The behavior of Pheu Thai Party (PTP) and the People Power Party (PPP) are similar in a lot of ways. Both are/were focused on helping Thaksin Shinawatra. Also both are/were arrogant. But perhaps the most important and most similar is their same disrespect or inability to stay within the law and to respect the authority given to others in the separation of powers built into the Constitution.
Everyone has some rebellious spirit in them as it is all part of being human. Much of the political conflict in Thailand is built on that energy. The anti-Government anti-Thaksin protester’s energy comes from the desire to do battle with self serving criminals wearing suits pretending to have the people’s best interest in mind. And seemingly both the Government and Red Shirts are in rebellion against authority and others who would punish them for stepping over the line.
With that said, looking back at the PPP and then Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej who by all accounts was a loose cannon and Thaksin did not have full control over him. Much of what brought Samak and the PPP down was they were the first Government under the new 2007 Constitution. They did not recognize soon enough that the new Constitution had teeth and was hungry to eat bad boy politicians who ignored the law.
The behaviors and actions that eventually caused their demise are now being seen in the PTP. In example, ignoring the authority of the court and attacking anti-Government anti-Thaksin protesters. Other examples were open attacks on the court for ruling in a way they did not like. For the most part the entire political conflict that started in late 2013 and has continued into 2014 is all about the Government not following the law and trying to force feed Thaksin’s will onto the people.
Needless to say this behavior is a bit like watching a breach in an earth dike grow and grow until there is total failure. There are a variety of court issues the PTP need to deal with, with some being potentially fatal. So like that breached dike, most if not all of them came on in the last 6 to 9 months as Thaksin grew increasingly impatient and frustrated and became more aggressive. In other words, Thaksin does not interact well with laws, rules and the authority of others.
So as the title of this entry implies Thaksin’s proxy Governments are slow learners, it is to some degree inaccurate. The problem is if they blindly follow Thaksin’s wishes, they start to mimic his personality, behaviors and flaws. So because Thaksin has issues with laws, rules and the authority of others, the downfall of his proxy Governments will be seen time and time again.
But as all this continues, the Thai people will continue to be neglected as Thaksin and his proxy Governments focus only on Thaksin. Only when Thaksin is completely removed from the picture will Thailand be able to move forward. And that clearly explains why that goal is so important to many Thais.
