When you start to look at all the governing factors spelled out in part 1 you may have noticed something. Each factor has the ability to move differing groups closer together or further apart.
The factors are listed in no particular order and each affects a different part of society. So with that thought we will go over each one and explore who would want to change and who would want to leave the status quo. There are clearly groups that look to keep the us/them status, and that can be a bit of a lump in the carpet.
To keep the us/them active we first must look at the Thai education system that truly is an embarrassment for simply one reason. Students will pass and advance as long as they are breathing. A store mannequin could pass if the teachers had bad eyesight. So without a good education the Thais are forced into menial positions in society. This is also key as it is frequently cited that Thaksin followers are of this description. This group is easily fooled and easily prayed on by politicians looking to buy their votes one way or another. Education would be classified as a foundation factor.
The next consideration will be how well the Constitution has cleaned up corruption. The more corrupt a politician is, the louder he or she screams about the need to change the Constitution. By 2020 the Constitution will have had some changes, and what they will be will depend on who is in power between now and then. Much of that will be decided on by the education system. The higher the education of the Thai people, the better chance a non corrupt government will be seated.
That in turn brings us to weeding out the bad politicians. If the anti corruption bodies are intact and they are getting sound information from eyes and ears who are witnessing things. Some of that is already being seen and the effects have sent Ministers out of office.
Money is also a big factor and arguably the most powerful factor. But the big money is outside of Thailand, and to tap into that Thai business men must forget the one time only mentality of a client to repeat and customer service. Nobody is willing to invest big money into a company that operates on the pillars of greed and disrespect.
So to close the gap caused by Thaksin, there must be a collective effort across the board in all the governing factors. So if there was ever a silver lining to the darkness of Thaksin, it would be the motivation to bring about change so another Thaksin will never happen again. All the intentions are there but the willingness to take the right action seems to be more than can be ordered. The elite want to remain the elite, so changes in education will be watered down at best. The old Thai way of doing things will be hard to kill. In fact there will be significant resistance to do what is necessary. The calls for reconciliation offer no rewards as of today to Thaksin followers. Until they are given the chance and encouragement, Connecting the Dots sees no significant change in the split in society. Words must be supported with actions and not be used as a bargaining chip (If you go home and be quite we will do ‘x’) offers no sincerity.
