The University of Wisconsin-Madison's Thongchai Winichakul sets out 4 excuses given by people who support the coup and explains why there are bad excuses. The four excuses are (click on each respective number for further details)
1. The coup was necessary to avoid bloodshed.
2. The coup was a necessary evil, it is the only solution to solve the crisis and to get rid of the Thaksin regime.
3. The coup was necessary because the Thaksin govt was so evil and could sink the country into the abyss.
4. Thailand's situation is unique.
(via New Mandala)
COMMENT: Make up your own mind.
Bloody or bloodless, murder is murder.
The bottomline is a democratic election-won leader had been topple by military(again).
Future PM will be back and have to please military sec. And who to say these military sec are "honest" or "ethical"?
As so populary state that the elitist known-best is against Thaksin and should be focus on rather than the popular vote of other. What happen when everyone is the elitist? Or if the elitist is equally separate? Should it be decide on bloodline or title as to which side have the most "Khun Ying", militaristic rank, or hold more land? This line of thinking lead to aristocracy.
When power to freely elect the PM is not from the majority. I dont think the system is call "Democracy".
(Why the rant? Because next election most likely will have only parties that military deem fit to be elect.)
I like Thongchai's point on the bad excuse no.3 - I do feel that the PAD and others have created this popular exaggeration of Thaksin the Evil that have stayed in the mind of a lot of middle class people.
Do you think Thongchai over reaches himself in point #4 by tying this coup to the royal sucession? I thought conventional thinking is that it seems the 'special role' of the monarchy will not be extended beyond this reign.
I'm over in the US now for studies and you can see an effect of that here. Smart, professional people (doctors, etc.) who chose only to consume PAD-ASTV news and feed off that rumour mill are even worse to listen to than the ones in Thailand.
Fall: Because next election most likely will have only parties that military deem fit to be elect.)
I am not sure if I would go quite that far, but the military has a problem with with drawing. As noted by Finer:
"In most cases, the military that have intervened in politics are in a dilemma: … they cannot withdraw from rulership nor can they fully legitimise it".
Naphat:
Do you think Thongchai over reaches himself in point #4 by tying this coup to the royal sucession? Yes he does slightly, but then again it is difficult to properly assess HM's health and its possible role. There are still issues over succession though so I still think it is relevant.
I thought conventional thinking is that it seems the 'special role' of the monarchy will not be extended beyond this reign.
Doesn't this depend on who is the future monarch.
I'm over in the US now for studies and you can see an effect of that here. Smart, professional people (doctors, etc.) who chose only to consume PAD-ASTV news and feed off that rumour mill are even worse to listen to than the ones in Thailand
The thing which gets me about the PAD is that they perpetrate the most outrageous conspiracy theories - ie the Finland Plan. The Democrats have jumped on the bandwagon for some of theories, for what end I don't know.
I also hope I am wrong.
But my (humble) half-brain come up with the following scenario:
The coup, now, must provide proof of necessity to coup (TRT's corruption). Heads will roll, significant people will be prosecute(insig people wont satisfy the public's bloodlust). Most likely, TRT would be dissolve and major pro-Thaksin player quit politic(no party in their right mind would accept them and cannot form new party). So next election would left only Democrat, Pracharat, and Chat Thai as major party. Back to the good old days?
Refer to the article, "Finer suggested that the conditions for military withdrawal... required that the personal, corporate and ideological interests of the military be protected...", unless Sonthi and major coup leader agree to quit military right after handing back. Chances are, a new government will cater to the whim of military.
Fall: I don't think there will only be those 3 parties. You also forgot Mahachon. We know now that the military will have a lot more influence with the new government that what we did a few days ago.
I think TRT factions will somehow form a new party or move to other parties, Chat Thai might be a beneficiary.
Yes, it is all hands on deck for finding corruption by all the TRT executives.