Useful Idiots

Well that title is stolen. I’m too dull to come up with something as creative. Stolen from a recent BBC Documentaries … But this seemingly internally inconsistent, loaded term attributed to Lenin does ring a bell, doesn’t it.

We’re all some kind of useful idiots at some point in time. Well maybe not you. But the most useful idiots are those breeding like rabbits in times of crises when it’s hard to not have an opinion. Such as the Thai political crisis we’re still in – when opinions become facts.

What’s a useful idiot? Try this: “Intellectuals have a terrible tendency to adjust the evidence to fit their preconceptions. They decide they want to believe in something, they will believe it – and if the evidence is Oh-you’re-wrong they just hit the evidence over the head and do the chops on.”

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August 24, 2010 | Filed Under Culture Shock, Politics, Society | 5 Comments 

Newspaper Finds Truth, Rapes It

We all know, Thai newspapers are not for the faint-hearted. Gross front pages showing accident victims torn apart and blood all over are the order of the day. Because there’s a market appreciating violence.

But what about the essentially more subtle handling of violence per se? That’s why this ad below (click to enlarge) can probably only appear in Thailand: “If your boy is getting anally raped by his teacher, we’ll uncover the truth.”

Let’s play “where’s Waldo being violated?”, commented advertising copywriter copyranter.  ”Bangkok daily newspaper Prachachat says that they “see through the truth.” Pretty disturbing visual, though it is Thailand.”

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July 19, 2010 | Filed Under Culture Shock, News & Media, Society | 3 Comments 

God Vs. Ghost

You’re well aware of the dark daylight and bright nights here in the land of illusion and camouflage. If you’re into the twilight world of protective tattoos and amulets, you know why Central World’s Zen burned down and Isetan survives without a scratch.

Ratchaprasong is powerfully protected by seven deities and their shrines. In front of Central World’s northeastern corner you find the Trimurti Shrine, devoted to Phra Trimurti, god of love, where people ask for success in love and lay down roses, flanked by the Pikanet Shrine, dedicated to Ganesha, god of wealth and prosperity.

In front of Zen? There was this beheaded Indian figure, an artist’s way to celebrate Thai-Indian friendship, the head of a … yes, a ghost, that’s how the artwork is called by now. Zen was made vulnerable by a staring ghost – oh and remember the Erawan Shrine attack? When mentally deranged Thanakorn Pakdeepol in 2006 smashed the statue with a hammer and was beaten to death on the spot by angry bystanders, Thais knew: doom will beset the nation.

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May 22, 2010 | Filed Under Culture & Arts, Culture Shock, Politics, The Thai Mind, Truly Bangkok | 3 Comments 

Thailand: A Chinese Colony?

So what about that Thai identity. The kingdom has so far been spared the racial chasm that openly split Indonesia and still today Malaysia. Are ethnic Chinese the shadowy masters of Thais? Name a leader here. They’re all of Chinese descent. Except, yes.

There is no Singapore without them. But what would Thailand today be without the Chinese. After centuries of immigration and assimilation there’s hardly a Thai family left without some Chinese blood.

Thailand’s a quasi-Chinese colony, internally taken over by immigrants whose diaspora did what Thais didn’t and took chances? Now traces of the old envious sinophobia rooted in socio-economics are back.

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May 6, 2010 | Filed Under Culture Shock, Politics, Society, The Thai Mind | 14 Comments 

Backlash Say Hi!

Well blame Mr. Nice aka our dear prime minister for being too cozy for way too long, just to mention a free bus service for enemies of the government. But maybe, hopefully, there’s a strategy behind Abhisit’s policy of passive containment. By doing not much the anger of the people grows, giving Abhisit the green light for stronger action. The luxury hotels around Rajprasong are emptied. Collateral damage minimized they’re ready to go.

But that’s not good and reading blogs and Twitter these days is an even less happy pastime. Red sympathizers seem to get even more radical and determined while the reds’ opponents cannot wait for a crackdown, and bloody it shall be. Not you farang, but many Thais ask for harsh measures. Now you tell me whom to blame. The poor reds for their provocations and open lies about a “peaceful” protest? The rich non-reds for urban arrogance and their deriding of “pure” democracy?

If the reds fail, they’ll be marginalized even further, and they asked for it. If the reds succeed, it’s the ultimate Pyrrhic victory in recent human history. The kingdom will be torn apart by more hate and distrust than ever. An election under these circumstances would lead to the world’s most laughable vote in recent human history. Who would accept an Election Commission’s intervention? With reds not being able to campaign in the south and non-reds hunted down in the north and northeast?

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April 20, 2010 | Filed Under Culture Shock, News & Media, On Our Own, Politics | 30 Comments 

TFY

TFY – Think For Yourself. But first: am stuck in Europe. About to head back to the realm, but Icelandic volcano ashes grounded some 16,000 flights. Well looking at the Central European sky this sunny Saturday afternoon I cannot see a single darkish cloud. Satellite images show marginal ash contact with outer Continental Europe. Yes the ash plume will move and may pose some risk. Still … closing down the continent’s air space? They could fly!

And how about that H1N1 mass hysteria? Crises are easily made in these days of governmental paternalism and instant digital simultaneity. This brave new world is no stranger to hysterical overreactions – yes, maybe there might be some ash risk, but the volcano will continue to erupt and the paranoia will settle soon as if nothing ever happened. A made crisis? What this has got to do with Thailand?!

Are tens of thousands of stranded passengers the victim of massive overreaction of super cautious politicians and bureaucratic herd instinct? And how does this remind us of the Thai crisis. Of this our “made Thai crisis.” Yes we heard all the arguments. Some say it’s necessary to fight for democracy exactly now. Why? And fighting for what exactly? Democracy? Come again? Did we just fall into that same trap of herd instinct and mass psychosis? They made their point. Let’s move on.

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April 17, 2010 | Filed Under Culture Shock, Health, Body & Mind, News & Media, Politics, Society | 18 Comments 

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