Thailand’s politicians an unique breed

In the global world of politicians, each has their own signature. Some politicians are not even elected or even hold an office and they remain a political figure. If you stop and think about it, The Dally Lama and Osama bin Laden are also politicians.

The first thing you need to know about a politician is how to identify them. Some are easy and some are hard. The first step is understanding the difference between a lecture and a speech. Lectures are informational and speeches are motivational. Politicians give speeches because often they have not a clue as to what they are talking about.

Politicians in general require your vote or support to remain a politician. That support can come in the form of money, believing in their goal, or just being comfortable with them leading the way. However to achieve that status they must appear to be a roll model of sorts. To violate that in most cases spells political death.

Depending on what culture drives you, what is considered acceptable and what is considered unacceptable differs. In most places loss of face because of a failure (particularly so in Asia) the politician will resign from office.

Case in point Japan seems to have a high turnaround in leading politicians. Even the most subtle failures in the eyes of the people and off they go.

In the United States sex scandals seems to be a fairly common theme along with getting money or gifts that are not announced. John Edwards a rising star in American politics was one of the most recent, even that what happened was a personal family matter of infidelity.

In Israel politicians disappear if they are under investigation for corruption or if they seem weak in fending off the continuous attacks Jews have endured over the years.

The theme is very consistent in nearly every country that is doing well. Countries that are having a serious problem with their economy like Zimbabwe have either a dictator pretending to be a politician, or a serious problem with corruption down the line with people who may not be politicians like police. Seeing as dictators are not politicians they don’t count as they won’t up and leave on their own.

However when you stop and look at Thailand you see politicians that do not meet the norm. outside of one political party in Thailand being the democratic party, Thais are unusual.

First off is the more lovers Thai politicians have on the side is not a scandal, it is bragging rights in Thailand. The second thing is when public opinion goes against a politician, they don’t step down, they do the opposite and dig in. A twenty ton bulldozer with chains would have a difficult time in getting a Thai politician out of office, they simply wont go. In fact some will go as far as to hire a riot to fight off protestors. The more corrupt they are the harder it is to get rid of them. Thai politicians don’t seem to understand it is a privilege to hold public office and they must work for the people who voted them in. They also seem to have completely lost the concept that they are servants of the people and not the other way around.

Even after they have gone from office after forceful removal, they still try to come back from the dead so to speak. They have not a clue that they have done wrong and are not wanted anymore. To them the political seat they held was personal property and they simply want it back.

Unfortunately the loving and kind Thai people must suffer through all of this when dealing with this unique breed of politician.


One Response to Thailand’s politicians an unique breed

  1. It takes two to tango, so to speak. The Thai public tacitly accept this behavior and this enboldens the politicians to act in this way. The only way Thaksin will step down is by means of a bullet. Sad to say but it really looks this way.

    With the number of people against him it wouldn’t be hard to pool money together to mobilize such an effort. In the end, this may be the sad path that causes the least pain to the Thai people.