Worrying division

The politics of Thailand.

What am I to tell my son?

1 - support a power clique, a privileged few; only interested in maintaining status quo and their own means,

or:

2 - support champagne socialism, at its most absurd; purporting to be an advocate of the majority, but in truth, only interested in power and wealth...

In a Buddhist country, where so much emphasis is given to 'finding the middle way', how ironic this philosophy doesn't exist in the political realm..

Comments

[Andy]

I also ask that myself often, why is the country divided into these two extremes with almost nobody in a middle position. What is even more strange is that at least in the German Thailand forum I regularly check out it shows the same, most of the German writing there are either strongly red or strongly yellow and always fighting each other. Which obviously makes it much less readable than it was in the past.

[Mike]

Ben tell your son he is half Thai and half English.

Show him how the two "democracies" operate as he gets older and starts to understand.

If you let him make his own mind up, he'll probably choose to live in Australia :-)

[Ben Shingleton]

Hi Andy, yes, I think that's largely the case with most the foreigers who are linked to TL in some way, it appears that you have to choose sides....

Haha quite right Mike.... (I'd be proud of that kind of apathy!)

[Talen]

Ben, Simply tell your son that it is up to him and his generation to make the positive change that Thailand needs. If he doesn't then decide to move to Australia maybe he can do something about the mess of politics in Thailand.

[Wotchit321]

Yes, does seem like Thailand needs some form of 'Liberal' Party, i.e. one made up of those in the top ranks who want to see improvements for those less fortunate. However, that took hundreds of years to develop in western democracies (and a lot of blood spilt I'm afraid).

[The Old Man]

I reiterate my position - anyone who expresses a desire to be a politician should immediately be proscribed from ever being one.

World wide the number of truly dedicated people who wish to give their time to serve their fellow man are hugely outnumbered by self serving b******s red, yellow, blue, green whatever.