Democracy or mob rule?: Thai editorial

[Thai at Heart]

About Democracy or mob rule Khun Voranai of BP wrote a good piece he entitles: Suthep the false prophet.

This morning army chief said: "Soldiers will watch the situation from s distance and allow the political sector to solve their problems among themselves." He added: "The police would not definitely allow the protesters to intrude into Government House, Parliament or Metropolitan Police Bureau headquarters."

Fast forward a few minutes and the BP reports that now "protesters are welcome at the Metropolitan Police Headquarters."

Dysfunctional? That is the best way to describe Thailand if there is not a strongman in power telling the drones what to do and think.

Thai people as a whole as intellectually lazy. Patronage, loss of face, dismal knowledge of their history and a mindset anchored in traditions that are a perfect anachronism compound their inability to be proactive and rationally functional.

They are copiers, repeaters: that is all they know and told to do. There has never been any incentive to create independent thinkers in Thailand. Where are the public libraries built by this or all the previous administrations?

A young university graduate said to me recently trying to explain the reasons for this "revolt" (his word, not mine). "Thaksin wanted to divide Thailand. He wanted to build a canal down south so that ships could go through it on their way to Thailand and other points in Asia." How is that bad? I asked. He was irate, grabbed my arm and said: "what if I cut your arm from the elbow down: would you like it? That would be the same." I am a human being, not a tract of land, I replied. But he was adamant: "Thailand has never been divided or separated. That is bad!" I closed my argument by saying that would have brought revenue to the country as it is the case in Suez and Panama.

He blurted almost in anger: "Suez, Panama: what is that?" This chap is a Thai teacher.

Those who may dispute my comment (and possibly brand me as a Thai basher) I ask them to provide a list of Thais, recipients of a Nobel Prize in any discipline. A list of Thai inventors and what they invented to make of this a better world. A list of writers, artists and philosophers who have contributed to the enlightenment of people the world over with their work and influential thought beyond Thai borders.

By the way, territorial size doesn't matter when it comes to talent, inventiveness and creative intellects. Just think of Great Britain and the plethora of contributions to the whole of humankind. Great Britain is an island and Switzerland is a small landlocked country.

Thailand is.. TIT

One can only assume that the nationalist nonsense that has been pushed into Thai society for the last 80 years is more damaging than anyone ever could have imagined. This idea that Thailand is so unique, so special, that no event anywhere else in the world can possibly be compared, leads them to continue to re-invent the wheel only to discover that they put a flar edge on one side.

It really is so boring to hear Thai's rake the same stuff over and over and see the answer as plain as the nose on your face, but they will try it, whilst you know full well, the likely outcome. What thai's fail to understand, is that people are people the world over, with the same needs and desires, and that people will on average act to a type irrespective of culture or nationalilty. We are all basically the same. I see Thainess as a complete brake on progess on this country. It is not something to be particularly loved or respected. It is a lie created with the rose tinted specs of yesteryear.

The irony, would be, of course, in another discussion, your esteemed colleague will probably deride those down South as "kaeks" and troublemakers, and not really as Thai as he is.

Have your people's council. Try to push the Shinawatras out, sit in your offices in bangkok and take your eyes off the issues in the North and North east,and wait until it finally goes POP! Then you will really have trouble. But daddy knows best of course, problem is, daddy has an IQ of 85.

Edited December 3, 2013 by Thai at Heart

[binjalin]

About Democracy or mob rule Khun Voranai of BP wrote a good piece he entitles: Suthep the false prophet.

This morning army chief said: "Soldiers will watch the situation from s distance and allow the political sector to solve their problems among themselves." He added: "The police would not definitely allow the protesters to intrude into Government House, Parliament or Metropolitan Police Bureau headquarters."

Fast forward a few minutes and the BP reports that now "protesters are welcome at the Metropolitan Police Headquarters."

Dysfunctional? That is the best way to describe Thailand if there is not a strongman in power telling the drones what to do and think.

Thai people as a whole as intellectually lazy. Patronage, loss of face, dismal knowledge of their history and a mindset anchored in traditions that are a perfect anachronism compound their inability to be proactive and rationally functional.

They are copiers, repeaters: that is all they know and told to do. There has never been any incentive to create independent thinkers in Thailand. Where are the public libraries built by this or all the previous administrations?

A young university graduate said to me recently trying to explain the reasons for this "revolt" (his word, not mine). "Thaksin wanted to divide Thailand. He wanted to build a canal down south so that ships could go through it on their way to Thailand and other points in Asia." How is that bad? I asked. He was irate, grabbed my arm and said: "what if I cut your arm from the elbow down: would you like it? That would be the same." I am a human being, not a tract of land, I replied. But he was adamant: "Thailand has never been divided or separated. That is bad!" I closed my argument by saying that would have brought revenue to the country as it is the case in Suez and Panama.

He blurted almost in anger: "Suez, Panama: what is that?" This chap is a Thai teacher.

Those who may dispute my comment (and possibly brand me as a Thai basher) I ask them to provide a list of Thais, recipients of a Nobel Prize in any discipline. A list of Thai inventors and what they invented to make of this a better world. A list of writers, artists and philosophers who have contributed to the enlightenment of people the world over with their work and influential thought beyond Thai borders.

By the way, territorial size doesn't matter when it comes to talent, inventiveness and creative intellects. Just think of Great Britain and the plethora of contributions to the whole of humankind. Great Britain is an island and Switzerland is a small landlocked country.

Thailand is.. TIT

good post - I was saying the other day to a University educated professional what Thailand does not have, and needs, is a leader like Nelson Mandala

you guessed it "who's he"? yet they are brought up to believe that Thailand is the most superior country in the world as it has never been "colonized"

Edited December 4, 2013 by binjalin