Chang Noi - Great Article

[Gadfly]

An excerpt:

 

The movement's longer-term aim is to undermine the central principles of electoral democracy, namely the sovereignty of the people, and the selection of a parliament by the system of one-man, one-vote. The PAD leaders claim that the electorate cannot be trusted with the franchise because the mass of rural people are uneducated and corrupt. They want the elected portion of the lower house reduced to a minority (perhaps 30 per cent), and the remainder filled partly by "retired officials and important people" and partly by ordinary people and workers, selected by appointment. Since the logic of the PAD's proposal is to disenfranchise the rural poor, this new system is likely to favour the rich, the urban, and the higher educated.

 

If you go back far enough, you will see some very negative (pre-election, but at least they allowed those) comments about Mr. T and TRT from me. But Chang Noi makes some damn good points here: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008/07/21/opinion/opinion_30078561.php

[Flashermac]

<< The PAD leaders claim that the electorate cannot be trusted with the franchise because the mass of rural people are uneducated and corrupt. They want the elected portion of the lower house reduced to a minority (perhaps 30 per cent), and the remainder filled partly by "retired officials and important people" and partly by ordinary people and workers, selected by appointment. >>

 

That is precisely what the "People's Party" did after the 1932 "revolution" (actually a coup by a very small number of military and civil servants). The legislature was half elected and half appointed. Rama VII finally told the People's Party he would abdicate unless they made the legislature fully elected. They refused and he gave up the throne.

 

 

 

[Gadfly]

I don't understand why this aspect of the whole PAD movement is not getting more press. I appreciate why Thaksin is unpopular in Bangkok. I am pretty much on record here as saying, before Thaksin and his party were elected, that this was bad news. But the PAD movement seems far more dangerous.

 

A "selectorial democracy" where only 30% of the legislature is elected? Suppressing contrary opinion. Dressing up in paramilitairy uniform. Calling for an unelected and self-appointed elite to run Thailand in the name of nationalism?

 

This is clearly not about promoting or advancing the interests of the Thai people (according to PAD, they cannot be trusted to make the right choices and elect the right people), but advancing the interests of a vested elite. Who are these people?

[Gadfly]

A few more excerpts from a very interesting article:

 

The PAD makes use of military and martial symbolism. Some of the leaders like to wear brown shirts and black shirts that resemble military and paramilitary uniforms.

 

PAD promotes a visceral nationalism reminiscent of the early Phibun era. The nation is a body that is being physically ripped by its enemies (internal and external), causing pain to the citizens, who must rise up in the nation's defence.

 

The PAD's agitational practice suggests a high degree of organisation, strong financing, access to technology, and skill with sophisticated techniques. The equipment for staging and broadcasting the PAD's message requires high capital cost and running expenses.

 

From the few on-site interviews available, the crowds include retirees, public servants, small business people, and senior executives from modern firms. There seem to be relatively few manual workers.

 

In short, PAD is an anti-democratic movement, supported by high investment and shadowy protection, that exploits the fears of the privileged and a deliberately anti-rational nationalism, and flirts with militarism and violence.

 

I am having trouble using the icon for the link, so I will try to put the whole link below:

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008/07/21/opinion/opinion_30078561.php It's in yesterday's on-line edition of The Nation.

[Flashermac]

Most educated Thais I talk to do not like PAD or Thaksin.

 

The situation reminds me of 1976. So much for progress.

[..]

PAD has most certainly lost the plot entirely. Before the coup, they had some decent moderate ideas, but now they are a worthless bunch.

 

Cheers,

SD

[Flashermac]

As in US political parties, the extreme wing always tries to take over.

 

 

[Lord Toad]

In many ways that is a fair point. As the country is now TRT, or PPP and who ever succeeds them will always win because of the voting demographics (Issan and NE have about 50% of the voters).

It demonstrates the trouble with democracy in a third world environment, although I am not sure simple democracy is doing the West much good when you look at the standard of governance therein.

I have always believed a 2 house systems with the upper house being composed of appointees based on a cross section of society - reps/chairman of major companies, institutions, unions, charities etc.

I do not think that democracy as the West wants it will survive another 50 years - even in the West. It may have worked once but it is now delivering crap leaders and bad goverance!

[khun_khon_neua]

The entire history of Thailand since 1932 is short bouts of â??freely electedâ? democratic governments racked by ineptitude and corruption replaced with military installed governments racked by ineptitude and corruption. The root cause of this is deep-seated in the Thai consciousness and goes to the very core value of todayâ??s Thai culture and therefore cannot be openly discussed in Thailand.

[Flashermac]

A century or so ago, governors of provinces and other civil servants received no government salary! They were expected to live off of the local people. First thing a new governor always wanted was a new house, which was built at no cost to him by the locals using their own material and on land provided by them. The locals also had to provide him with food and anything else he wanted. The idea that government officials are entitled to profit from their position is a very old one. The Thai term for it is "gin muang".

 

There was also the profitable occupation of "tax farming". Almost invariably the people who did this were Chinese. (Thaksin's grandfather did it and maybe his great grandfather.) The government appointed an individual to collect taxes for the government in a certain area. The local tax collector made sure to squeeze every satang he could out of the people in his area, since he got to skim off a percantage for himself. Once again ... "gin muang".

 

The proles themselves seem to see little wrong with the old system. I can't remember how many taxi drivers and other working class Thais have admited to me that Thaksin was corrupt. But they argue that all politicians are corrupt and that Thaksin at least helped them in some ways. They got the crumbs for his financial feasts. Most political leaders have hogged the money for themselves and done next to nothing for the upcountry folks.