Thanks to WikiLeaks, what was only assumed is now out in the open. That in turn provides a whole bunch of new not so far fetched predictions about what will happen if certain political makeups happen in Thailand.
It truly seems to comedown to the dislike of certain behavior and not so much the person that is the fuel that keeps the division flame burning. The center of that undesired behavior comes down to a very easy two word description being corruption and greed. So if you look back at what was going on when Thaksin first entered office, you will see the changes starting. The amount of greed Thaksin had was in an entirely different league than what was even seen and tolerated before.
As that behavior continued and more and more of Thailand was being raped, the list of free rider cronies continued to grow. Some were passive who had not a clue on how to do their job, and at the other end there were the aggressive and overstepping ones. The overstepping ones were more violent and today they are in hiding, on the run, or in jail waiting their day in court.
It is these people that are displaying the undesired behavior spawned by Thaksin’s greed. They have had a taste but can not achieve that level again without the help of Thaksin. The behavior seen in the Red Shirts and By Thaksin himself and in particular April 2009 during the Red Shirt riots best identifies this behavior. Also again in 2010 the same self serving behavior was displayed.
WikiLeaks has provided information that there is no bias against any politician that is in good standing with the courts and puts the countries interest first. That means a Thaksin supporting or an anti Thaksin politician are seen on equal footing. However if their behavior shifts to be self-serving, or otherwise becomes corrupt, then they are subject to significant attack from all levels.
In reality this template is not unique to Thailand but is the norm in many countries. However in Thailand the bad and corrupt politicians put significant energy into mucking up the machinery that would get them expelled from office. The new 2007 Constitution makes the mucking up of things difficult if not impossible, and that is why it is being so vigorously protected by good politicians and some groups like The people’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD).
Because of this, any attempt to reinstall Thaksin or have a government that puts Thaksin before King and Country is doomed to be removed by law or coup. Seeing that the pro Thaksin politicians track record resembles an elephant doing Ballet, it will not take more than a few hours in power before they step on something or tip something over that will start their removal from power. Inability to follow the laws or be truthful and transparent are all short fused bombs that will lead to their rapid demise.
This does not hinder democracy as democracy is the mechanism that places people in power. However if bad choices are made at the polls, the likelihood of those politicians having a long political life is doubtful. They must play by the rules and do what is right for Thailand and not what will benefit corruption and in particular Thaksin.
