Two Excellent Articles on Thailand in the Trib..

[CTO]

We won and people can't stand it

 

People died and you call it a victory?

 

Sorry - it isn't - it's a sad pathetic day for thailand.

 

People died while the leaders sat around and met later in their clubs.

 

Is it something to be proud of? It's not.

 

It's pathetic that thai's have killed each other over this - I don't care who killed who - it's pathetic they did.

 

If your proud of that - don't be - it's sad.

 

This isn't a football match - it's life

 

And the life of many has ended

 

On both sides

 

and that's one too many.

 

Think about it during your victory parade.

 

[Gadfly]

That is such a crock of shit and you know it. If you indeed go upcountry as much as you say, then you have seen it with your own eyes. For every one baht that a poor person got some benefit from a thousand baht went in some TRT persons pocket, from TAO members all the way up to MP's and the PM himself.

 

I don't entirely agree, but I also don't entirely disagree. Specifically,

 

1. "For every one baht that a poor person got some benefit from a thousand baht went in some TRT persons pocket". I have no doubt that there was substantial corruption while TRT was in power, although I have no personal knowledge of it in Issan. But I don't know, and I stronlgly suspect you don't either, know if the corruption was that extensive (1,000 Baht of corruption for every Baht of benefit). This is important because there is no disputing that prior government were corrupt.

 

2. Why is the degree of corruption so important? Because PAD has made it important. PAD claims that TRT was so extraordinarily corrupt that it justifies their taking extra-legal measures. Look at Sondhi's claims and the posters at the airport. Or, pause and think about it for a moment: if the prior governments were corrupt, what makes TRT so different that it justifies nullifying the popular vote, occupying the seat of government, occupying Bangkok's airport and tanking the Thai economy? It must be materially different in some respect from prior governments, PAD recognizes this, and responds by claiming that it was the degree of corruption.

 

3. I don't agree with this principle and, even if I did, where is the evidence? Sure TRT was corrupt, but so are the leaders of PAD. Where is the evidence of this incrediable difference in terms of corruption?

 

4. I also doubt, no, let me correct that, I don't believe, the purported motives of PAD's leadership. They supported TRT and Thaksin at his worst. And he was bad. But when he was at his worst, Sondhi and Chamlong were still staunch supporters. So, I don't believe for a second that PAD's leadership is or believes it is acting for the good of Thailand.

 

5. Even if they really thought they were acting for the good of Thailand (which stands counter to all the available facts), what gives them the right to upsurp and elected government and take power?

 

6. I don't believe the average Thai accepts PAD's position. Maybe your neighbors believe it, but I have met very few Thais who believe it and, the few I have met who profess to buy it, all have vested interests (Chinese-Thai businesses, like Sondhi's, who feel entitled to feed off of government funds). The last opinion poll I saw said about 12% of Thais supported PAD. But there is only one way to sort this out, and that is with an election, where every person's vote is equal. And guess what? PAD is opposed to elected MPs. It wants them appointed MPs because rural Thais are too stupid to elect their representatives. That is the PAD line, it reprehensible, and the Thai people I have are rightfully indiginant at PAD's attempt to disenfranchise them. The average Thai may not be educated, but she or he is not stupid.

 

7. I could go on, but why bother? If anyone still believes PAD's crap by this point, I don't think there is anything that can be said to change their mind.