Has Dr. John got it right? (Situation hopeless?)

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Dr. John and the Night Tripper crew performs Zu Zu Mamou (Warning: possible Voodoo content)

Letter to the Bangkok Post
(PAD even gets some praise in another letter:)

"The sad state of affairs starts young here
The past weeks have seen numerous navel-gazing articles littering the English-language press about the state of Thai society, what bodes for the future, all lamenting on the parlous state the country finds itself in and postulating solutions.
Sadly, the raw fact is that there are no magic solutions. The country is inherently dysfunctional and will remain so. The reasons for this are complex and manifold, but I will address what I see as the main protagonists.

It starts young; I watch the predominantly male children of friends and colleagues being essentially indulged and spoilt. There is very little corrective parenting that involves ''no don't do that, no you can't have that''. Indeed, one English father has become so exasperated by his Thai wife's constant doting on their youngest to the exclusion of all discipline, that he has detached himself from the close rearing process entirely.
This kind of over-indulgent behaviour by parents produces spoilt children who become petulant at a moment's notice. They become equally unpleasant adults that feel the world owes them and revolves around them.
I will not loiter on the educational system as it has generated reams of column inches over the past months; sufficient to say that it continues to fall substantially short of being in any way fit for purpose and offers no assistance here.

Then there is the general demeanour of Thai society and the requirement for non-questioning, non-confrontational deference if you are not the high status one. This suffocating environment not only prevents any form of growth in social society, but is the most fertile of environments for corruption in any of its forms, as those who are endlessly fawned upon grow to become arrogant and indulgent.

Then in the higher structures of society, due process is routinely interfered with so that a ''workable'' outcome can be achieved; no doubt it being paraded as the middle way. Sadly, if the middle way falls out with the law or at least natural justice, then the seeds of division are sown and those at lower levels see that as a green light to make their own ''middle'' way and thus we have the society we have today.

So, short of brainwashing the entire country and starting again, there is nothing that can be done as there is no part of the national structure that is _ save for one very striking exception _ respected. That, sadly, is the sum of it."

DR JOHN PATTERSON

I'm not completely sure about the child spoiling comments, as Thai kids (including males) don't seem any worse behaved than their western counterparts - if true, I'm thinking the deference to higher authority 'rule' must counteract the child spoiling???

I hope Dr John is wrong about the rest, particularly the hopelessness of the situation.
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Coup Anniversary - The cost so high the gain so low

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Rise (Public Image Limited)
I could be wrong I could be right
I could be wrong I could be right
I could be wrong I could be right
I could be black I could be white
I could be black I could be white
I could be white I could be black
Your time has come your second skin
The cost so high the gain so low
Walk through the valley
The written word is a lie

May the road rise with you
May the road rise with you
May the road rise with you

I could be wrong I could be right
I could be wrong I could be right
I could be black I could be white
I could be right I could be wrong
I could be black I could be white

They put a hot wire to my head
Cos of the things I did and said
And made these feelings go away
Model citizen in every way

Anger is an energy
Anger is an energy
Anger is an energy
Anger is an energy
Anger is an energy
Anger is an energy

I could be wrong I could be right
I could be wrong I could be right
I could be wrong I could be right
I could be black I could be white
I could be right I could be wrong
I could be black I could be white

Your time has come your second skin
Cost so high the gain so low
Walk through the valley
The written word is a lie

I could be wrong I could be right
Could be wrong -
They put a hot wire to my head
Cos of the things I did and said
A model citizen in every way
Your time has come your second skin
Cost so high the gain so low

Anger is an energy
Anger is an energy
Anger is an energy
Anger is an energy
Anger is an energy
Anger is an energy
Anger is an energy
Anger is an energy

I could be wrong I could be right
I could be wrong I could be right
I could be wrong I could be right
I could be black I could be white
I could be right I could be wrong
I could be black I could be white

Your time has come your second skin
Cost so high the gain so low
Walk through the valley
The written word is a lie

I could be wrong I could be right
Could be wrong -
The put a hot wire to my head
Cos of the things I did and said
A model citizen in every way
Your time has come your second skin
Cost so high the gain so low

Anger is an energy
Anger is an energy
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Please sir, can I fart?

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Lets all play follow the leader.
(I'm still holding my nose:)

If The Nation's report is to be believed, it's still all about Thaksin:
"Meanwhile, another leading red shirt said yesterday that fugitive PM Thaksin Shinawatra had cut back roles for "the trio" who have played a leading parts in violent protests by his supporters. The trio refers to Jatuporn Prompan, Nattawut Saikua and Veera Musigapong.
Thaksin decided to push for 30 new leaders to usher in a new peaceful struggle through leader-training schools to be established as a network nationwide. He wanted to produce leaders to help the red shirts achieve their goals through systematic political campaigns, according to Nisit Sinthuprai, former executive of the now-defunct People Power Party who is a director of the Democratic Alliance Against Dictatorship School.
Nisit said he and other supporters of Thaksin such as Dr Weng Tochirakarn, Jaran Ditta-apicha, Wisa Kanthap, Shinawatra Habunpad wrote the curriculum for the school.
He said he had consulted Thaksin on plans for the DAAD to have a group of about 20-30 people as a panel to map out strategy, evaluate situations and make decisions on their movement. This leading role should not rest with just Jatuporn, Nattawut and Veera, as it had previously".

I'm wondering if Jakrapob and Giles will be consulted regarding curriculum content?

Last week Giles said this:
"The Thai elite want us to be half-wits. They want us to do as we are told and be loyal to Nation, Religion and King. When the Leader farts, we all have to fart. If he wears a pink shirt, we must all wear one too. We must all believe that he invented everything that is of value in the country. The elite want us to crawl on the ground in front of them as though we are not human. We must smile like idiots and chant in unison that we “love our King and country”. The problem in Thai society has always been that the rulers are corrupt, brutal and barbaric, while the people are generally good. Yet ‘They’ claim the right to lecture us on being good citizens"

I also wonder whether 'How to suppress dissent via lawsuits' will be in the curriculum at the Thaksin school of democracy?

Fortunately, Thailand is well catered for in the leadership area, as we also have another leadership school which has churned out thousands of leaders over the years.
'Chamlong has been a major teacher at the leadership school, which has trained some 56,000 people over the past 22 years'
I'm pleased all that the leadership training has benefited the dogs and cats too, as their reported circmustances from 10 years previously seemed to be very dire.

People have the power:
"I was dreaming in my dreaming of an aspect bright and fair
And my sleeping it was broken
but my dream it lingered near
In the form of shining valleys
where the pure air recognized
And my senses newly opened
I awakened to cry -
That the people have the power to redeem the works of fools
Upon the meek the graces shower
it's decreed
the people rule.
The people have the power
the people have the power
The people have the power
the people have the power.
Vengeful aspects became suspect and bending low as if to hear
And the armies ceased advancing because the people had their ear.
And the shepherds and the soldiers lay beneath the stars
Exchanging visions and laying arms to waste in the dust
In the form of shining valleys where the pure air recognized
And my senses newly opened
I awakened to the cry -
The people have the power
the people have the power
The people have the power
the people have the power.
The power to dream
to rule
to wrestle the world from fools
It's decreed
the people rule
it's decreed
the people rule.
Listen: I believe everything we dream can come to pass through our
union
We can tun the world around
we can turn the earths revolution.
We have the power
the people have the power
The people have the power
the people have the power.
The power to dream
to rule
to wrestle us from fools
It's decreed
the people rule.
We have the power
we have the power
The people have the power
we have the power. "
by Patti Smith

However, there are some people who just dont want to listen, they only hear what they want to hear (those pesky non thai thai people, those un-americans, un-australians etc - they must be the ones creating all the problems in the world:)
"I don't want to try to convince you that I'm right. I want to try to understand you. If we are going to fix our country's problems, we need to have a conversation together"
See the end of this article for the response she got.
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Reform or Revolution?

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"There is no guarantee of success for the revolutionary road in Thailand. It will be a long hard struggle. But I believe that there is no longer any room for reform in order to achieve democracy. The behaviour of the elites since the 2006 coup has proved this".
Giles Ji Ungpakorn

I have come to the same conclusion as Giles - it should not be that revolution is the only way, but unfortunately the elites have set the ground rules by their stubborn resistance to change.

I did not like many aspects of Thaksin's rule, and whilst firmly in the 'song mai ow' camp, I now regret accepting the 2006 coup as a chance to 'reset' democracy - it's embarrassing how foolish that viewpoint now looks.

If a country has to be ruled by a tyrant (or tyranny), then at least let it be by the tyrant the country votes for!

For decades, the elites have had all the knowledge, all the power, all the education, and they have used propaganda, censorship, draconian jail sentences etc to try to cower the people - yet with all their advantages & 'brilliance', the country is still a political mess with no sign of any improvement.

I'm with Giles:- if its a choice between trusting the old power, or the (new awakening) masses, then I say give the masses a try.
The old mob have had plenty of opportunity to change, plenty of hints & warnings, yet they still refuse to reform and insist they know what's best, and that everyone else is either 'ngoh' or doesn't understand 'thainess'.

Giles has some further views, however at this stage of my knowledge, I cannot make up my mind about them:
- its obvious the army needs to be cut down to size, but how it can be done?
- it must be very difficult for Giles to call for the monarchy to be abolished (and not merely reform), but I can understand his thinking:- it seems there is no way the army can be reformed until it only answers to the people (elected government), instead of some 'higher' authority.
At a minimum, IMO, the Privy Council should be abolished, and an LM charge should only be able to be instigated by the palace, and the accused should never be forced to endure closed trials.
- in my heart I agree with the Socialist principles Giles champions, but in practice I cannot see how it works, anywhere in the world - the local socialists in my area place great faith in Chavez's 'Bolivarian Revolution', however I am not comfortable with the way they brush aside the many criticisms of whats going on in Venezuela - in my view Giles would be better served turning towards his father's 'social democrat' outlook.
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The problem (not only in Thailand)

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"Very few of us listen directly to what is being said, we always translate or interpret it according to a particular point of view, whether Hindu, Muslim or communist."
(Hobby: or whatever may be our own particular ideology, conditioning, or vested interest)

"We have formulations, opinions, judgements, beliefs through which we listen, so we are actually never listening at all; we are only listening in terms of our own particular prejudices, conclusions, or experiences.

We are always interpreting what we hear, and obviously that does not bring about understanding.

What brings about understanding, surely, is to listen without any anchorage, without any definite conclusion, so that you and I can think out the problem together, whatever the problem may be."

J Krishnamurti - Bombay Feb161955



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