If the elitists believe poor farmers are stupid, then caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra must think the entire country, in fact the world, is stupid.
Making a nationally televised speech declaring the rice-pledging scheme a success is like saying the Titanic's maiden voyage was a success. Jack didn't drown in the ice-cold North Atlantic, goodness no. He's living in a retirement community in Florida with Rose right now. Happily ever after. Really.
All things considering however, the prime minister is not that far off the mark in taking people as stupid. In fact, it's a near hole-in-one. Let me explain how that works with a few case studies.
In May, 2010, the Abhisit Vejjajiva government came to peaceful terms with red-shirt protestors. House dissolution in September, election in November _ this was a victory for those who marched in the name of democracy and Thaksin.
But the deal fell through. Red leaders didn't want to be charged with crimes. It's not that they didn't commit the crimes. They just didn't want to take responsibility for those crimes.
This is because apparently if you march for democracy against a government that has shady democratic legitimacy, you should be free to commit crimes. So that led to the crackdown on May 19.
For the past two months, the Pheu Thai government has been blaming everyone for the fallout from the rice-pledging scheme: the protestors, the banks and the Democrats.
Not one single Pheu Thai politician takes responsibility.
Then came the prime minister's speech, a couple of days after caretaker Finance Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong was caught on camera running away from angry rice farmers demanding their payments. The irony of it.
It seems that if you are democratically elected, you can do no wrong and will never admit to any wrong. In fact, to be democratically elected perhaps even means corruption is legal.
Last Tuesday, video footage of the policeman who heroically attempted to kick away a grenade to save his comrades only to have it explode at his feet prompted a social media frenzy.
Before any sort of evidence was found, far too many supporters of Suthep Thaugsuban had already put the blame squarely on the Shinawatra family. It was as if Thaksin himself threw the grenade, while his children cheered on.
In fact, the Bangkok shutdown, the storming of government offices and the blockading of polling stations, plus any violence, injuries and deaths, every shot fired and every bomb exploded, all of it is the fault of the Shinawatra family.
After all, if you march for King and country and good governance, even when your guards beat up on a journalist or a taxi driver, even when a bullet took the life of another police officer, it is all the fault of Thaksin. You bear no responsibility.
The Democrat Party, the self-declared bastion of Thai democracy, spoke so well in 2010 of the need for law and order, the importance of the democratic process and the urgency for dialogue and a peaceful solution.
This was of course when it was in government.
Time has changed and roles have reversed. Apparently if a political party stands for King and country and good governance, then its members (former or otherwise) can stomp all over the democratic process with impunity. But it's Thaksin's fault, of course.
However give credit where credit is due. On Wednesday, Mr Abhisit told the country that he and the Democrats also must share the blame for the mess we are in. Those were just words, but at least words are spoken.
But his solution of a neutral government and a ``restart'' is basically saying, ``I'll just follow whatever Suthep says. He calls the shots.''
Even so, without responsibility first, there can be no reform. If Ms Yingluck could also share the blame then perhaps this country might go somewhere. Unfortunately that's unlikely to happen. This is because at this moment many readers are already foaming at the mouth, crying, ``But Yingluck and Pheu Thai are not to blame for anything! You pro-Suthep, ammart-loving fascist!''
So we're back at the prime minster's speech, taking people as stupid, which isn't far off the mark at all. In fact, it really is a hole-in-one.
But this isn't stupid in so far as lacking in IQ. The term ``emotional retard'' is more accurate. To emotionally invest in a tribal group or an ideology, and be so consumed by the righteous fervour, to the point that the emotion clouds any intellectual judgement.
Even smart people become emotional retards, and hence the absence of responsibility and accountability. Therefore stupidity all around.
On both sides of the divide, with the cases discussed in this column, leaders and politicians will continue with their lies and denials, their blame and misdirection, because they know can get away with it.
They know that zealot worshippers are ready, panting and begging to swallow their lies. Then they would lash out at anyone who say otherwise.
``Anti-democracy fascist!'' ``Thaksin's slave!'' These words are the preferred weapon of the emotional retards.
Emotional retardation knows no race, creed or breed.
It inflicts both Thais and foreigners who are consumed by righteous fervour and blinded by tribal loyalty or ideology worship.
Wise up. Democracy isn't just about holding your political opponents accountable. That's the easy part. Holding the leaders we chose to follow and the politicians we voted for accountable is the mark of a matured democracy.
Reform before election? Election before reform? Democracy? Good governance? Impossible either way if we don't first grow up and become adults who take responsibility and accountability for our own words and actions.
Contact Voranai Vanijaka via email at voranai@gmail.com.