In the Name of Progress

On Thai Politics, Part I

Thai politics is in a state of serious flux lately. What's unfolding there is so complicated that I can probably safely say that nobody knows what really is going on, save for the very few key players.

I have been following the news since well before the breakout of protests in late 2005. In a way, I'm not too surprised by the current events; I'm just surprised by its timing. I didn't expect events to come to a head this soon. 3 or 4 years in the future, maybe, but certainly not 2006.

I have been observing things with as little passion as I could manage, more in the spirit of a historian examining history-in-the-making, or like an anthropologist observing warfare between two (or three) tribes--which I think is a pretty apt description. I'm trying to see things from a big-picture frame of reference, with awareness of the historical context. As such, I try to not to side with any side. I didn't even register to vote.

To quote Thomas Paine, "these are the time that try men's souls." To most Thais, the hitherto harmonious Thai society are being torn asunder by either i) systematic corruption and subversion of the constitution and supposedly neutral institutions, ii) power grab by media baron and opportunistic politicians who have been on the losing side under Thaksin, iii) all of the above. These are, I think, a fair approximation of the mentality of people on both sides of the political divides. People who have read more widely and critically certainly will have a more nuanced view, but they, like me, don't really count in this churning sea of confusion. Divisiveness is the norm now. And ugly things are perpetrated by both sides, which is sad, but again, not surprising.

Why is it not surprising? Many ugly aspects of Thai society which are brought out to the fore in this conflict have been apparent well beforehand. Corruption, check. Conflict of interest, check. Media sensationalism, check. Gullibility, check. Vulgarity, check. The list goes on...

This conflict really is a test. A test of whether Thais, as a society, can deal with popular democracy and all the responsibilities it crucially entails, whether Thais can tolerate dissent and differences of opinion and engage one another constructively, whether Thais can collectively transcend short-term easy gains in order for a more secure and enduring future.

I'm worried that we will fail. But me worrying alone can't really change things for the better. I doubt that things can really be changed in any meaningful way for the better now. "A house divided against itself, cannot stand," so said Lincoln. It will get worse before it gets better. The question is, how much worse. Maybe the only thing we can do is damage control.