CNS Chairman Calls On Public To Support Patriotic Ideals

[Martin]

I once read a 5-second explanation of the Thailand political 'system' by a Thai academic.

It went like this: "In Thailand, the Government is elected into office by the people in the provinces, who have the weight of the majority of the votes. And in Thailand, the Government is put out of office by the people in Bangkok who have the weight of the majority of power."

My reading of the situation last year is that the Thaksin government was (effectively) put out of office by some of the middle-class of Bangkok making it impossible for Thaksin to operate in his office. The coup leaders were welcomed when they stepped into the impasse.

But now the jockeying for position, with an eye to the future, has resumed. I would guess that political/societal volatility is going to be Thailand's lot for at least another generation, and it will take place in a situation of world-wide economic volatility.

The big change that may underlie all other changes over the next generation, though, is that so many, many more of the next generation will have spent a lot more of the hours of their youth in school ( and in college for a goodly proportion). That schooling may be very easy to criticise, but it will still make for changes in the mindcasts of different groups of voters and power holders.

Recently, for an on-line course of Futures Studies that I was doing with the University of Hawai'i, I had to think through possible scenarios for the next thirty years and then to write two essays: "A Day in my life in 2036", and "My community in thirty years time". I didn't find it easy to shoot at those moving targets!!!

On the General's subject of "supporting patriotic ideals", there is a lot of food for thought in "National Identity and its Defenders: Thailand Today" (edited by Craig J. Reynolds, 2002, Chiang Mai: Silkworm Press).

For myself, I like the CNS Chairman's emphasis on thinking about ideals. He may have previously been a General----but, then, Thai Generals are different.

My impression of Thaksin was that his emphasis was more on encouraging mindless consumption. He may previously have been a CEO---- but then it is hard for a CEO to move on.

Would the General by any chance belong to an older (and possibly wiser) generation?

[womble]

I once read a 5-second explanation of the Thailand political 'system' by a Thai academic.

It went like this: "In Thailand, the Government is elected into office by the people in the provinces, who have the weight of the majority of the votes. And in Thailand, the Government is put out of office by the people in Bangkok who have the weight of the majority of power."

My reading of the situation last year is that the Thaksin government was (effectively) put out of office by some of the middle-class of Bangkok making it impossible for Thaksin to operate in his office. The coup leaders were welcomed when they stepped into the impasse.

But now the jockeying for position, with an eye to the future, has resumed. I would guess that political/societal volatility is going to be Thailand's lot for at least another generation, and it will take place in a situation of world-wide economic volatility.

The big change that may underlie all other changes over the next generation, though, is that so many, many more of the next generation will have spent a lot more of the hours of their youth in school ( and in college for a goodly proportion). That schooling may be very easy to criticise, but it will still make for changes in the mindcasts of different groups of voters and power holders.

Recently, for an on-line course of Futures Studies that I was doing with the University of Hawai'i, I had to think through possible scenarios for the next thirty years and then to write two essays: "A Day in my life in 2036", and "My community in thirty years time". I didn't find it easy to shoot at those moving targets!!!

On the General's subject of "supporting patriotic ideals", there is a lot of food for thought in "National Identity and its Defenders: Thailand Today" (edited by Craig J. Reynolds, 2002, Chiang Mai: Silkworm Press).

For myself, I like the CNS Chairman's emphasis on thinking about ideals. He may have previously been a General----but, then, Thai Generals are different.

My impression of Thaksin was that his emphasis was more on encouraging mindless consumption. He may previously have been a CEO---- but then it is hard for a CEO to move on.

Would the General by any chance belong to an older (and possibly wiser) generation?

Would that be the same generation that made the Atom Bomb?

Or the one that perfected it?

[wintermute]

I once read a 5-second explanation of the Thailand political 'system' by a Thai academic.

It went like this: "In Thailand, the Government is elected into office by the people in the provinces, who have the weight of the majority of the votes. And in Thailand, the Government is put out of office by the people in Bangkok who have the weight of the majority of power."

My reading of the situation last year is that the Thaksin government was (effectively) put out of office by some of the middle-class of Bangkok making it impossible for Thaksin to operate in his office. The coup leaders were welcomed when they stepped into the impasse.

This is a serious socioeconomic divide that Thailand has. The wealth gap in this country is fairly significant with only a very small portion of Thailand that can be truly called middle class. I think the actual middle class is estimated to be less than 10% of the country's population with 1% who fall into the wealthy power elite. This means that a class divide will exist until they can manage to increase the middle class. The power of developed nations actually comes from the strength of the middle class. Nations like Japan learned this a long time ago when their whole social philosophy was creating a "nation of middle class people." Japan was able to overcome its traditional feudalistic roots but Thailand is having problems breaking out of this cultural mindset. Personally, I don't think it will ever happen in Thailand.

But now the jockeying for position, with an eye to the future, has resumed. I would guess that political/societal volatility is going to be Thailand's lot for at least another generation, and it will take place in a situation of world-wide economic volatility.

Which is even more dangerous for Thailand because of globalisation and the competitive nature of it Thailand may fall into the wayside of the race because of cultural and political obstacles.

That schooling may be very easy to criticise, but it will still make for changes in the mindcasts of different groups of voters and power holders.

The schooling is grossly inadequate when it comes to teaching basic fundamentals that will make their society technologically and economically competitive. Most of their education revolves around making the children a part of the feudal status quo.

For myself, I like the CNS Chairman's emphasis on thinking about ideals. He may have previously been a General----but, then, Thai Generals are different.

My impression of Thaksin was that his emphasis was more on encouraging mindless consumption. He may previously have been a CEO---- but then it is hard for a CEO to move on.

Would the General by any chance belong to an older (and possibly wiser) generation?

Pol Pot and Stalin were idealists too. It doesn't put food on the table or improve your society if it strays into the wrong direction.

[bingobongo]

Sonthi wants satellites back

"Sonthi made the remark when speaking to a group of 2,000 students under the territorial defence programme"

are these 2000 "students" the same as boy scouts in the US or the brainwashed kids of N. Korea?

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/02/17...es_30027114.php

[PeaceBlondie]

Didn't another wise man once say something like, "Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel"?

[SeanBangkok]

take a look at the amount of money going to the armed forces in this years budget compared to last year