A Vicious Circle Of Mutual Loathing Caused By Politics: Thai Editorial

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EDITORIAL

A vicious circle of mutual loathing caused by politics

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Thailand's political divide is now so deep that seemingly minor incidents can spark outrage between people who have never even met each other

Hatred is probably the most controversial emotion as far as Thai politics is concerned nowadays. To be more exact, hatred has a dual personality in Thailand. When you hate, you have the right to. When others hate, it's either a witch-hunt or the haters can be subjected to a witch-hunt. What would you do if someone showed public contempt toward a person you love or worship? In other words, what would you do if a portrait of someone you love was insulted? What would you do if someone declared a desire to pour coffee on the face of the daughter of Thaksin Shinawatra?

Both extremes have happened on both sides of Thailand's political divide. On both occasions there has been uproar. On both occasions a social witch-hunt ensued. Who are the real victims here? Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the flight attendant who wrote on Facebook about her desire to pour coffee on Paetongtarn's face, or both?

Cathay Pacific has been caught in the crossfire. It's decision to fire the flight attendant was made with its hands virtually tired - a classic damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't situation. The pro-Thaksin camp had threatened to boycott the airline if it let the flight attendant stay on, but, since her contract has been terminated, "the other side" is now turning the heat up on Cathay Pacific. The airline may even end up losing passengers from both sides of the Thai polarity.

To her supporters, the flight attendant is a heroine - albeit an unprofessional one, since her feeling toward Paetongtarn prompted her to break rules concerning passenger privacy. To the other side, she's an unmistakable villain seeking political vengeance on an innocent girl. As for Paetongtarn, she is either a victim or deserves to be one.

And who's being witch-hunted? The flight attendant has come under fire for what she did, which triggered a big outcry from the ruling party. Paetongtarn can say her family has to endure harassment simply because it bears the name Shinawatra.

There is no correct answer. The only sensible explanation is that everything originated from hatred. What is too divisive to ask is who caused the hatred to spread from hostility toward Thaksin Shinawatra on one side, and his enemies on the other, to people like the flight attendant, or, also recently, a female red-shirt supporter who allegedly showed contempt for a royal portrait.

The saddest part is that everyone mentioned loves nam prik pla tu, goes to temples, says Buddhist prayers, enjoys Songkran and watches the same TV soap operas. What can make people who have so much in common, and who believe in the same spiritual seclusion, hate each other so much? The answer is "politics". How does politics do this? Through relentless, mutual, hateful propaganda that feeds on itself.

First, politics spawns hatred to serve its own purpose. Then hatred becomes an uncontrollable beast, and not even politics can stop it. Thailand is now at a juncture where Thaksin and his enemies need do nothing to make their respective supporters hate each other lethally. Reconciliation is no longer up to the people who started the war, but the casualties of the war.

What will it take for everyone to calm down? Both sides will say "justice", but that will be as much as they can agree on. Ask one side what they mean by "justice", and their answer will be scorned as a travesty by the other side.

The social media may have exaggerated Thailand's divisiveness a little bit. Without Facebook, the "coffee" threat could still have been something smouldering in the flight attendant's head, and it could have soon faded away without anyone knowing. Without Twitter, many people who don't even know each other in person would never have generated so much dislike toward each other.

The bottom line is, in Thai politics nowadays, it's hard to tell who are the witch-hunters and who are the hunted "witches".

-- The Nation 2012-12-05

[mamypoko]

[dcutman]

Being intolerant (hating) other peoples or groups of peoples views is human nature. Sad to say. The biggest instigators of hate is the media, IMHO. Sensationalism by our information sources is out of control,

Edited December 5, 2012 by dcutman

[Hugo6]

A vicious circle of mutual loathing caused by politics

or stupid journalism

[asiawatcher]

Politics has proven itself inept in the hands of those who abuse it, caring nothing about the populace it is supposed to support, guide and manage. Government by the people for the people? Not in this country. The only people being looked after are those who have endorsed themselves and filled their pockets at the expense of the community. Remove the corruption and take away the protection to keep them immune to persecution and you may start getting some results and the community more embracing each other.

[Fozfromoz]

The coffee event seems to have triggered this diatribe. Just to dissect it down to the core:

1. Paetongtarn Shinawatras crimes. She is born to Thaksin, and she obtains a ticket to travel on an airline to Hong Kong. Listens to safety brief, buckles up for the flight.

2. Employee of Cathay discovers that she is on the flight, contemplates an action of assault on a passenger. Subsequently obtains an excerpt of the pax manifest and plasters it and her views on social media.

Who's the victim? I don't think that we need to call Scotland Yard. Pressures on the airline? The result was always going to happen following an investigation. I am sure privacy laws were breached, and the actions would have been against her employers values, policies and charter. I don't believe that the airline was pressured into firing her. Any airline in the world worth it's salt would have come to the same conclusion.

All of us that are employed, are bound by certain rules, values. If we step outside of that then we expect action to be taken. A Bank teller could hardly be expected to keep his job if he abused a customer, or had his finger in the till.

The rest of it is journalism embellishment. A lot of this "hatred" stems from an inability or unwillingness to find the off switch.

[Markaew]

"in Thailand. When you hate, you have the right to. When others hate, it's either a witch-hunt or the haters can be subjected to a witch-hunt."

An excellent summing up of how the Thais treat foreigners. Thais can hate and take advantage of foreigners and it's their right, but if you do or say something bad in reverse, then it's your fault or you're to blame.

[Hugo6]

Politics has proven itself inept in the hands of those who abuse it, caring nothing about the populace it is supposed to support, guide and manage. Government by the people for the people? Not in this country. The only people being looked after are those who have endorsed themselves and filled their pockets at the expense of the community. Remove the corruption and take away the protection to keep them immune to persecution and you may start getting some results and the community more embracing each other.

always running down the thai people and their country

looks like youve generally bought into the hate thing

[Moruya]

Politics has proven itself inept in the hands of those who abuse it, caring nothing about the populace it is supposed to support, guide and manage. Government by the people for the people? Not in this country. The only people being looked after are those who have endorsed themselves and filled their pockets at the expense of the community. Remove the corruption and take away the protection to keep them immune to persecution and you may start getting some results and the community more embracing each other.

always running down the thai people and their country

looks like youve generally bought into the hate thing

Sounds to me like he's condemning self-serving politicians across the board.

[Zooheekock]

The saddest part is that everyone mentioned loves nam prik pla tu, goes to temples, says Buddhist prayers, enjoys Songkran and watches the same TV soap operas. What can make people who have so much in common, and who believe in the same spiritual seclusion, hate each other so much? The answer is "politics". How does politics do this? Through relentless, mutual, hateful propaganda that feeds on itself.

And so the fascist agenda gets a public airing yet again, thanks to the almost-openly fascist Nation. Why not just come out of the closet and reprint all the stuff about freezing Thailand with a big 'We-heart-Seh Ai'? Awful, awful, awful stuff. I hope these people pay well because if there is a hell, selling your soul for reproducing poisonous rubbish like this is going to get you sent there.

[Thai at Heart]

I think Thai women need to realise that when the baddy is explaining his evil plot in a soap opera, it is very bad script writing when he talks to himself out loud.

In real life people get into trouble if they say they are going to do bad things. Such as burning peoples faces,

Edited December 5, 2012 by Thai at Heart

[asiawatcher]

Politics has proven itself inept in the hands of those who abuse it, caring nothing about the populace it is supposed to support, guide and manage. Government by the people for the people? Not in this country. The only people being looked after are those who have endorsed themselves and filled their pockets at the expense of the community. Remove the corruption and take away the protection to keep them immune to persecution and you may start getting some results and the community more embracing each other.

always running down the thai people and their country

looks like youve generally bought into the hate thing

...Duh.. you really think so? Okay, never mind...

[asiawatcher]

Politics has proven itself inept in the hands of those who abuse it, caring nothing about the populace it is supposed to support, guide and manage. Government by the people for the people? Not in this country. The only people being looked after are those who have endorsed themselves and filled their pockets at the expense of the community. Remove the corruption and take away the protection to keep them immune to persecution and you may start getting some results and the community more embracing each other.

always running down the thai people and their country

looks like youve generally bought into the hate thing

Sounds to me like he's condemning self-serving politicians across the board.

Maybe I need to draw poor Hugo a picture...

Edited December 5, 2012 by asiawatcher

[Moruya]

Politics has proven itself inept in the hands of those who abuse it, caring nothing about the populace it is supposed to support, guide and manage. Government by the people for the people? Not in this country. The only people being looked after are those who have endorsed themselves and filled their pockets at the expense of the community. Remove the corruption and take away the protection to keep them immune to persecution and you may start getting some results and the community more embracing each other.

always running down the thai people and their country

looks like youve generally bought into the hate thing

Sounds to me like he's condemning self-serving politicians across the board.

Maybe I need to draw poor Hugo a picture...

Excellent idea. Can I help colour it in?

[Hugo6]

Politics has proven itself inept in the hands of those who abuse it, caring nothing about the populace it is supposed to support, guide and manage. Government by the people for the people? Not in this country. The only people being looked after are those who have endorsed themselves and filled their pockets at the expense of the community. Remove the corruption and take away the protection to keep them immune to persecution and you may start getting some results and the community more embracing each other.

always running down the thai people and their country

looks like youve generally bought into the hate thing

...Duh.. you really think so? Okay, never mind...

yeah i think so

youre one of the first to post on a thread. not just this one. really on top of things

and it always seems to be negative. running down the country and the people.

irony of irony is that i get the doghouse for running down posters who run down thai people / thailand

[OzMick]

I think Thai women need to realise that when the baddy is explaining his evil plot in a soap opera, it is very bad script writing when he talks to himself out loud.

In real life people get into trouble if they say they are going to do bad things. Such as burning peoples faces,

or even burning Bangkok.

[Ricardo]

irony of irony is that i get the doghouse for running down posters who run down thai people / thailand

Perhaps use your 'Report' button, if you feel someone's running down all Thai people, which is also against forum-rules, rather than "running down posters" or flaming as it's generally known.

Debates tend to go better, if one argues the facts or a point-of-view, rather than the personality of the individual poster, however tempting that might sometimes be.

Another useful option is the 'Ignore' list, which I'm about to use myself, once again.

[Thai at Heart]

I think Thai women need to realise that when the baddy is explaining his evil plot in a soap opera, it is very bad script writing when he talks to himself out loud.

In real life people get into trouble if they say they are going to do bad things. Such as burning peoples faces,

or even burning Bangkok.

I have never said they shouldn't get into trouble for it. Inciting crowds like that is ridiculous behaviour, and hiding behind the idea that you aren't responsible if people carry it out, is even more ridiculous.

[Rancid]

Sometimes it is nice to see continuity in life, especially as you get older. Many thanks to The Nation for aptly demonstrating that they can still produce inane, mindless dribble about nothing just like they always have. Also thats to the OP for sharing such intellectual dwarfism with the rest of us. Politicians chasing the corrupt baht, same as it ever was...

[Moruya]

The problem on here is that there are so many people who believe in the red cause that they cannot accept when the red shirts are wrong. They believe in the people. Not the actions.

Whereas there are so few pro yellows among the anti PTP/UDD posters that the attempts to brand anyone who doesn't fly the Shinawatra flag as a PAD followers whereas they are far from that.

Followers of morals versus followers of colour

[Hugo6]

The problem on here is that there are so many people who believe in the red cause that they cannot accept when the red shirts are wrong. They believe in the people. Not the actions.

Whereas there are so few pro yellows among the anti PTP/UDD posters that the attempts to brand anyone who doesn't fly the Shinawatra flag as a PAD followers whereas they are far from that.

Followers of morals versus followers of colour

almost. there are so many people here who think the red shrits are always wrong and anyone who doesnt love abhisit loves thaksin

[Ferangled]

The problem on here is that there are so many people who believe in the red cause that they cannot accept when the red shirts are wrong. They believe in the people. Not the actions.

Whereas there are so few pro yellows among the anti PTP/UDD posters that the attempts to brand anyone who doesn't fly the Shinawatra flag as a PAD followers whereas they are far from that.

Followers of morals versus followers of colour

Really? I see the problem "on here" being posters of your ilk who leap to branding people with colours and labelling other members with political affiliations over any differences of opinion. This thread was refreshingly bereft of this until your post. Yours seems to be the first to attack this thread with your red shirt/ yellow shirt bile. Are you being deliberately dense or is this intended irony given the message the article is trying to convey?

Similarly another major issue with this forum are those that prefer to act childishly and call people names deliberately detracting from any valid discussion... You know, the sort of people that derail a thread with inane playground one up man-ship and finger pointing...

" Maybe I need to draw poor Hugo a picture..."

"Excellent idea. Can I help colour it in?"

These sort of childish antics really help to narrow the divide and focus the mind on constructive debate...

[Moruya]

The problem on here is that there are so many people who believe in the red cause that they cannot accept when the red shirts are wrong. They believe in the people. Not the actions.

Whereas there are so few pro yellows among the anti PTP/UDD posters that the attempts to brand anyone who doesn't fly the Shinawatra flag as a PAD followers whereas they are far from that.

Followers of morals versus followers of colour

Really? I see the problem "on here" being posters of your ilk who leap to branding people with colours and labelling other members with political affiliations over any differences of opinion. This thread was refreshingly bereft of this until your post. Yours seems to be the first to attack this thread with your red shirt/ yellow shirt bile. Are you being deliberately dense or is this intended irony given the message the article is trying to convey?

Similarly another major issue with this forum are those that prefer to act childishly and call people names deliberately detracting from any valid discussion... You know, the sort of people that derail a thread with inane playground one up man-ship and finger pointing...

" Maybe I need to draw poor Hugo a picture..."

"Excellent idea. Can I help colour it in?"

These sort of childish antics really help to narrow the divide and focus the mind on constructive debate...

Never, in the field of human forums, has so much hypocrisy and many pomposities been strung into so few paragraphs.

Did you steal the gavel when the mods were on their tea break?

This is a public forum for people to post their opinions. If you don't like them then too bad