Dear God, Take Me Away From These Nonsense Politicians: Thai Opinion

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STREETWISE

Dear god, take me away from these nonsense politicians

Achara Debonmee

BANGKOK: -- I guess we need to thank all our lucky stars that the Constitution Court's hearing ended last week before big-wig guests landed in Bangkok for two international events.

Participating at a Sasin Bangkok Forum which took place over the last few days were many foreign guests including two Federal Reserve governors and professors from university business schools. On Thursday, the chiefs of the Asian Development Bank and International Monetary Fund, along with policy-makers, will be in Bangkok for a conference on fiscal sustainability, co-hosted by Thailand's Finance Ministry.

Upon landing, guests may be puzzled by all the cement work happening on the eastern runway of Suvarnabhumi Airport. Travelling in to their five-star hotels, in their chauffeured limousines, first-time visitors may be dazzled by the mix of modern buildings and old-style shophouses and street food stalls. It's like two worlds live as one here, and it's up to you to decide whether this coexistence is peaceful.

If our guests had landed last week and had understood Thai, they would have been puzzled if they saw the live broadcast from the Constitution Court. Democrat Party members were seeking punishment for the Pheu Thai government over its attempt to amend the Constitution via a "hidden" agenda and topple the constitutional monarchy. In a country where all citizens honour the monarchy, that seems outrageous.

But guests would also be puzzled to learn that Pheu Thai has not yet revealed details of the proposed amendments. Never mind that; the Democrats supported their case with "circumstantial evidence". We know that to convict someone of a crime, we need to support the case against their actions and motives. The Democrats may be right, or not, on the motive. But Pheu Thai member Bokhin Palangkura says they are seeking to inflict punishment for "an imaginary act".

To me, the Democrats who brought this case to the court are attempting to assume Tom Cruise's role in Steven Spielberg's "Minority Report", which features technology that identifies killers before they commit their crimes, keeping Washington DC murder-free for six years.

If this were a movie, which side is good and which is bad? I can't say that Pheu Thai is the good guy as it remains to be seen if there is indeed any hidden agenda behind the proposed amendment. It would be a villainous act if the change is designed to strengthen its political power beyond control. But in the court, the Democrats performed equally as well as villains through their assumptions and nagging questions to the witnesses.

Here are some examples from when Chumpol Silapa-archa was cross-examined:

When you drafted the 1997 Constitution, was there killing and burning like now?

[in introducing the party list system] Did you really believe that there are Thais who genuinely want to do something good for the country?

Okay, you won't answer. I assume that you can't answer that. [Hmm, do they really not understand the meanings of "do" and "don't" or "can" and can't"?]

If the Oscar judges were here, I have no doubt that they would hand the "Best Supporting Award" to the Democrats.

If a screenwriter was here, he may want to write a new script on a new political regime, in which the Constitution Court holds power over the legislature, consisting of the elected represetatives. It would be fun if the opposition brought any motion by politicians in the government to the court, to ask if that action violated the Constitution. I can't imagine what would happen if they brought the Pheu Thai government's Bt350 billion water management bill to court. It would be interesting to see how foreign investors reacted to this.

Observing this development, our guests may be reminded of what is happening in the US. There, the Democrats and Republicans are still wrangling over fiscal issues, even as a rating agency threatens to lower its "AAA" sovereign credit rating if there are no concrete solutions to the ballooning deficit crisis.

Ahead of the presidential election, Democrats are introducing strategies to get votes while Republicans block these attempts to ensure that Barack Obama is not re-elected. At stake is the credit rating, which, if lowered, would put the US in trouble with global investors (mainly central banks and financial institutions). Some central banks are required to invest only in AAA-rated financial papers, so what would happen to the trillions of US Treasuries they are holding? With greater uncertainties, Americans will further feel the pinch, in light of falling capital inflows.

We need a new version of "2012". That Hollywood blockbuster focused entirely on natural disaster induced by global warming. A new version should deal with what people and countries around the world need to do in light of the crisis and never-ending political wrangling.

Fortunately our guests are spared from the local political wrangling, as they are assumed to have no knowledge of the Thai language and because the court hearing is not covered in detail in English. I am sure that they are not being distracted from the issues at hand concerning our future - like a green economy, sound global economic conditions and fiscal stability. Enjoy your stay!

-- The Nation 2012-07-10

[bigbamboo]

It doesn't matter how much knowledge of the Thai language you have when the politicians here talk <deleted>.

[robertson468]

It doesn't matter how much knowledge of the Thai language you have when the politicians here talk <deleted>.

Sorry my Friend, not only Thai Politicians, but the World over, although the Thais seem to be Masters at it.

[saltandpepper]

It doesn't matter how much knowledge of the Thai language you have when the politicians here talk <deleted>.

To me, <deleted> is the main language for politicians. Some exceptional and really dedicated politicians will speak the truth, and they will disappear eventually, eaten by the system.

[Narratio]

A minor aside -

My father was a huge reader and always quoting from books he'd read and almost memorized over the decades. One of his favourites was "To be a politician, you need larceny in your soul. To be a great politician you also need ooze charm. To become a statesmen you have to add a gimmick and to be a Great Statesman you need a partner in crime."

Roosevelt & Churchill, Reagan & Thatcher... possibly Hitler and Stalin... all agree with that handy little description. So, this is why Thailand is not blessed with Statesmen? One half of the equation could be Thaksin. But where's his foil?

End of minor aside -

[Thai at Heart]

It doesn't matter how much knowledge of the Thai language you have when the politicians here talk <deleted>.

But their lips are moving.