Thai editorial: From rice to rubber, political infestation grows

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EDITORIAL
From rice to rubber, political infestation grows
The Nation

Is politics making the nation's problems worse, instead of helping to alleviate them?

BANGKOK: -- Rice farmers have problems. Rubber planters have problems. Among their myriad of problems, the biggest one, though, is that their problems have become badly politicised. In other words, national politics has been aggravating their troubles. Worse still, the recent roadblocks by rubber growers, the explosive debate on their plight in Parliament and the rocky talks between them and the government seem to be just the beginning.

If the political division has wreaked havoc on social media, the turmoil at the grassroots level is causing far more than ideological "stress" and a few more hours with smartphones or computers. Rice farmers and rubber planters have had to deal with the do-or-die issue of the price of their produce, which has sadly become intertwined with how the political winds blow in Thailand.

"Idealists" make some political commentary on social media and go on to receive salaries as bankers, academics, journalists or event organisers. The rice farmers and rubber planters don't have that kind of luxury. It's either sell their crop at a decent price or face a really bleak future. The debate on how far government subsidies should go or what is populism and what is government aid for people in need has been muddied by politics, played on relentlessly by both sides of the national divide.

If this goes on, the poor will suffer the most. And "suffer" doesn't necessarily mean a lack of or insufficient state help. The ongoing political situation means that state aid can be over the top for some and dribbling for others. Again, this doesn't mean rice farmers are unjustifiably getting help while rubber planters aren't. This just means politically motivated help for rice farmers can be harmful to them in the long run and the plight of rubber planters has been obfuscated by suspicion that some of their protests may have a hidden political agenda.

It's one thing when divisive politics causes a whirlwind of tweets or parody videos on Facebook. It's another when government decisions on how much should be done for fundamental economic sectors of the country, and how quickly, are dictated by which party they support. The controversy over the rice pledging scheme and the raucous rallies by rubber planters have confirmed that the damage from our political polarity is hitting the most vulnerable groups squarely and hard.

Both sides are blaming each other over who got Thailand to this point. The blame game is part of the vicious circle preventing Thai politicians from treating national problems as they are. Rubber planters can never gain the government's utmost trust, while the opposition will continue to question aid being lavished on rice farmers at the expense of fiscal discipline and at the risk of corruption. To some extent, both camps have been right, but they can also be wrong. Yet being right and wrong is the result of political prejudices, not real, sincere and thorough studies of national issues.

Besides agricultural problems, we have seen efforts to tackle the insurgency in the deep South getting frequently bogged down by national politics, in which the rival players, again, are pointing accusing fingers at each other over the unrest in the region. The campaign against drugs has also been politically tinged, and so has the issue of corruption.

So, the main problem is obvious. The more festering the political divide is, the more difficult it will be to return to the basics of helping people based on their real hardships and suffering. This only leaves the question of what are we planning to do about it.


-- The Nation 2013-09-16

[MaxLee]

Is politics making the nation's problems worse, instead of helping to alleviate them?

Oh yes, they do. The government wants to control the entire domestic market, ignoring International Free trade participation.

It started with rice, and other domestic products such as rubber and sugaaa will follow. All subsidies go under the table behind closed doors in brown envelop, courtesy of the prick boss in Dubai

[Valentine]

Why stop at the farmers? There are a multitude of others out there who do not farm & are probably even more needy but these groups of people will never make the headlines as they are scattered all over the place & would certainly lack cohesion unless the Assembly of the Poor stick their hands up.

[ggold]

coup

[EyesWideOpen]

coup

Correct. As the pigs mill around the feeding trough, if they are excessively greedy the feed

will get knocked on the ground, and in a worse case scenario, the trough will get knocked over.

Time for the military to step in, get rid of the greedy piggies, and then put in a new set of

piggies..... Gotta love Thai politics !!

Edited September 16, 2013 by EyesWideOpen

[MaxLee]

coup

Correct. As the pigs mill around the feeding trough, if they are excessively greedy the feed

will get knocked on the ground, and in a worse case scenario, the trough will get knocked over.

Time for the military to step in, get rid of the greedy piggies, and then put in a new set of

piggies..... Gotta love Thai politics !!

Push the reset button, since it's the easiest solution, and because everybody can push a damn button...

[thomash]

Yes it is called the problem, the

government/politicians, trying to

solve the problem, it just makes

the problems worse!

[worgeordie]

Next the banana growers will be wanting a hand (pun intended),

regards Worgeordie

[WhizBang]

coup

Correct. As the pigs mill around the feeding trough, if they are excessively greedy the feed

will get knocked on the ground, and in a worse case scenario, the trough will get knocked over.

Time for the military to step in, get rid of the greedy piggies, and then put in a new set of

piggies..... Gotta love Thai politics !!

The greedy piggies will always be greedy, until you take them to the slaughterhouse.

Time, I think, for some politicians to be executed for corruption, just as China has done.

THAT would put the brakes on Thai corruption, BIG time.

[wdr]

You're so right

[ggold]

coup

Correct. As the pigs mill around the feeding trough, if they are excessively greedy the feed

will get knocked on the ground, and in a worse case scenario, the trough will get knocked over.

Time for the military to step in, get rid of the greedy piggies, and then put in a new set of

piggies..... Gotta love Thai politics !!

The greedy piggies will always be greedy, until you take them to the slaughterhouse.

Time, I think, for some politicians to be executed for corruption, just as China has done.

THAT would put the brakes on Thai corruption, BIG time.

There are one or two that should be executed, you are right!

[johnlandy]

Is politics making the nation's problems worse, instead of helping to alleviate them?

Oh yes, they do. The government wants to control the entire domestic market, ignoring International Free trade participation.

It started with rice, and other domestic products such as rubber and sugaaa will follow. All subsidies go under the table behind closed doors in brown envelop, courtesy of the prick boss in Dubai

People have to stand on their own feet. If the market price for a commodity is 'X' that's what the price that they receive should be based on.

Countries (civilized, 1st world, developed) learnt a long time ago paying subsidies is akin to living in a fools paradise.

Now they are promising protests about what they receive for corn.

And in all likelihood the gutless authorities will capitulate on all their demands.

[hellodolly]

coup

Correct. As the pigs mill around the feeding trough, if they are excessively greedy the feed

will get knocked on the ground, and in a worse case scenario, the trough will get knocked over.

Time for the military to step in, get rid of the greedy piggies, and then put in a new set of

piggies..... Gotta love Thai politics !!

A coup would greatly surprise me. Who wants to try to straighten this mess out. Leave them in until the next election by that time they will not have the power they have now and a new government will have the backing of the people in straightening this mess out.

After the next election they will have shadow government in Dubai.

[hellodolly]

coup

Correct. As the pigs mill around the feeding trough, if they are excessively greedy the feed

will get knocked on the ground, and in a worse case scenario, the trough will get knocked over.

Time for the military to step in, get rid of the greedy piggies, and then put in a new set of

piggies..... Gotta love Thai politics !!

The greedy piggies will always be greedy, until you take them to the slaughterhouse.

Time, I think, for some politicians to be executed for corruption, just as China has done.

THAT would put the brakes on Thai corruption, BIG time.

Not really I think China is rated as more corrupt than Thailand.

[ratcatcher]

Next the banana growers will be wanting a hand (pun intended),

regards Worgeordie

Well, at least they have the right to a peel?

[ggold]

coup

Correct. As the pigs mill around the feeding trough, if they are excessively greedy the feed

will get knocked on the ground, and in a worse case scenario, the trough will get knocked over.

Time for the military to step in, get rid of the greedy piggies, and then put in a new set of

piggies..... Gotta love Thai politics !!

A coup would greatly surprise me. Who wants to try to straighten this mess out. Leave them in until the next election by that time they will not have the power they have now and a new government will have the backing of the people in straightening this mess out.

After the next election they will have shadow government in Dubai.

I hope you are right. But I wonder if the reds will go peacefully, or if they might just force the issue, also where would the Military stand as they seem to be more cosy with the current government?

[SamMunich]

Now that we've heard all the "easy" solutions like a coup or executions, let's get serious again.

A coup? Who says the military is less greedy than the business-politicians? The past proves they are a greedy bunch in uniforms. And there is some moving forth and back between military and politics and business.

Executions? I doubt it did help a lot in other countries. Look for example to Vietnam, or to Myanmar, or to China, not to mention any country in Africa. Executions don't change anything, the corruptions is only going further underground (from under the table to under the carpet?). And the people in power are the corrupt ones and also the ones to decide, who gets executed...

Another alternative: Let the courts decide and correct. Really? Who puts the top level judges in place? The people or the government, last not least by way of the Ministry of Justice...

Unless there is some pressure from the bottom, from the normal people, nothing will change. Which is why we will never get a decent educational system to work in Thailand: That would be a threat to the big-wigs. So better keep the normal people stupid! Unfortunatelly I don't see any other way than by said pressure from below. A lot of peple dislike trade unions, but they are an example, that folks united at the bottom level in fact can do achieve something.

And another thing, that expats can do is to expose the corruption within Thailand to the outside world. Because in addition to being exposed as a thief, corrupt people will also loose a lot of face. Within Thailand, they might keep the lid on (as Thaksin tried), but outside Thailand their power is nonexistant. It takes some determination, some guts and some effort to do that and to not be shoved out of Thailand, but it can be done. After all this is doing Thailand and its people a favour!

My 10 cents on this subject,

SamM.

[1plumber]

Is politics making the nation's problems worse, instead of helping to alleviate them?

Oh yes, they do. The government wants to control the entire domestic market, ignoring International Free trade participation.

It started with rice, and other domestic products such as rubber and sugaaa will follow. All subsidies go under the table behind closed doors in brown envelop, courtesy of the prick boss in Dubai

Why can't the govt learn that playing with the market will only hurt the situation unless they are prepared to endlessly bail the farmers out. They are buying the agri, vote at the expense of more pressing issues. It goes hand in hand with all the other "ideas" The new car scheme, the minimum wage scheme. No one seems to have issue with the an over night 50% wage increase. Have they never heard of inflation? This is all soon to crash. It is a domino effect that is on the verge of tumbling.

Edited September 16, 2013 by 1plumber

[bangon04]

People have to stand on their own feet. If the market price for a commodity is 'X' that's what the price that they receive should be based on.

Countries (civilized, 1st world, developed) learnt a long time ago paying subsidies is akin to living in a fools paradise.

Now they are promising protests about what they receive for corn.

And in all likelihood the gutless authorities will capitulate on all their demands.

Excuse me..have you ever heard of something called the Common Agricultural Policy? The Common Fisheries Policy? Are you suggesting that "civilised, 1st World, developed" countries do not engage in agricultural protectionism and subsidy? What country / planet are you on?

[bangon04]

Not sure of the definition of politics... but In Thailand it seems to include anyone in a government position who is able to manipulate market conditions in order to favour various family members or hangers-on. and get away with it ....