- By Tammy, Thai Intel’s humanity journalist
Taksin, Yingluck’s brother, while hated and love in Thailand-is accepted by most Thais and foreigners as a highly capable global class business executive-who bought the Thai Inc concept very much into being in Thailand.
With this flooding crisis, many expected Yingluck to perform in the same way.
The following is from the wiki on Orligarchy:
Oligarchy (from Greek ὀλιγαρχία, oligarkhía[1]) is a form of power structure in which power effectively rests with an elite class distinguished by royalty, wealth, family ties, commercial, and/or military legitimacy. The word oligarchy is derived from the Greek words “ὀλίγος” (olígos), “a few”[2] and the verb “ἄρχω” (archo), “to rule, to govern, to command”.[3]
Throughout history, most oligarchies have been tyrannical, relying on public servitude to exist, although others have been relatively benign. Plato pioneered the use of the term in Chapter Four, Book Eight of “The Republic” as a society in which wealth is the criterion of merit and the wealthy are in control. The actual literal translation from the Greek is “rule of the few”. However oligarchy is not always a rule by wealth, as oligarchs can simply be a privileged group, and do not have to be connected by bloodlines as in a monarchy. Some city-states from ancient Greece were oligarchies.
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union on 31 December 1991, privately owned Russia-based multinational corporations, including producers of petroleum, natural gas, and metal have become oligarchs. Privatization allowed executives to amass phenomenal wealth and power almost overnight. In May 2004, the Russian edition of Forbes identified 36 of these oligarchs as being worth at least US$1 billion.[4]
A fictional oligarchy is represented by the Party in George Orwell‘s novel Nineteen Eighty-Four.
eventually evolves into an oligarchy. He called this the iron law of oligarchy. According to this school of thought, modern democracies should be considered as oligarchies. In these systems, actual differences between viable political rivals are small, the oligarchic elite impose strict limits on what constitutes an acceptable and respectable political position, and politicians’ careers depend heavily on unelected economic and media elites. Thus the popular phrase: there is only one political party, the incumbent party.
A few days ago, a controversial Thai pollster, ABAC poll, with a track record of pro-establishment polling result, very much against Yingluck’s Pheu Thai Party, have seen that the Thais have given Yingluck 9 out of 10 in supporting her during the Thai flooding crisis and wants her to complete her term as the head of government-with the Thai military almost getting full 10 points from 10 for performance.
- The poll indicates, mostly, that in time of crisis, the Thais will rally around the leader. How strong and deep is that consensus, is expected to be tested by the Democrat Party onslaught of Yingluck’s flood crisis management-as already, Abhisit, is starting to criticize the government.
“Crying does not solve anything,” says the Democrat Party spokesman, as one of the most popular songs, being run often on TV and radio currently in Thailand, to help cure the Thais flood caused psychological damage, is about how it is OK for the Thais to cry and keep fighting on.
Yesterday, Yingluck gave the Thai military full authority to manage 5 provinces-critically hit by flooding.
- Meanwhile, the Bangkok Post reports today, that Taksin has passed on the torch of governing Thailand to Yingluck-and he will not interfere.
Apparently, Bangkok Post, have known about this new Taksin position-from previous interview-but did not reported on the news until today.
During this long Thai crisis, the only statement Taksin made, was of how to prevent the problem of massive flooding from occurring again, with an investment in water ways system-of about US$10 to US$15 billion.
- Thai Rath, a pro-Abhisit mass-circulated newspaper here in Thailand-recently, did a political analysis, pointing to the Pheu Thai Party, taking back a Thai ministry that is in charged of managing Thailand’s water system, relating to the poor management of the mega dams, and to be in control of the ministry-in preparation of the construction of water ways.
However, the Pheu Thai Party itself, have made no statement on the issue-except to criticized the mega dams water management.
- Local press, many that are anti-Yingluck and Pheu Thai party-have been running a highly negative and critical reports of Yingluck flood management-however, the poll appears to indicate that the Thais believes otherwise.
If the poll is correct, as Thai Intel have often written, that the Thai media, have mostly lost touch with what the Thais are feeling and reasoning.
The following is from the Bangkok Post:
Torch has passed on, says Thaksin
Published: 17/10/2011 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: News
DUBAI : Many of Thaksin Shinawatra‘s supporters and politicians in the Pheu Thai Party want him to come back and lead the country as prime minister again. But Thaksin has declared he has quit politics and will not return, although he hopes to return home after nearly five years in self-exile.
“Yingluck [Shinawatra], the youngest sister of our family, is now the prime minister.
“It has passed my generation already, so my generation should not return to politics,” said Thaksin in a recent exclusive interview with the Bangkok Post in this Middle Eastern state.
He noted he was “misquoted” by some international news outlets that he would return to lead the country again.
“What I mean is that I am in debt to the Thai people and whatever advice I can offer to benefit Thais, I will give.
“But I will let my sister do her job and will stay away from management. I will not interfere.”
Thaksin said it would be easier for Ms Yingluck to help the country reconcile because she is a woman.
As the ruling party, Pheu Thai was willing to “step backwards” to enable reconciliation.
“Yingluck represents me,” he said. “She will not retaliate or engage in verbal battles with anybody and I think that will be the key to reconciliation.” Thaksin said he was confident he would be able to return home without facing jail time.
“I will go back to where I belong, although I don’t know when or how.
“It’s my country. My family, my people and my home are there, and I miss them a lot.”
National reconciliation was not a “mission impossible”, but would depend on the Democrats and Pheu Thai, the main political parties.
“If they can agree upon three elements, we can achieve reconciliation.
“The first is to set clear rules for politics, second is that they agree to play by the rules and the third one is that the bodies overseeing the rules must be neutral and fair.”
As for himself, he said he had forgiven those responsible for what happened to him.
“This year is His Majesty the King‘s 84th birthday, so it is an auspicious year to start a new era. Let bygones be bygones.
“Winning and losing in politics should not be an important issue. If you win, you form the government, and if you lose, you become the opposition.
“Both sides have a responsibility to work for the country,” he said.
He disagreed with comments that if he could not return to Thailand as a “free” person, reconciliation would not take place. “No. It’s not me. Ignore me,” he said.
“I should not be a key element in reconciliation talks. The country should be the key. If we continue to live like this, in a conflict-ridden situation, it will be the end of the country.
‘Not about me’
“So the first thing to do is to forgive and forget. Forget about me. When reconciliation takes place, I will be able to go back home.”
He said conflict has plagued the country for several years because “[certain parties] did not play by rules. Not only were rules breached, but many new rules were written [to target me].”
He declined to comment on efforts by his supporters to seek a royal pardon or amnesty for him.
“A royal pardon is His Majesty the King’s perogative. Nobody should make any comment.”
When asked about relations between the Yingluck government and the army, Thaksin, who was ousted in the Sept 26, 2006 coup, said: “They are quite good. At present, the government is working hard to fight the flood disaster, and it needs support from all sectors.
“The army has a lot of manpower and it cooperates with and supports the government.”
Thaksin said it was no longer easy for the military to stage a coup, as it would not be accepted by the international community.
However, he could not rule out the possibility.
He likened coups in Thailand to a ya ba (methamphetamine) addiction. “Those who are addicted to ya ba will do anything to get the pills. Similarly, those who are addicted to power will do anything to obtain power,” he said.
“So to prevent coups, we must strengthen democracy. If democracy flourishes, the military will have to stay in their camps.”
When questioned about his loyalty to His Majesty the King, Thaksin turns serious and admits the question always upsets him.
“I have explained again and again that I am loyal to the monarchy. The King is loved by all Thais, but some people have tried to monopolise that loyalty and point fingers at others, accusing them of not being loyal.”
Some key figures in the red shirts face lese majeste charges, but Thaksin says the red shirts are not alone in having their loyalty questioned.
“The red shirts come from all walks of life, so there might be some who think differently than others.
“This does not happen only in the red-shirt group. It is also the same in other circles.
“But I can say that more than 99% of the red shirts love the King.”
Kwanchai Praipana, a red-shirt leader in Udon Thani, announced recently plans to form the Daeng Rak Chao (Reds Love the Monarchy) group, but he received a cool response from his allies.
When asked about this, Thaksin said: “No, this is not an indication about red shirts’ loyalty.
“It’s about Kwanchai. The name of the group is Daeng Rak Chao.
“Does he mean that if you do not join him, you did not love the King?
“It’s nonsense. He is not accepted by the red shirts. That’s all.”
Thaksin said he was willing to provide any services to the monarchy, adding that: “If I know what I am wanted for, I will not be reluctant.”
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