Thailand is swerving towards the edge of a moral, political precipice

[webfact]

TELL IT AS IT IS
Thailand is swerving towards the edge of a moral, political precipice
Pornpimol Kanchanalak
Special to The Nation



BANGKOK: -- On Tuesday morning, bombs were lobbed at the Tonson Tower. Fortunately, they were duds. Why this building and why now?

Tonson Tower houses the office of the father of the young gentleman who blew the whistle at the caretaker Finance Minister Kittiratt Na Ranong and asked him why he had not yet resigned. The whistle-blowing occurred three days before the attempted bombing, at a membership sports club where Kittiratt was playing a charity soccer match.

In a repeat of the many previous bomb attacks against protesters and independent agencies the government considers "unsympathetic" (meaning those still sticking to their impartiality and independence under the law), there has been no sign of a reprimand for those in charge of internal security. As usual, we have not had a single word of concern from Yingluck to indicate that she or her government feels the slightest sense of accountability for attacks that have slain innocent bystanders and unarmed protesters. It is official - "accountability" does not exist in the vocabulary of our current governing body.

In Singapore, the minister of transport resigned after the subway trains failed to run on time twice in one week. Such honourable behaviour has no place in Thai politics. If it had, we would have seen the resignation of the entire Cabinet over its disastrous policy failures and barefaced swindling of public funds. On top of that, ours is a government that has repeatedly and intentionally broken several laws and bent every rule that got in its way.

Ultimately, the current caretaker administration provides a stark illustration of what CNN journalist and author Fareed Zakaria calls "The Rise of Illiberal Democracy". Our government believes that winning an election has given it the absolute mandate to act in any way it sees fit, utilising not only double, but multiple standards, when it comes to applying the rule of law to itself.

The public is witnessing increasingly paranoid and contradictory behaviour from the Yingluck administration, exemplified by the actions of the caretaker prime minister and her Pheu Thai Party. One day they insist that everybody must respect the law, bar none. The next day, after the court rules against them, they say the judiciary and the laws should not be used as an instrument to promote divisiveness. One day, their lawyers file cases in the courts; the next day they reject the ruling of the same courts for delivering "anti-government" verdicts. Yingluck is pictured crying one day, laughing the next. She asks for public sympathy, then she turns defiant and reproachful. She cannot decide whether she is a victim or a heroine in the Joan of Arc mould.

Many are asking what the future holds for Thailand. All are shaking their heads, knowing that only a guardian angel could know the answer to the question.

It is not only that we are politically bankrupt, we are morally ruined.

Half-truths are told, animosity and hate nurtured. Obsessive materialism and the glare of greed have dimmed our spirits. The low point of our religious faith came when a Buddhist sect told people that their money could literally buy a space in heaven. A teenager will offer her body to a taxi-driver because she does not have money for the ride home after a night of drinking and drug taking. A son will kill parents for refusing to buy him a fancy mobile phone or banning him from computer game parlours. Our Generation X's demands consist of three essentials - sex, senseless laughter and vulgarity. Rates of HIV/Aids infection are constantly rising, and yet remain the elephant in the room. Children are taught their rights, but their responsibilities are ignored. Self-centred indulgence and misplaced pride kick conscience and shame out of the door. "The only shame is to have none," said French thinker Blaise Pascal, unconsciously foretelling the state of Thailand in 2014.

Gone is our moral compass. This is a grave danger, not only spiritually and morally, but politically. As succinctly put by one of Thailand's most renowned monks, the late Buddhadasa, without a foundation of morality, democracy will inevitably collapse. Without a moral compass, democracy will self-destruct, which has proven to be the case in more than half of the world's "democracies". A glaring recent example is Ukraine. "Every regime in Ukraine since 1991 has ripped off that country," says Stephen Kottin, a professor of History at Princeton. "They ripped off everything that wasn't nailed down and then they ripped off everything that was nailed down. Ukraine gives corruption a bad name."

With our moral compass lost, Thailand has added its bad name to this perversion.

Italian actor Toni Servillo, in a recent interview with the Financial Times about his film "The Great Beauty" and play "Inner Voices" offered a description of Italy that could apply word for word to Thailand.

He said the most interesting theme of the play was how the legitimisation of criminality had become a habit in Italy and one seen as something positive. The result is that moral standards in the country lie in ruins.

The film, he said, is a savage critique of a nation that appears to have mislaid its moral compass.

"And this is how our country is, neurotically focused on today, because it does not know how to regard its past, and cannot see our future."

It is also how Thailand is today, both politically and spiritually - ruined in just a few takes, and sadly, in even fewer acts.


-- The Nation 2014-03-20

[PaullyW]

With our moral compass lost, Thailand has added its bad name to this perversion.

Decent article, but I'm just not so sure that Thailand has actually developed any moral compass in recent history. Can't lose what you never developed.

[Tatsujin]

"It is official - "accountability" does not exist in the vocabulary of our current governing body."

"It is not only that we are politically bankrupt, we are morally ruined."

Very true, but nothing new . . . morals, integrity, accountability have been sorely lacking here for years.

[englishoak]

What morals ? it jumped over the precipice quite a while back imo, Thats if it ever really had any which most of the time these days i doubt.

[Crushdepth]

Moral compass, anyone? (Warning: Humour).

Edited March 20, 2014 by Crushdepth

[JoeThePoster]

Moral compass? Is that an app you can download on your iPhone?

[MJP]

Very good article but these things have a habit of turning around as the next generations rebel against the failings of the last.

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[ikke]

"As usual, we have not had a single word of concern from Yingluck to indicate that she or her government feels the slightest sense of accountability for attacks that have slain innocent bystanders and unarmed protesters. It is official - "accountability" does not exist in the vocabulary of our current governing body."

Nice yellow statement , non of the bombs that where "thrown" towards (un-armed ???) protesters exploded so the I assume the whole trowing grenades with pin still in , taped pin etc.. is the job of this yellow thug.

Every day you still see Suthep in a AH style yelling to the protesters, although there is a arrest warrant on him since 3 months, why they still not take him and get him to court ,

The word accountability is sure not in in the vocabulary of Suthep and his followers, he is fully accountable for the financial damage the protest caused and he is the only responsible for tearing the country down to the edge of a moral, political precipice !

[Fryslan boppe]

Again, permit me to respond to this blatant anti-Govt. POV, and by extension, anti-democratic....When reading this attempt to provide an intellectual underpinning to what the Amart, and especially the Suthep and Co. coup-mongers are attempting, some quotes just leap out of the narrative, when one is equally exposed to the other side.

>"Thailand is swerving towards the edge of a moral, political precipice..."

Anti-Democrats need to promote an armageddon, crisis sense to Thai politics, if they hope to get any traction at all. This quote reflects it....Nowhere in this piece is there any reference to Thailand's political strength, currently being wedded to Electoral and Parliamentary democracy. But that is exactly the 'strength' they want to take away, and bury their intentions in seemingly lofty intellectualization. I see little 'moral' relationship to the coup-mongering of Suthep and his handlers.

>.."to indicate that she or her government feels the slightest sense of accountability for attacks.."

Because they are not accountable for coup-monger mayhem, generating explosions falsely characterized as "attacks".... The coup-mongers need to have 'attacks' in order to feed a sense of crisis and disorder. Visiting the sins of the coup-mongers onto the elected govt. doesn't resonate with the majority voters, whose electoral choices they want to nullify.

>"One day they insist that everybody must respect the law, bar none. The next day, after the court rules against them, they say the judiciary and the laws should not be used as an instrument to promote divisiveness"

This again attributes normality to the abnormal reality of these so-called independent organizations working in unison, to destroy this elected Govt.. Jatuporn encapsulated the views of the electoral majority, pro-democracy crowd in his speech yesterday, indicating "the ammart wield influence over independent organisations under the 2007 constitution and has close ties to the military."

>"Our government believes that winning an election has given it the absolute mandate to act in any way it sees fit..."

Back to the old saw of trying to characterize an electoral mandate as being akin to a parliamentary dictatorship. Yup, winning an election proffers certain prerogatives....But to follow the Opposition spin of Govt. unaccountability, loses sight of re-election concerns. If the Govt. acted as the Opposition charges, what would their chance of re-election be?....But then I suppose, this kind of thinking doesn't resonate with anti-Democrats.

>"Gone is our moral compass.....It is not only that we are politically bankrupt, we are morally ruined"

Back to my first point of their need to create a sense of a hopeless political morass.....The only hopeless morass I see by those who espouse this thinking, is their own electoral futility....But in their arrogance, they don't see that....They seem to be unaware of the possibility of a winning electoral strategy....They cannot perceive that what they are doing, may not be akin to lofty political inspiration....Until they get off this kick, it will indeed be politically hopeless for them. Pointing fingers at others for their own difficulties and systemic governing deficiencies will not fly. If they are so self-righteously interested in Reform, get back to Parliament and actualize it, and figure out how to be more effective electorally.

Edited March 20, 2014 by Fryslan boppe

[focus27]

The causes of the malaise have been analyzed in Lobaczewski's landmark book Political Ponerology - http://www.ponerology.com/index.html

"Snakes in Suits" is another must-read to understand the phenomenon. For a briefer version, check out the "Ponerology 101" articles on sott.net.

Most decent people will find the cure unpalatable, and so they must continue to suffer the disease.

However, understanding why the whole world is so seriously f&ckd up is a first step.

[northernjohn]

It is only through the continual urging of Suthep that the country is kept aware of the moral even illegal decline in the present government.

Yingluck had to think about it for a couple of days before she went on Facebook more than likely had some one do it for her and said it was not rite to separate the nation. She should have been on every TV channel ten minutes after the announcement that their was a movement to do it condemning them for it.

[Now that I think about it I wonder if she even knew that her statement was posted on Facebook]

She had to wait for the Army to take action. If they had not she would have remained silent. the moral decline of the people who know better in other words have an education and continue to back this government is further indication of the moral decline here in Thailand.

[useronthenet]

Moral & ethical values in Thailand certainly must change. The lawlessness which exists in the country is so profound that it's like a festuring boil on the end of your nose which is about to burst. The definition of 'Thai-ness' which was once the overiding factor in any situation has now diminished into something rather obscure by definition. The demise of the current administration, and its ability to govern the country to a high standard is evidently failing, and causing a major rift to occur. Unless the status quo is radically changed, the I'm afraid the future will hold an uncertainty that has never been seen before.

[Publicus]

The OP scribbles another hand-wringing, the world is going to hell in a handbasket rant that, when made in Thailand and in the Nation, means throwing the government into the gloom and doom mix.

I wasted my time here today.

[american12bthai]

have any of you read a single history book. ? be patient, death will soon come. thailand is a society built upon slaves fighting for power. even the language was created simple so it would be easy to give commands to your slaves. havent you ever wondered why the language is mainly simple tense>?

the people in this corrupt government have yet that in this day and age all their actions are recorded. there are electronic trails everywhere. and soon all the bridges they burn will be their downfall. not only for them. but their extended families also. ... because THAT is how they are trainning us to behave. dont go after the problem, go after the problems family. it wont be long now till thailand becomes a mexico. entire clubs, parties murdered all because ONE child is a son of somebody. and just like down south, when THAKSIN MURDERED nearly an entire village of muslim boys/men "accidently". look, just look at the death it is bringing. they are merely attempting to balance the scales of honor. honor which comes in the form of death is often most misused.

honestly, good people cant fight against this slime that has emerged from the greed of thai/chinese mentality. and westerners only talk the talk, and when they walk... its always in the direction of money. you have more power ... than you think.

a city full of villians. you know what happens next. if not read a history book. and if your too lazy for that, try some Marvel comics.

[tezzainoz]

"As usual, we have not had a single word of concern from Yingluck to indicate that she or her government feels the slightest sense of accountability for attacks that have slain innocent bystanders and unarmed protesters. It is official - "accountability" does not exist in the vocabulary of our current governing body."

Nice yellow statement , non of the bombs that where "thrown" towards (un-armed ???) protesters exploded so the I assume the whole trowing grenades with pin still in , taped pin etc.. is the job of this yellow thug.

Every day you still see Suthep in a AH style yelling to the protesters, although there is a arrest warrant on him since 3 months, why they still not take him and get him to court ,

The word accountability is sure not in in the vocabulary of Suthep and his followers, he is fully accountable for the financial damage the protest caused and he is the only responsible for tearing the country down to the edge of a moral, political precipice !

why do you all keep blaming Suthep for not being arrested

Is this not the governments job to do

so you now all accept the Government can not do their jobs

[Asiantravel]

With our moral compass lost, Thailand has added its bad name to this perversion.

Decent article, but I'm just not so sure that Thailand has actually developed any moral compass in recent history. Can't lose what you never developed.

I disagree. There was a time when the Buddhist monks had real respect and authority and going to the temple meant something. That was their moral compass.

Now that has been lost to the air-conditioned shopping centres and drugs and alcohol.

[djjamie]

"As usual, we have not had a single word of concern from Yingluck to indicate that she or her government feels the slightest sense of accountability for attacks that have slain innocent bystanders and unarmed protesters. It is official - "accountability" does not exist in the vocabulary of our current governing body."

Nice yellow statement , non of the bombs that where "thrown" towards (un-armed ???) protesters exploded so the I assume the whole trowing grenades with pin still in , taped pin etc.. is the job of this yellow thug.

Every day you still see Suthep in a AH style yelling to the protesters, although there is a arrest warrant on him since 3 months, why they still not take him and get him to court ,

The word accountability is sure not in in the vocabulary of Suthep and his followers, he is fully accountable for the financial damage the protest caused and he is the only responsible for tearing the country down to the edge of a moral, political precipice !

Agreed, but you are comparing a caretaker PM, the pinnacle of command in Thailand, the "boss" of "bosses" to a street thug. You are essentially saying "well if you think it is bad that the PM is unaccountable have a look at this street thug" That is an invalid comparison. Of course Suthep is unaccountable. Street thugs usually are!! PM's shouldn't be. The PM should be setting the example for the street thugs. By her example now and with reference to this OP then of course others will be unaccountable.

I might rob a bank tomorrow and then in my defense say "well this bank robber robbed a bank 2 weeks ago so I thought it was OK"

So do you suggest Suthep should set the example for yingluck?

That is PTP logic right there.

[antimedia]

"As usual, we have not had a single word of concern from Yingluck to indicate that she or her government feels the slightest sense of accountability for attacks that have slain innocent bystanders and unarmed protesters. It is official - "accountability" does not exist in the vocabulary of our current governing body."

Nice yellow statement , non of the bombs that where "thrown" towards (un-armed ???) protesters exploded so the I assume the whole trowing grenades with pin still in , taped pin etc.. is the job of this yellow thug.

Every day you still see Suthep in a AH style yelling to the protesters, although there is a arrest warrant on him since 3 months, why they still not take him and get him to court ,

The word accountability is sure not in in the vocabulary of Suthep and his followers, he is fully accountable for the financial damage the protest caused and he is the only responsible for tearing the country down to the edge of a moral, political precipice !

Aren't you the ultimate tosser, an informative and true reflection of this dismal failed state and all your simple little mind can conjure is Suthep. Do you wake up every morning open the computer and attack the first story you see witthout fully reading it and proclaim "It was Suthep" Jeez get a bloody life and stay of the lao khao.

[marko kok prong]

Not sure much has changed,did they not empty the treasury back in the 19th century and pay the french not to invade them,at least the other countrys such as Burma,Indonesia put up a bit of a fight.

[noitom]

Thaksin has faded from the Thai news, but still commands the destiny of its politics.

[HonestQuietBob]

"As usual, we have not had a single word of concern from Yingluck to indicate that she or her government feels the slightest sense of accountability for attacks that have slain innocent bystanders and unarmed protesters. It is official - "accountability" does not exist in the vocabulary of our current governing body."

Nice yellow statement , non of the bombs that where "thrown" towards (un-armed ???) protesters exploded so the I assume the whole trowing grenades with pin still in , taped pin etc.. is the job of this yellow thug.

Every day you still see Suthep in a AH style yelling to the protesters, although there is a arrest warrant on him since 3 months, why they still not take him and get him to court ,

The word accountability is sure not in in the vocabulary of Suthep and his followers, he is fully accountable for the financial damage the protest caused and he is the only responsible for tearing the country down to the edge of a moral, political precipice !

Aren't you the ultimate tosser, an informative and true reflection of this dismal failed state and all your simple little mind can conjure is Suthep. Do you wake up every morning open the computer and attack the first story you see witthout fully reading it and proclaim "It was Suthep" Jeez get a bloody life and stay of the lao khao.

"an informative and true reflection"

?

It's just another another biased piece of crap pushing a dishonest story and a failed cause.

Everybody ready,

1,2,3....

Edited March 20, 2014 by HonestQuietBob

[IBoldnewguy]

With our moral compass lost, Thailand has added its bad name to this perversion.

Decent article, but I'm just not so sure that Thailand has actually developed any moral compass in recent history. Can't lose what you never developed.

I disagree. There was a time when the Buddhist monks had real respect and authority and going to the temple meant something. That was their moral compass.

Now that has been lost to the air-conditioned shopping centres and drugs and alcohol.

That's what Christians used to believe until their preachers were CAUGHT in porno theaters + frequenting both female and male prostitutes + the wholesale scamming of donated funds to support extravagant lifestyles + not to mention the Catholic Priests CAUGHT with the choir boy's pants down... CAUGHT is the byword... these transgressions have been there for as long as recorded history... religion has a blemished blood tainted moral history... looking in that direction would only produce a furiously spinning non-directional compass. Nonfictional history itself proves that the idea of "the good old moral days" are but glorified myths propagated by those in power to stay in power. Or to quote Christopher Hitchens: "Religion poisons everything."

Edited March 20, 2014 by IBoldnewguy

[Lupatria]

“Our government believes that winning an election has given it the absolute mandate to act in any way it sees fit, utilising not only double, but multiple standards, when it comes to applying the rule of law to itself.”

The big ones cease to reign,

when the small ones cease to crawl

Friedrich Schiller

[h90]

"It is official - "accountability" does not exist in the vocabulary of our current governing body."

"It is not only that we are politically bankrupt, we are morally ruined."

Very true, but nothing new . . . morals, integrity, accountability have been sorely lacking here for years.

Well....look at any other country, which one can you find where politicians are really accountable? The best ever seen is that someone step back after loosing billions of tax payers money.

While being removed from the feeding trough might be hard for these people, they made before more money than their usual voter makes all his life. That a politicians ends in prison, or his personal wealth get confiscated is almost never seen.....

[RockyBeerbelly]

Nice yellow statement , non of the bombs that where "thrown" towards (un-armed ???) protesters exploded so the I assume the whole trowing grenades with pin still in , taped pin etc.. is the job of this yellow thug.

So we can agree that the explosions in Trat, Ratchaprason, Victory Monument, Banthad Thong Road, etc., etc., where the pins actually did come out and where many people died and were injured, were not the yellow thugs, but your red shirt militia friends.

[jayboy]

Google the author and make your own minds up whether she is entitled to preach to anybody about a moral compass.

[billd766]

Google the author and make your own minds up whether she is entitled to preach to anybody about a moral compass.

Ignore the message and attack the messenger.

Nice try to derail the subject but still no cigar.

[jayboy]

Google the author and make your own minds up whether she is entitled to preach to anybody about a moral compass.

Ignore the message and attack the messenger.

Nice try to derail the subject but still no cigar.

I made no comment on the content. merely observing that a shyster charged with criminal offences and political skulduggery is not the most obvious person to lecture others on the right moral compass.

But then I suppose if you are happy with a corrupt gangster leading a war on "corruption", it's entirely possible the irony might escape you.

[billd766]

Google the author and make your own minds up whether she is entitled to preach to anybody about a moral compass.

Ignore the message and attack the messenger.

Nice try to derail the subject but still no cigar.

I made no comment on the content. merely observing that a shyster charged with criminal offences and political skulduggery is not the most obvious person to lecture others on the right moral compass.

But then I suppose if you are happy with a corrupt gangster leading a war on "corruption", it's entirely possible the irony might escape you.

I suppose it depends on which gangster you are talking about.

The convicted or the unconvicted one. At least ONE of them seems to be trying to do something about corruption whilst the other is grimly clinging on to the old corrupt ways using his clones fingernails.

A change of words to an old song spring to mind.

He's so heavy, but he's my brother.

[Morch]

"As usual, we have not had a single word of concern from Yingluck to indicate that she or her government feels the slightest sense of accountability for attacks that have slain innocent bystanders and unarmed protesters. It is official - "accountability" does not exist in the vocabulary of our current governing body."

Nice yellow statement , non of the bombs that where "thrown" towards (un-armed ???) protesters exploded so the I assume the whole trowing grenades with pin still in , taped pin etc.. is the job of this yellow thug.

Non of them exploded, eh?

Thirty-eight protesters were injured when an unknown assailant lobbed a grenade at the procession led by People's Democratic Reform Committee secretary-general Suthep Thaugsuban on Banthad Thong Road at noon Friday.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/38-protesters-injured-in-bomb-attack-against-Suthe-30224521.html

Guessing the one in Trat doesn't count as well.

In most counties a PM would at the very least promptly comment and condemn such violence.

Hand grenades, home made bombs and shooting at leader's houses etc. are meant, in my opinion, as intimidation. So whether they blow up or not isn't exactly the point (unless someone gets hurt, of course). If someone wanted any of them dead, he wouldn't bother with lobbing a hand grenade/home made bomb to their drive-way/garden.