jojo-]

Flamewar in 10, 9, 8, 7....

[sachmo71]

He forgot to mentions God's "furious vengance". Remember Sodom and Ghamorah?

[Bubba Wheels]

Right. That is why the old geezer is still king. Oh, he's not? Wonder why. Let's take it a step further and find out what the kings of Hungary, Iran, Afgahnistan, Italy, ect... would do now. :p

By the way, still awaiting the press release from Prince Charming of Disney World and where he stands!

[Franklinnoble]

This thread is gay.

[McSweeny]

how about a holiday in cambodia?


anyone? anyone?

[corbes]

I once tried to swim to Cambodia.

No, wait, that wasn't me...

[Honolulu_Blue]

This thread is gay.

You're gay.

[sabotai]

He forgot to mentions God's "furious vengance". Remember Sodom and Ghamorah?

But that was the old God, before he got his makeover from the Queer Eye guys. :)

[Franklinnoble]

You're gay.

Only in a Flintstones sort of way.

[tucker342]

good for him:)

[Honolulu_Blue]

Only in a Flintstones sort of way.

But you're also a Redskins fan, so...

[Bubba Wheels]

Standby, video game characters to announce position shortly, awaiting report from Prince of Persia....

[Honolulu_Blue]

Standby, video game characters to announce position shortly, awaiting report from Prince of Persia....

Mayor of Chicago added his support to the idea as well. Not Mario or Luigi, but then again, who is?

[Bubba Wheels]

Mayor of Chicago added his support to the idea as well. Not Mario or Luigi, but then again, who is?

Was that with or without the endorsement of dead people? ;)

[Super Ugly]

"how about a holiday in cambodia?


anyone? anyone?"

Hmm ...

DEAD KENNEDYS.

Ah, punk rock ...

[Bubba Wheels]

Studies have shown, 4out of 5 dead people usually vote democratic in Chicago!

[Honolulu_Blue]

Studies have shown, 4out of 5 dead people usually vote democratic in Chicago!

Sounds like 4 out of 5 dead people in Chicago are smarter than anyone voting Republican. ;)

[Dutch]

You're gay.

And Honolulu Blue lays Franklin out with the worst insult of them all. ;)

[CamEdwards]

yes, you can always praise the word of a king who calls his country a liberal democracy. I see no hypocrisy there.

[Honolulu_Blue]

yes, you can always praise the word of a king who calls his country a liberal democracy. I see no hypocrisy there.

"Such views are not widespread in Cambodia, but the king is hugely revered, although he is a constitutional monarch and has no executive powers. "

Hypocrisy? None at all. He's a constituational monarch, with no real powers. There are "kings" and "Queens" (e.g., Queen of England) like this all over the world.

He is just a kind old man with a positive world view is all. It is easy to see why he is "hugely revered."

[Dutch]

Because, like Clinton, he doesn't actually do anything. ;)

[Honolulu_Blue]

Because, like Clinton, he doesn't actually do anything. ;)

Well, if our options are:

A) Do nothing, or

B) Gut the Constitution, plunge the country into unimaginable debt, turn almost every one of our allies against us, lie to the public to start an unjustified war for which there is no clear exit strategy.

I'm takin' "A" every time. Then again, that may just be me. ;)

[Dutch]

Oh give me a break! I say one little snide remark about Clinton and you're going to go apeshit? Get a backbone already.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Oh give me a break! I say one little snide remark about Clinton and you're going to go apeshit? Get a backbone already.

Apeshit? That wasn't apeshit. That was a cool, calm and relatively simple and straight-forward recital of basic facts. I am cool hand luke over here. Didn't use a exclamation mark or nuthin'.

Get a backbone? Huh?

[mckerney]

Mayor of Chicago added his support to the idea as well. Not Mario or Luigi, but then again, who is?

If you keep quoting Bubba the ignore featue doesn't work properly on him.

[vex]

This thread REALLY is gay.

[Honolulu_Blue]

This thread REALLY is gay.

Only in a Flintstones sort of way.

[Dutch]

Apeshit? That wasn't apeshit. That was a cool, calm and relatively simple and straight-forward recital of basic facts. I am cool hand luke over here. Didn't use a exclamation mark or nuthin'.

Get a backbone? Huh?


Whew, and I thought in response to that you were going to call me, "gay". :)

[Honolulu_Blue]

Whew, and I thought in response to that you were going to call me, "gay". :)

Heh! :)

[CamEdwards]

Well, if our options are:

A) Do nothing, or

B) Gut the Constitution, plunge the country into unimaginable debt, turn almost every one of our allies against us, lie to the public to start an unjustified war for which there is no clear exit strategy.

I'm takin' "A" every time. Then again, that may just be me. ;)

Norodom Sihanouk in '04!!!

[CamEdwards]

dola: Turns out old Norodom also didn't mind showing support for the Khmer Rouge and Pol Pot. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norodom_Sihanouk)

"He is just a kind old man with a positive world view is all. It is easy to see why he is 'hugely revered.'" Absolutely... he'll kill you if you don't. :)

[Butter]

Hey, let's drag the old gay marriage stuff in here. Nobody's tired of talking about that yet!

[Honolulu_Blue]

dola: Turns out old Norodom also didn't mind showing support for the Khmer Rouge and Pol Pot. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norodom_Sihanouk)

"He is just a kind old man with a positive world view is all. It is easy to see why he is 'hugely revered.'" Absolutely... he'll kill you if you don't. :)

Hey! Come on now. Nobody's perfect. He's lived. He's learned. At least he's got the issue at hand right.

[Dutch]

Hey, let's drag the old gay marriage stuff in here. Nobody's tired of talking about that yet!

I think we were being rather gay about it, literally speaking. :D

[yabanci]

dola: Turns out old Norodom also didn't mind showing support for the Khmer Rouge and Pol Pot. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norodom_Sihanouk)

A little bit of knowledge is dangerous. If you are going to condemn him for "showing support" for the Khmer Rouge and on that basis imply that his recent comments should be ignored, you should at least tell the whole story and put it in context.

As the source you cite notes, Sihanouk was forced out by Pol Pot and spent the Khmer Rouge years in exile. His "support" for the Khmer Rouge came after they were outsted from power by the Vietnamese and became part of the guerrilla coalition fighting the Vietnamese installed government in Phnom Penh. You imply that this makes him a "killer" and discredits his recent statements on gay rights, but of course you don't mention that the United States likewise was both directly and indirectly supporting the Khmer Rouge during these years. The United States and its allies gave economic, military, and political support to Pol Pot and voted for over a decade to have his government retain Cambodia’s UN seat. Since this is all very well known, I'm assuming you just didn't know about it. The United States supported Sihanouk's "support" of the Khmer Rouge, just as the United States itself supported the Khmer Rouge during this time.

You can read all about it here among many other places: http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/cambodia/tl04.html

"After Vietnam had invaded Cambodia and set up a new government, the ousted Khmer Rouge leadership, including Pol Pot and Nuon Chea, retreated to the jungle along the Thailand-Cambodia border. Instead of becoming pariahs, they continued to play a significant role in Cambodian politics for the next two decades. The Khmer Rouge would likely not have survived without the support of its old patron China and a surprising new ally: the United States. Norodom Sihanouk, now in exile after briefly serving as head of state under the Khmer Rouge, formed a loose coalition with the guerillas to expel the Vietnamese from Cambodia. The United States gave the Sihanouk-Khmer Rouge coalition millions of dollars in aid while enforcing an economic embargo against the Vietnamese-backed Cambodian government. The Carter administration helped the Khmer Rouge keep its seat at the United Nations, tacitly implying that they were still the country's legitimate rulers."

[ISiddiqui]

yes, you can always praise the word of a king who calls his country a liberal democracy. I see no hypocrisy there

Queen Elizabeth of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland runs a monarchy?! :eek:

[k0ruptr]

did anyone notice the gay comments on the simpsons last nite.

I dunno why it struck me as odd, but I dont think I ever heard any gay remarks on the simpsons before that.

[Bubba Wheels]

Awaiting report on what Prince Albert has said, but cannot seem to get him out of can...developing...

[McSweeny]

Prince Albert

*snicker* *snicker*

not that i know what that means or anything

[CamEdwards]

A little bit of knowledge is dangerous. If you are going to condemn him for "showing support" for the Khmer Rouge and on that basis imply that his recent comments should be ignored, you should at least tell the whole story and put it in context.

As the source you cite notes, Sihanouk was forced out by Pol Pot and spent the Khmer Rouge years in exile. His "support" for the Khmer Rouge came after they were outsted from power by the Vietnamese and became part of the guerrilla coalition fighting the Vietnamese installed government in Phnom Penh. You imply that this makes him a "killer" and discredits his recent statements on gay rights, but of course you don't mention that the United States likewise was both directly and indirectly supporting the Khmer Rouge during these years. The United States and its allies gave economic, military, and political support to Pol Pot and voted for over a decade to have his government retain Cambodia’s UN seat. Since this is all very well known, I'm assuming you just didn't know about it. The United States supported Sihanouk's "support" of the Khmer Rouge, just as the United States itself supported the Khmer Rouge during this time.

You can read all about it here among many other places: http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/cambodia/tl04.html

"After Vietnam had invaded Cambodia and set up a new government, the ousted Khmer Rouge leadership, including Pol Pot and Nuon Chea, retreated to the jungle along the Thailand-Cambodia border. Instead of becoming pariahs, they continued to play a significant role in Cambodian politics for the next two decades. The Khmer Rouge would likely not have survived without the support of its old patron China and a surprising new ally: the United States. Norodom Sihanouk, now in exile after briefly serving as head of state under the Khmer Rouge, formed a loose coalition with the guerillas to expel the Vietnamese from Cambodia. The United States gave the Sihanouk-Khmer Rouge coalition millions of dollars in aid while enforcing an economic embargo against the Vietnamese-backed Cambodian government. The Carter administration helped the Khmer Rouge keep its seat at the United Nations, tacitly implying that they were still the country's legitimate rulers."

Well, if Jimmy Carter thought they were legit, I guess I stand corrected. After all, we all know what a foreign policy genius Carter was.