A political game played with fear, hatred and anger

Published: 11 Nov 2012 at 02.16
Newspaper section: News

A Shinawatra only has to sneeze, and the entire country catches a cold _ it's a dangerous political game being played.

Two issues were revisited this past week: accusations that former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva dodged the draft and Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's defence at the Bali Democracy Forum of the actions of the red shirts in May and April 2010. When Mr Abhisit called the findings of the panel appointed by Defence Minister Sukumpol Suwanatat a ``political ploy'', he was correct _ and as a political ploy, it's a dangerous one.

When Ms Yingluck told the Bali audience that in 2010 the people rose up and defended democracy because it had been abused and overthrown, it was also a political ploy and a good one at that. However, she only told a half-truth.

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faceless
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Discussion 34 : 12 Nov 2012 at 15.0434
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domdunn d.26, Like I said DD, too much compromise in the name of democracy.

And too many excuses from the bad guys and their apologists.
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domdunnn
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Discussion 33 : 12 Nov 2012 at 11.4033
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faceless D26

A far from perfect democracy, I agree, but still much better than the alternative.
Plus I think you overstate the problems, vote buying certainly counts at a local level but the studies I've seen tend to draw the conclusion that it hasn't impacted the outcome at a national level for the last 10 years.
Violence on both sides is limited to a small number of people and its impact on the democratic process is questionable. Less than a year after 'the burning of Bangkok' which must have still been fresh in voters minds, the PTP/UDD won an election.
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pquinlan
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Discussion 32 : 12 Nov 2012 at 09.4632
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D18 & 25: You both seem to be missing the point totally. Voranai is talking about the fact that the UDD actually had what it wanted, an offer by the Government to go to a general election. they at first accepted the offer, and within 2 hours, with a very public (on stage and in front of TV audiences) SMS received from Dubai, withdrew their acceptance of the very thing they said they wanted. If they had accepted the offer, and meant it, they would have been in government 9 months sooner than they were.
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pquinlan
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Discussion 31 : 12 Nov 2012 at 09.4131
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D24 cont': My comment about US support for coups was reference to their historic support of coup outcomes, regardless of whether they liked the actuality of any coup, from the 1948 coup onwards. In every single case, the US has recognised the coup government within months, or even days. And then they get on with "business as usual" with the new, coup installed, government. Yes, and exactly as they did in 2006, not 2011 as you seem to think. The presence of a miniscule number of US troops in Darwin will have no effect whatsoever on anyone who might be planning a coup.
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pquinlan
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Discussion 30 : 12 Nov 2012 at 09.3930
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D24: Yes, I am certain of their mission statement, because it is stated clearly. Don't just believe what they say, also check on the equipping and training of the team in Darwin. Check the numbers, and let me know if I am wrong.
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shopwow
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Discussion 29 : 11 Nov 2012 at 23.4429
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Remember the tourists being cheated by airport touts in the duty free shops? The tourists were wrongly accused of robbing merchandise from shops. Abhisit personally went to the airport at the time and the cases subsided. Yinglucky a lady and not a word about this rape incident. Another tourist fraud in Pattaya getting hotter - Rent a water scooter, when you return it, the owner checks it microscopically and demands 1,000 to 8,000 baht for strange 'repairs'. Many duped already.
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bluebottle
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Discussion 28 : 11 Nov 2012 at 22.0928
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Is it not a fact that many of the electorate condone corruption when the openly accept money for votes.As long as this is seen as acceptable behaviour then the cancer will eventually destroy the country. Will Thailand go the same way as Egypt or Syria.
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ringmaster
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Discussion 27 : 11 Nov 2012 at 21.1127
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On three separate occasions in Voranai's piece, he states what he believes "the entire truth" is. Really? I suspect that the truths as he explained them are not that simple to be "entirely true" but he wants us to believe them entirely.
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faceless
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Discussion 26 : 11 Nov 2012 at 19.0926
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domdunn d.17, Does faith and support for democracy allow buying and selling votes, accepting rampant corruption and violence against society?

I really am interested in your scan on this. Too much compromise for democracy to exist, imho.
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epictitus
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Discussion 25 : 11 Nov 2012 at 18.1525
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To the author, Khun Voranai,
You recently had rather good sport 'laying into' those making comments on your columns. Fair play, I thought. Many of these comments are, after all, pretty ridiculous. But one had to wonder if, therefore, you viewed ALL comments with what sounded like at the very least, disregard and even,I venture, some contempt. Nonetheless, I would bet that you still read 'em. And if so, do note dis # 18. He(or she)has a point and a damned good one.
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A political game played with fear, hatred and anger | Bangkok Post: opinion