Thai Politics-A New Direction

[Bruce551]

NO OFFENCE INTENDED

Voranai Vanijaka

9 Nov. 08, BKK Post

If one were to poke fun at the typical US Republicans, one might call them "a gun-toting, war-mongering, liberty-hating, Third World-bombing bunch of heartless capitalists - Bible-thumping religious freaks who think the world is 4,000 years old, that man walked with dinosaurs and Jesus spoke English". No offence intended; it's just an example based on extreme stereotypes.

If one were to poke fun at the typical US Democrats, one might call them "a tree-hugging, baby-killing (that's abortion rights), terrorist-sympathising, illegal alien-loving, ungodly (that's stem cell research) bunch of emotional pansies who think Alec Baldwin is god, Susan Sarandon the holy virgin and Sean Penn the messiah". No offence intended; it's just an example based on extreme stereotypes.

If, however, one were to poke fun at a Thai political party, one might be able to write a dissertation-long rant. But for the sake of limited time and space, one can say that so and so party is a bunch of corrupt, greedy, cheating, lying, vote-buying, incompetent ... so on and so forth. Again, no offence intended; it's just an example based on extreme stereotypes.

While one might cast the US Republicans and Democrats in a very different light, the same cannot be said of the political parties of Thailand. One can't really speak of a stereotypical member of the People Power, Democrat (the Thai one), Chart Pattana or Chart Thai parties, but one can - justly or unjustly - level the same line of extreme stereotypes put forth in the previous paragraph at any and all of them.

The difference between US and Thai politics is party ideology, or lack thereof. Bear in mind, party ideology and party policy are two very different things. As well, Thaksin's populist platform wasn't an ideology, but a marketing gimmick. In the West, each political party has its own ideology, a vision of what the country should be - whether conservative or liberal, socialist or capitalist, and even ideology based on race and religion. The ideology (flawed as it may be) is to rally the people under its banner and march forward, for better or for worse. An ideology, an identity.

The political parties of Thailand are divided based on who can help who to help me the best. These are not political parties in the true democratic sense; rather they are political factions vying for power to reap benefits, and perhaps implement some policies here and there (usually economic - after all, everybody loves money) to keep up a good image.

Yes, there are good Thai politicians out there. Visionary individuals, young and old, who would like no better than to change Thailand, make it a better place, for you and for me and the entire human ... Wait, that's a Michael Jackson song. But anyway, the good individuals out there are rather few and far between and they face a thick and stubborn wall of the "old guard".

Because there is no party-based ideology, there's really nothing for the people to identify with. No cause to champion, no philosophy to preach, no vision to fulfil. One party may seem less corrupt than the next. One party may have more good-looking members than the next. One party may be more yee (rotten) than the next. But no one party is really much different from the next.

As local news headlines enthusiastically announce that the US elections should be an example for Thailand, that Senator John McCain's graceful and honourable acceptance of his defeat (saying that Barack Obama will also be his president and for all to unite and support the next president of the United States to build a better America) is something Thai politics should aspire to, please allow me to qualify further.

The lesson for Thai politics is not to be nice and honourable - we can't. One can be honourable if one stands on ideological principles. One can't be honourable if one stands on a muddy patch of factionalism and self-serving interests. However, the downside to ideology is, in extreme cases, it may lead to fanaticism and genocide. So history must be learned and ideology put forth with morality and wisdom.

Rather, the lesson for Thailand is to build a political foundation based on ideology. Yes, buying votes and manipulating the hearts and minds of the masses is much easier - and sadly we Thais have become too accustomed to doing things the easy way. But if a man named Barack Obama, with his racial, family and religious background, can become the president of the United States, then surely our political parties can shape ideologies which they can honourably serve, banners which the people can unite under, all for the betterment of the country, rather than playing politics based on factionalism and self-serving agendas. A mature democracy based on ideology is what we need.

In closing, no offence intended, but please, it's time that we evolved.

***Illuminating and perceptive, I bet this Khun Thai could a job almost anywhere.

:idea:

[sunsnow]

What is for Thai media populism is for American media socialism. Both countries media use these words totally only in negative ways.

In Europe it is called social-democracy, something to strive for and what other countries envy about. Odd, isn't it.

[zeusbheld]

What is for Thai media populism is for American media socialism. Both countries media use these words totally only in negative ways.

In Europe it is called social-democracy, something to strive for and what other countries envy about. Odd, isn't it.

it's all pretty similar though; only the words are different. the idea is simple--use hot button phrases and you might be able to keep people from actually thinking.