Tim Bass
11-29-2008 03:19 PM
I am sure everyone has read the bigs news in Thailand.* Anti-government protestors have shut down the two main airports in Thailand for around 5 days, leaving the country in a state of chaos.** The current political crisis has been ongoing for a number of years and there is no possible end in sight.
The situation is both very complex and very simple.** In the simplest terms, the conflict in Thailand is a struggle against corruption, and in particular, the common practice in Thailand of buying votes.*** Many elected politicans are in office because their campaign was able to buy more votes than the other side.* This, unfortunately, is the long standing political situation in Thailand, especially rural Thailand.
Ironically, however, both sides of the conflict cry out that their side represents “democracy” in a country where a US style of democracy is impossible because of the many poor people that live in rural areas.** The social economic conditions in Thailand make vote buying a political reality.*** For that reason, Thailand suffers from a never ending social-political power struggle.
Because government are formed in Thailand based on an underlying serious social problem (vote buying) governments formed in Thailand do not have the same political power as in a country where votes are not purchased.** Some would argue that vote buying exists, indirectly, in the US, but at a much higher level of abstraction, for example lobbying, media dominance and big business influence.* However, in the final analysis, most would agree that direct vote buying, providing money directly to people in exchange for their vote, especially the rural poor, undermines the core principles of a democractic society.
Many of us studied political science in high school or in our universities.** In our poly-sci classes we learned that, for democracy to work effectively, the electorate must be well educated, engaged and of a satisfactory social-economic condition.** Unfortunately, in Thailand, those elements of democracy do not yet exist nationwide.* For this reason, there is an epic political and class struggle in the Kingdom.
As a foreigner, the internal political affairs are none of my business.* I am only an observer who happens to be a friend of the Thai people and their nation.*** Unfortunately, the business climate in Thailand continues to deteriorate for everyone, both Thais and foreigners.**** The extreme behavior of shutting down the two major airports in Bangkok has left over 100,000 people trapped in Thailand and the social and economic losses are devastating.
The good news is that, so far, both sides of the conflict have shown considerable restrain.* There has been remarkably very little violence in such difficult circumstances.**** There are few countries where the lives and limbs of the people are worth much more than the economics of business.** In most countries, pools of blood would have been in the streets if a mob of anti-government protestors closed the major airports.** However, in Thailand the blood of the people is worth much more than the modern luxury of air travel and fruits of business success.** This is remarkable in the modern “money-driven” society we live in.
In closing, please join me in wishing the very best and most peaceful outcome for the current situation in Thailand.** There is no easy political solution.** We can only hope that cool heads and hearts maintain the peace as much as possible under such difficult circumstances.
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