In Politics, Look To The Grey, Not The Absolutes: Thailand

[webfact]

BURNING ISSUE

In politics, look to the grey, not the absolutes

Pravit Rojanaphruk

BANGKOK: -- When retired General Boonlert Kaewprasert, leader of the ultra-royalist, anti-government Pitak Siam, abruptly ended the group's protest last month after less than 10 hours and after two clashes with police, he said his loss was to "evil" politicians.

The evocation of the black-and-white idea of good versus evil is so common in Thai politics and society - particularly over the past seven years or so.

However, it hardly enables Thais to grasp the complex reality accurately and adequately, as it assumes that one side is absolutely right.

Absolutism has given the world so many heart-breaking lessons: the genocide under Nazi Germany and in Rwanda, the Catholic Inquisition during the Dark Ages, class annihilation under the Khmer Rouge, the madness of the Cultural Revolution in China, and at home here in Thailand, the October 6, 1976 massacre of leftist students.

Just hours before Boonlert announced the surprising end to the anti-government protest that he led, a number of pro-Yingluck Shinawatra red shirts were adamant that the use of the Internal Security Act (ISA) to deal with protesters was justified as they regarded coup-calling Pitak Siam protesters a bunch of fascists. The red-shirts' sense of self-righteousness was no less real.

It didn't seem to matter to them that, ironically, the ISA was created by the National Legislative Assembly, which was appointed by the Council for National Security. The council staged the coup that ousted Thaksin Shinawatra - whom the red shirts support.

One red shirt even argued with this writer, saying, the government needed to use special laws like the Internal Security Act because Thailand was not a developed democracy, unlike countries in the West. I told him I thought it sounded ironic as similar logic was also employed by people to defend the military coup and the lese majeste law.

The late American black-and-white photographer Ansel Adams, who achieved global fame through his capturing of the grandeur of scenic awe-inspiring views of Yosemite National Park in his photographs once wrote: "Our lives at times seem a study in contrast… love and hate, birth and death, right and wrong… everything seen in absolutes of black and white. Too often we are not aware that it is the shades of grey that add depth and meaning to the starkness of those extremes."

It is in the absolutes of black-and-white that we become capable of dehumanising others and justifying cruel and unjust actions in the name of goodness.

The black-and-white view of politics fails to account for the existence of people who are not red shirts but opposed the 2006 coup that ousted Thaksin; people who are royalists but disapprove of the draconian lese majeste law. There are people on both sides of the political divide who can justify the use of any means to crush their enemies because they claim to be on the good side - white-versus-black, so to speak.

In this black-and-white worldview, people who deviate even slightly from the hegemonic discourse of "us against them" are often vilified and pushed into the opposite camp.

To demagogues, people who don't fit the black-and-white rubric are an inconvenience and must be vilified. Some now even vilify attempts by people who hold differing political opinions to even hold a civil dialogue, saying the only way out is to crush the enemies by all means without speaking to them.

Too much is at stake to allow these people to hijack Thai society down the path of self-righteous absolutism.

Black and white may be nice and timeless for interior decoration, but for politics and society, a black-and-white view of things is too simplistic and starkly inadequate. It is likely to drag Thailand into the dark abyss, no matter how "white", "holy" or "good" the people holding such views may claim to be.

-- The Nation 2012-12-05

[Moruya]

Nothing is black and white in Thailand. It's all grey and fuzzy

[Markaew]

Yes, keep an eye on the grey so you can't see what the other hand is doing.

[asiawatcher]

Say no more...

"One red shirt even argued with this writer, saying, the government needed to use special laws like the Internal Security Act because Thailand was not a developed democracy, unlike countries in the West. I told him I thought it sounded ironic as similar logic was also employed by people to defend the military coup and the lese majeste law."

[bigbamboo]

Nothing is black and white in Thailand. It's all grey and fuzzy

I thought it was all red and yellow.

[marshbags]

Say no more...

"One red shirt even argued with this writer, saying, the government needed to use special laws like the Internal Security Act because Thailand was not a developed democracy, unlike countries in the West. I told him I thought it sounded ironic as similar logic was also employed by people to defend the military coup and the lese majeste law."

I would like to add the two preceeding paragraphs to yours as the hypocrosy of the reds and this their elected government is so blatantly demonstrated in all three of them..

quote

" Just hours before Boonlert announced the surprising end to the anti-government protest that he led, a number of pro-Yingluck Shinawatra red shirts were adamant that the use of the Internal Security Act (ISA) to deal with protesters was justified as they regarded coup-calling Pitak Siam protesters a bunch of fascists. The red-shirts' sense of self-righteousness was no less real.

It didn't seem to matter to them that, ironically, the ISA was created by the National Legislative Assembly, which was appointed by the Council for National Security. The council staged the coup that ousted Thaksin Shinawatra - whom the red shirts support. "

unquote

This also demonstrates that the alledged reconcilation endeavours of the government are a one sided affair of bias and dis unity.

It is glaringly obvious only a certain section of Thai will, if they managed to continue their phoney ingeniuos attempts to reunite Thai and who would / will eventually benefit from their endeavours to bring their unlawful leader ( IMHO ) home.

Thaksin, plus his government in awaiting his return as CEO, along with the redshirt supporters are fast becoming dictatorial in their will to oblige the dictator in exile.

Sadly Thailand will never have peace while this scenario is allowed to continue and it is and will continue to cost the country dearly in all ways with corruption to demoncraticly required principles being just a couple of them.

The anti government rally General Boonlert led with his Pitak Siam was bound to fail from the outset once the government began to use their influence and adverse publicity machines to scare and intimidate those who would have willingly come out to support his views, but unlike the red shirt brigade they are in the majority peaceful loving and are not enclined to partake in violent confrontation.

There was nothing democratic about what took place both prior and during the rally and consequently a very hollow outcome for the government and most certainly nothing to gloat about.

As he says, the politicians did what they set out to do led by the master of evil and deceit at present running the country from Dubia ect. ect.

Sadly he didn,t stand a chance of a successful outcome, nor indeed did those who turned out to support him, in spite of all the adverse and intimidating publicity that preceeded the rally.

While many of us wished for a different outcome in government attitude, it became apparent as the week went on it was not to be.

marshbags

Edited December 5, 2012 by marshbags

[h90]

Nothing is black and white in Thailand. It's all grey and fuzzy

I think not only in Thailand, almost everywhere. Just in Thailand it might be a bit more visible.

[Zooheekock]

This government used stop and search before a demonstration which was agitating for the overthrow of a government elected with a huge democratic mandate. Whilst doing this, nobody was killed. The previous government used live ammunition against a demonstration which called for elections during the administration of a government with a very tenuous claim to a democratic mandate. Whilst doing this, lots of people were killed. If you think there is ANY equivalence between the two, you need immediately to stop riding the drivel which washes through these threads.

[Pimay1]

This government used stop and search before a demonstration which was agitating for the overthrow of a government elected with a huge democratic mandate. Whilst doing this, nobody was killed. The previous government used live ammunition against a demonstration which called for elections during the administration of a government with a very tenuous claim to a democratic mandate. Whilst doing this, lots of people were killed. If you think there is ANY equivalence between the two, you need immediately to stop riding the drivel which washes through these threads.

[nakhonandy]

Say no more...

"One red shirt even argued with this writer, saying, the government needed to use special laws like the Internal Security Act because Thailand was not a developed democracy, unlike countries in the West. I told him I thought it sounded ironic as similar logic was also employed by people to defend the military coup and the lese majeste law."

I would like to add the two preceeding paragraphs to yours as the hypocrosy of the reds and this their elected government is so blatantly demonstrated in all three of them..

quote

" Just hours before Boonlert announced the surprising end to the anti-government protest that he led, a number of pro-Yingluck Shinawatra red shirts were adamant that the use of the Internal Security Act (ISA) to deal with protesters was justified as they regarded coup-calling Pitak Siam protesters a bunch of fascists. The red-shirts' sense of self-righteousness was no less real.

It didn't seem to matter to them that, ironically, the ISA was created by the National Legislative Assembly, which was appointed by the Council for National Security. The council staged the coup that ousted Thaksin Shinawatra - whom the red shirts support. "

unquote

This also demonstrates that the alledged reconcilation endeavours of the government are a one sided affair of bias and dis unity.

It is glaringly obvious only a certain section of Thai will, if they managed to continue their phoney ingeniuos attempts to reunite Thai and who would / will eventually benefit from their endeavours to bring their unlawful leader ( IMHO ) home.

Thaksin, plus his government in awaiting his return as CEO, along with the redshirt supporters are fast becoming dictatorial in their will to oblige the dictator in exile.

Sadly Thailand will never have peace while this scenario is allowed to continue and it is and will continue to cost the country dearly in all ways with corruption to demoncraticly required principles being just a couple of them.

The anti government rally General Boonlert led with his Pitak Siam was bound to fail from the outset once the government began to use their influence and adverse publicity machines to scare and intimidate those who would have willingly come out to support his views, but unlike the red shirt brigade they are in the majority peaceful loving and are not enclined to partake in violent confrontation.

There was nothing democratic about what took place both prior and during the rally and consequently a very hollow outcome for the government and most certainly nothing to gloat about.

As he says, the politicians did what they set out to do led by the master of evil and deceit at present running the country from Dubia ect. ect.

Sadly he didn,t stand a chance of a successful outcome, nor indeed did those who turned out to support him, in spite of all the adverse and intimidating publicity that preceeded the rally.

While many of us wished for a different outcome in government attitude, it became apparent as the week went on it was not to be.

marshbags

This is precisely the sort of black and white view the article was referring to IMHO

[marshbags]

This is precisely the sort of black and white view the article was referring to IMHO

One thing that is not black and white is that while ever Thaksin and his proxy government continue as they are there will never be any chance of reconciliation, along with unity and peace on the streets.

Sadly things will continue deteriorating unless there is a complete change of mindset along with demonstrating a genuine desire to make / encourage it to happen.

While ever they continue to act selflishly on behalf of their exiled leader and ignore what is best for Thailand things will not change.

While ever their corrupt practices continue to enrich their bank accounts at a cost to Thailand, along with plundering yet further any assets they haven,t already diverted and stolen, things will continue to deteriorate and genuine productive, loyal Thai will continue to show their resentment and unwillingness to reconcile with what many see as an elected bunch of opportunist plunderers bent on getting their exiled leader on the run, back in charge to take over were he left off when he was last in office to manipulate the constitution and alter laws to enhance his ability to have total control of all and everything at will.

There is a sleeping giant gradually being woken up that will eventually rise with a vengeance and the day of reckoning will surely take place and come back to haunt him / them big time.

The rice scheme could possibly be the one to trigger it off once the corruption surfaces and eventual reality sets in that the farmers have been used and instead of enrichment, they become even more impoverished while the greedy politicians and privilidged middle men exploit the cash cow it is has become, thieving the rewards of their hard labour while handing back a pitttance for their families to live on.

The smile will surely be wiped of Shinawatra faces and their coherts when reality hits them and they can no longer keep and support their families off the pittance.

marshbags

Edited December 5, 2012 by marshbags

[Rancid]

Don't you just hate it when you are calling for a military coup and those evil politicians stop you? Of course the evil ones who are robbing the Treasury are of course trying to stop you from robbing said Treasury if your coup was sucessful. Meanwhile the Opposition keeps grumbling because they want another chance to rob the Treasury. Who ever thought understanding politics of any country was difficult?