It's time to get past Thaksin and focus on things THAT MATTER

[webfact]

TELL IT AS IT IS
It's time to get past Thaksin and focus on things THAT MATTER

BANGKOK: -- For the last decade, Thailand has been a tormented country. That predicament has coincided with the political fate of one man, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. For many diverse and complex reasons and motives, his own problems have been turned into the country's problem.

Enormous damage has been inflicted on the nation, and it's time to say "enough is enough". This obsession has got to go. In life, things only matter if we make them matter.

Whatever name you choose to call it, the fact of the matter is the country is in the economic doldrums, and the majority of Thais are feeling it in the pocket.

It would not be fair to place the blame squarely on the shoulders of the current government's economic team. As a country, we do not exist in isolation, and few economic issues are controllable or predictable. We cannot stop the euro from depreciating, thus making our exports more expensive. We cannot stop China from churning out cheaper and in many cases better-quality basic goods for the world market. We cannot make it rain more, to prevent severe drought from withering the livelihoods of our farmers, making them poorer, more hopeless and angrier. We cannot make taxpayers, individual and corporate, want to pay their dues. They have seen their tax money being unscrupulously squandered in public subsidy schemes that failed to help the intended sectors and people. We have no way to recover the stolen goods, or punish all the thieves involved. The latter know well how to cover their trails and buy loyalty.

Economically, it is fair to say that Thailand is collectively in a pessimistic mood. It's only a matter of time before the depressed outlook sets in over every major aspect of national affairs.

The time seems ripe to rip a page from Bill Clinton's presidential campaign strategy and declare, "It's the economy, Stupid." The bottom line for measuring the success or failure of any government comes down to one thing - its effectiveness in improving the livelihoods of its citizens.

It is always the lowest rung of the economic ladder that is hit hardest in difficult times, and financial destitution can lead to political instability. People who have no obvious hope, no discernible exit from hardship, tend to harden and become defiantly ungovernable. If there is no way to offer them immediate relief, they should at least be given hope that something is being done to better their condition, so that they can reap the fruits at a later date.

One root cause of the country's economic woes is the widespread systemic and systematic public corruption. In our open society, it is not possible for the government to impeach everybody involved, and our leadership cannot impose the death penalty against corrupt officials, as do certain other countries. Instead, like the bloodless abolition of slavery by King Rama V, the obliteration of corruption may take an entire generation. But it must start today. A new set of values should be inculcated, that would reject the practice of kickbacks and gradually make corruption unpopular and reprehensible. A day should not pass without citizens being made aware of the hidden impact corruption has on their lives and those of their children. People should learn to associate bribes with condemnation and shame, and to take responsibility for stopping the practice whenever they encounter it.

We cannot regulate morality, but we can invigorate it by education, leadership and setting examples that send a clear and concise message that looting of public money will not be tolerated.

Reform is a big concept, yet the task it involves is even bigger and hugely onerous. This current government, being an SPV - a Special Purpose Vehicle, with a limited shelf life - cannot be expected to launch the reform battle on every front. It must confine its energies to the ones that truly matter. It can lay the foundation for paradigm shifts that will take the country in a new and better direction. Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore and Margaret Thatcher of Britain are two examples of how leadership with vision and strategy can change the course of a country for the better.

Just as it is not fair to blame Thaksin Shinawatra for Thailand's every woe, it is not reasonable to expect the current government to right all the wrongs that have accumulated over time. We should realise there is no such thing as a panacea, and that life is no fairy tale. As for "democracy", those who shallowly equate it with a general election will get their wish very soon. But whether the country then escapes the jaws of the political trap to become a more stable and bona fide democratic nation with a regained sense of purpose and moral compass depends on the foundations being laid down by this government.

But building those foundations is easier said than done. The prime minister's heart and head are in the right place, but the legs and the arms have not been cooperating too well. Vision and strategy are necessary conditions for achieving success, but hardly sufficient for it. Moving the country forward on a firmer footing is a tall order, both for our leadership and for the Thai people. For the country to break out of its vicious cycle of political instability, we have to let go of the ghost of one particular man, in the same vein that post-war Japan let go of the carnage wreaked by nuclear bombs and found a new and prosperous path. The Japanese rolled up their sleeves and got down to the business of rebuilding their nation and shaping their future, and never once looked back.

That's also the way our energy and time can be better spent.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/Its-time-to-get-past-Thaksin-and-focus-on-things-T-30262539.html


-- The Nation 2015-06-18

[Robby nz]

If people like you stopped writing things about him that would help.

[ChrisY1]

Thai journalism at it's finest.......telling the world to get over the Thaksin thing and move forward....and making headlines, as always, about their favorite person!

Stop reporting about him!

[ezzra]

That's will be difficult to implement as Thaksin, for many people in this country, means money,

lots of money and moving economy most of it though and populist and appeasements

schemes... Thaksin knew how to make people follow him, he had the charisma and the stanch

of piles of money emanating of him wherever he went, and that what poor people want,

someone that throw money and more money at them, most of the time not even his own.....

[baboon]

If people like you stopped writing things about him that would help.

Pots and kettles are springing to mind at this juncture...

[klauskunkel]

censored myself, deleted everything.

Proud of myself!

Edited June 18, 2015 by klauskunkel

[biplanebluey]

Thai journalism at it's finest.......telling the world to get over the Thaksin thing and move forward....and making headlines, as always, about their favorite person!

Stop reporting about him!

And as I have already stated in another thread-------- how can we forget him when the Govt at this moment are trying to create a situation where we can get a new P M from "outside". All they want is a show of support from people in power (mp's) and in he comes legally and pre-elected. Seems to me if there is not enough people willing to put their "NO" stamp on it it's WELCOME BACK TAKSIN,.Also as I have said-------- Don't laugh this is Thailand and ANYTHING can happen

[rijb]

If people like you stopped writing things about him that would help.

The article is not 'about him'. Read it again. There are valid points in it.

[smedly]

another well written article from the Nation

[JOC]

Grant him amnesty. Allow him to run in the next election!!

Only way to break the deadlock.......................

[Bannum opinions]

" This current government, being an SPV - a Special Purpose Vehicle..."

​Wow, that's a new one.

Never heard that one before.

Has anyone else heard a Govt. being described that way, anywhere?

​Even initialized, as if it was a commonly accepted political concept.

Edited June 18, 2015 by Bannum opinions

[masquerade]

Is that a fact, how dandy that would be. Why don't you educate the people to the real issue here and cease writing what Prayut wants or agrees with what you write. The junta are fueling the Thaksin debate for one thing only, to stay in power as long as they can. You and your likewise snivelers are their mouthpieces, carriers of sinister twisted tidings. Read the above piece closely and it attempts to convince all and sundry that the leadership are on top of the game, but it is the common people letting the side down. Hogwash, just more underhanded loyalty to a madman and his deputies. I especially like this bit, propaganda at its finest.

This current government, being an SPV - a Special Purpose Vehicle, with a limited shelf life - cannot be expected to launch the reform battle on every front. It must confine its energies to the ones that truly matter.

Like lotteries, beach vendors and overpriced garbage collection but not police/judicial and education reform or freedom of rights: yeah get the picture sunshine, it will always be a matter of poor bugger me, it's my fault not the corrupt rich elite at the top. Fair indication of where we are all headed.

[phoenixdoglover]

The article is a little too accommodating of the Junta, assuming they are legitimate.

However, many of the statements in the article are entirely reasonable. And the central thesis is that there is an obsession with Thaksin that must be overcome in order to focus energies on big, system problems.

A sampling of points:

1) the country is in the economic doldrums, and the majority of Thais are feeling it in the pocket....It would not be fair to place the blame squarely on the shoulders of the current government's economic team. [but the solutions are their responsibility]

2) The time seems ripe to rip a page from Bill Clinton's presidential campaign strategy and declare, "It's the economy, Stupid." [and this requires action instead of just optimistic statements]

3) It is always the lowest rung of the economic ladder that is hit hardest in difficult times....[hence the need for at least some "populist" policies]

4) One root cause of the country's economic woes is the widespread systemic and systematic public corruption. [obviously]

5) A new set of values should be inculcated, that would reject the practice of kickbacks and gradually make corruption unpopular and reprehensible. ["values" is too vague - giving and receiving of bribes should be clearly depicted as contrary to Buddhism, immoral, contrary to ethical standards for business and government, and ILLEGAL at all levels no matter the amount of the bribe]

6) People should learn to associate bribes with condemnation and shame [and people should associate JAIL TIME with any proven giving or taking of bribes]

7) As for "democracy", those who shallowly equate it with a general election will get their wish very soon. [agreed, but systemic reform of the police, judiciary, and the press are barely mentioned, and without these, who cares what madness is being played out among politicians?]

[Anon999]

Grant him amnesty. Allow him to run in the next election!!

Only way to break the deadlock.......................

Complete and utter rubbish.

So you're proposing that a convicted criminal who still has a goal term hanging over him and numerous unresolved court proceedings should be given free reign to stand for election.

What planet do you come from?

[Cuchulainn]

Uranus!!

[Thai at Heart]

Not going to happen. If they did that, they might realise that Thailand isn't exactly powering forward on any measurement.

[bassman]

Many good points in the article, but sure lost me in the rewrite of history in the last paragraph.

" we have to let go of the ghost of one particular man, in the same vein that post-war Japan let go of the carnage wreaked by nuclear bombs and found a new and prosperous path. The Japanese rolled up their sleeves and got down to the business of rebuilding their nation and shaping their future, and never once looked back."

History describes Japan's success a little differently and includes a democratically elected government that was overthrown by a military junta, that led the nation down the road to ruin, culminating in the destruction of two cities by atomic weapons. The Japanese road to recovery begin after WW2 and a democracy was reinstated.

[lostoday]

Many good points in the article, but sure lost me in the rewrite of history in the last paragraph.

" we have to let go of the ghost of one particular man, in the same vein that post-war Japan let go of the carnage wreaked by nuclear bombs and found a new and prosperous path. The Japanese rolled up their sleeves and got down to the business of rebuilding their nation and shaping their future, and never once looked back."

History describes Japan's success a little differently and includes a democratically elected government that was overthrown by a military junta, that led the nation down the road to ruin, culminating in the destruction of two cities by atomic weapons. The Japanese road to recovery begin after WW2 and a democracy was reinstated.

I have it on good authority that the folks who wrote the Japanese constitution are available to write the Thai one. Below is their website BTW it only took them a week to write and I think is still being used 70 years later.

http://www.defense.gov/landing/comment.aspx

[ginjag]

Grant him amnesty. Allow him to run in the next election!!

Only way to break the deadlock.......................

Complete and utter rubbish.

So you're proposing that a convicted criminal who still has a goal term hanging over him and numerous unresolved court proceedings should be given free reign to stand for election.

What planet do you come from?

We get posts like this everyday from the Magnificent 7. i all boils down to about 7 of them. and the above post tell us all (Joc) how unbiased the mind works. Ha Ha.

[h90]

Grant him amnesty. Allow him to run in the next election!!

Only way to break the deadlock.......................

And let all murder and rapists out of the jail, they deserve the same chance.

[Sheryl]

A post which appears to call for violence has been removed, along wioth replies to it.

Another post with an external link was removed due to potential violation of LM law, along with replies to it.

[bamnutsak]

The author is a convicted felon (in the U.S.) so she clearly has a lot in common with Khun Thaksin.

Her by-line, "Tell It as It is", is simply hilarious.

Well at least she didn't include the obligatory quotes from 19th century American authors.

Edited June 18, 2015 by bamnutsak

[lostoday]

Grant him amnesty. Allow him to run in the next election!!

Only way to break the deadlock.......................

And let all murder and rapists out of the jail, they deserve the same chance.

Maybe you should state what Thaksin was convicted (not accused by the hang em high bunch on Thai Visa) of and how that relates to rapists and murderers?

Thaksin was found (in absentia) to have violated conflict of interest rules in helping his wife buy land from a state agency at a reduced price.

Edited June 18, 2015 by lostoday

[waitforusalso]

This article, along with many posters here, is so childish & naive. As if the problem is about Thaksin. The problem is against anyone who dares to challenge the status quo of those in power. If it wasn't Thaksin who awoke the masses it would have been someone else & they would have received the same treatment. We now see their end game strategy of forcing through a constitution that hobbles the power of the parliament in favour of the 'good people' who will oversee everything from their newly established morality councils.

"If endorsed, it would see a panel of so-called "wise men" steering junta-approved reforms and the adoption of a voting system derided by critics as regressive and likely to produce weak coalition governments." Reuters

[smedly]

Grant him amnesty. Allow him to run in the next election!!

Only way to break the deadlock.......................

Complete and utter rubbish.

So you're proposing that a convicted criminal who still has a goal term hanging over him and numerous unresolved court proceedings should be given free reign to stand for election.

What planet do you come from?

it's called planet troll, and you fed it

[spidermike007]

Get past who? Who is this guy Thaksin that people continue to mention? He is about as relevant to politics these days as Tiger Woods is to golf, Mariah Carey is to music, Tobey McGurie is to film, Venus Williams is to tennis, Nicky Hayden is to Moto GP, or Karl Rove and Dick Cheney are to politics.

Yes, lets stop talking about this inbecile, who is the most divisive man in the recent history of this country, and cares about his country's welfare not one iota.

[tonbridgebrit]

Yes Nation Newspaper, time to get past Thaksin and to focus on things that matter. The West, they're not going to have diplomatic and poltical links returned to normal, unless Thailand has a general election.

So what do you suggest ? What, a general election ?

[ableguy]

Thai journalism at it's finest.......telling the world to get over the Thaksin thing and move forward....and making headlines, as always, about their favorite person!

Stop reporting about him!

And as I have already stated in another thread-------- how can we forget him when the Govt at this moment are trying to create a situation where we can get a new P M from "outside". All they want is a show of support from people in power (mp's) and in he comes legally and pre-elected. Seems to me if there is not enough people willing to put their "NO" stamp on it it's WELCOME BACK TAKSIN,.Also as I have said-------- Don't laugh this is Thailand and ANYTHING can happen

The thing that really amazes me is that Thaksin is still alive,with life being so cheap here, I have read of assassins being hired for a thousand baht ( in court cases ) , with so many people wanting him gone ?

Amazing Thailand.

[ratcatcher]

Thai journalism at it's finest.......telling the world to get over the Thaksin thing and move forward....and making headlines, as always, about their favorite person!

Stop reporting about him!

And as I have already stated in another thread-------- how can we forget him when the Govt at this moment are trying to create a situation where we can get a new P M from "outside". All they want is a show of support from people in power (mp's) and in he comes legally and pre-elected. Seems to me if there is not enough people willing to put their "NO" stamp on it it's WELCOME BACK TAKSIN,.Also as I have said-------- Don't laugh this is Thailand and ANYTHING can happen

The thing that really amazes me is that Thaksin is still alive,with life being so cheap here, I have read of assassins being hired for a thousand baht ( in court cases ) , with so many people wanting him gone ?

Amazing Thailand.

Thaksin is still alive because he is immensely rich and smart.

He has bodyguards 24/7, you don't often see them, that's the idea.

Thaksin is not the kind of target you hire assassins for 1000 baht to eliminate. He is not in upcountry Thailand he's in Dubai and well protected wherever he roams.

[Stradavarius37]

Grant him amnesty. Allow him to run in the next election!!

Only way to break the deadlock.......................

Or shoot him