Alternative 'non-Western' understanding of Thai political crisis
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  Alternative 'non-Western' understanding of Thai political crisis
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Author Topic: Alternative 'non-Western' understanding of Thai political crisis  (Read 393 times)
opebo
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« on: December 23, 2013, 07:56:24 AM »

Just had a fascinating conversation with my very Westernized (on the surface) but very yellow Thai colleague, in which she elucidated that in fact what is happening in Thailand is not a conflict between an Ancien Régime and a liberalizing/democratizing people power movement, but in fact a conflict between one monarchical/patronage system and another.

She argues that all that Thaksin provides is a new rising 'network' or patronage system, fully and completely within the Thai tradition, which only uses the modern day buzz words of 'democracy' and 'one man one vote' as fig leaves.  In practice it is better understood as the attempt to create a new dynasty to replace a fading/weakening one.

Basically she says 'on the surface we pretend to be liberal, but we are still absolutely Thai'.

 
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Famous Mortimer
WillipsBrighton
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« Reply #1 on: December 23, 2013, 10:41:16 AM »

Because the Democratic Party isn't just using the buzzword "democracy"?
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Vosem
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« Reply #2 on: December 23, 2013, 10:49:20 AM »

Because the Democratic Party isn't just using the buzzword "democracy"?

I don't think anyone even disputes that -- opebo is saying that the other side does as well.
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Beet
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« Reply #3 on: December 23, 2013, 11:15:57 AM »

Yes it's a patronage system and leadership appears to be hereditary, but that doesn't make it any more monarchical than the Congress Party.
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opebo
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« Reply #4 on: December 23, 2013, 12:06:45 PM »

The truth about the size of the protests - the government claims just 135,000, but others estimate 700,000-1,000,000:









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Beet
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« Reply #5 on: December 23, 2013, 12:14:55 PM »

Brings back memories.





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opebo
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« Reply #6 on: December 23, 2013, 01:26:00 PM »

CNN like all Western press is very red as usual: http://youtu.be/g7WPKbcM9ns
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Tetro Kornbluth
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« Reply #7 on: December 23, 2013, 01:36:39 PM »

That's hardly a non-western view. Nor particularly Thai.
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