Magic tricks involve the art of deception, when the observer is distracted to look at one place, then the magician makes the change where eyes are not looking. Thaksin having learned from the 2008 mistakes of not hiding his true intention, this tactical shift still looks to achieve the same goal.
There are enough problems in Thailand at the moment to provide significant distraction from the underlying political goals of Thaksin. With record flooding across a significant part of Thailand, the media is more than happy to focus their cameras and microphones on the suffering Thai people feeling first hand the effects of climate change. Common sense tells people that if any government was truly looking out for the people as number 1 priority, we would not be hearing news about removing laws that only serve to keep democracy in place.
You really need to ask yourself why would anyone want to remove or change a law that keeps people from being bad, unless being bad was the goal. When looking at the law that lets military govern its own structure based on merits and seniority, and want to change that so cronyism can be used to place people loyal to Thaksin in power, the end goal becomes as obvious as a supernova in the night sky. Changing the military from being loyal to the King, to being loyal to Thaksin simply is a major requirement to install a dictator.
Much of what is going on in the Pheu Thai Party (PTP) government is clearly going on below the media radar, and once again the end results defy common sense. Prior to the 2006 coup that removed Thaksin, seeing and hearing countless examples that defy common sense were an everyday experience. Common sense answers are best for the Thai people, when that differs someone else benefits.
If history repeats, then the events and tactics now of the PTP would place us at repeating late 2003 to early 2004 as Thaksin tries to consolidate more power. Getting let off the hook has already been floated under the name of restoring Thai unity, but the reality is very different. None the less Thaksin will prey on Thai ignorance saying it will work to bring him back.
So as the magician looks to distract the audience, so does Thaksin with the hopes once they realize what is going on it will be too late to stop him. Unfortunately for Thaksin there are enough people already on to his game. That most certainly dictates by common sense that tools to stop Thaksin are already being assembled, and in most cases that will involve anything from legal attacks using the new constitution that was designed just for that, to staging another coup if the courts have already been infiltrated.
No matter how you look at this bag of tricks, seeing a repeat of history seems unavoidable.
