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We haven’t had much discussion of $ufficiency economy here lately, so I was pleased to see this short article in The Nation:
Govt approves 2nd phase of sufficiency community project.
The government has approved the second phase of the sufficiency community project worth Bt5 billion, Deputy Prime Minister Korbsak Sabhavasu said Thursday. The second phase covers 17,000 communities. Earlier, the government allocated Bt6.05 billion for the first phase that covers 3,000 communities, he said.
The first phase of $ufficiency was certainly much more generous (about 2,000,000 baht per community) than the second phase (only about 300,000 baht per community). What’s going on? If anyone has any details on how much $ufficiency two million (or 300 thousand) can buy, please let us know.
I also have not seen any news of the “sufficiency project”… it will be really nice if someone on the ground can tell us whats been happening…
meanwhile here is a general comment:
governments with low support in the community need to maintain their relationship with the military to stay in power…. I notice the news of the second phase of the “sufficient communities project” which presumably is a bribe to the military to keep trying their tactics of intimidation that failed in the leadup to the 2007 election
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its occurred to me that some simple facts of the “sufficient communities project” would be quite interesting:
which communities were/are being targetted (I spose 17,000 is a bit of a long list, references?)
was one of the phase 1 communities Roi Et where the government won the seat but BP has noted Puer Thai increased their share of the vote cf 2007?
have there been any significant actions in any of the communities “favoured” by the military’s attention… eg red or yellow rallies held or cancelled, other elections, local officials movements, etc, etc?
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PAD [i.e.- both lay leadership and PAD men in the Dem. gov’t.] wants to focus some money on “Red” areas with “Yellow” civil servants. I think that cash will come from a different piggy than the cash mentioned above, but the tactic is the same. So then, per #1, the rationale for distributing the money via the army is that they are a more trustworthy player (in Red areas) than the local SAO/amphur staff.
But the goal of this cash has always been to weaken the PPP’s hold on the local level. A new program is given a new name and then the present gov’t disperses it in such a way that the face of the largess is yellow or green.
Also, two slight tangents:
SML has been renamed the “Sufficiency Economy Fund” or something similar. If the Nation article is in fact referring to this fund, then the 300,000/per would make sense. There were articles talking about doubling the SML/village, but 300,000Bt/village is the median (mean; mode; ???) for a TRT-era village SML grant.
One of the Eng-lang papers mentioned a cut in “Sufficiency Economy” or “Community Sufficiency” funds within the upcoming round of budget cuts (about a week+ ago). Again, dunno if the two are related, or just the Dems marketing another program under the S.E. label…
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Bangkok Post, May 18, 2009
Review
Sufficiency economy at work
Book focuses on three local CEOs and their strategies for success and adaptability in a volatile business environment
By: ANCHALEE KONGRUT
Published: 18/05/2009 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: Outlook
First and foremost, this book with an unusually riveting title has nothing to do with mysterious body swapping. Nor is it about spiritual or physical transcendence in any form.
CEO: Body Swap (CEO: Salab Rarng) Nongnart Srisakul Harnvilai Amarin Printing and Publishing, 249 pp, 220 baht ISBN: 978-9748132563
Penned by Nongnart Srisakul Harnvilai, a business editor of Krungthep Turakit daily, CEO: Body Swap is business how-to – and more. Being in charge of the ‘Sufficiency Biz’ column at her newspaper, Nongnart says she has always had faith in the philosophy of a “sufficiency economy”, popularised by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, especially since the economic meltdown over a decade ago. Her latest book is thus a practical exploration of the avant-garde business model.
“I always believe in sretthakit porpieng (sufficiency economy),” Nongnart explained.
“I believe this economic philosophy perfectly matches our local businesses. I want to write a book that can make people see that sretthakit porpieng can be applied to any kind of operation and, moreover, can make them grow in a more sustainable way.”
The book focuses on three young executives who have been applying this so-called “sufficiency economy” to their respective companies. Choak Bulakul is the group managing director and CEO of Farm Chokchai. Varisorn Rakphan is the hotelier and owner of Chumphon Cabana Resort and Diving Centre. Last but not least, Jongsarid Cunvong is the general manager of the Chul Cunvong Farm Co.
Like all businessmen, the trio, all in their late thirties, want to make a profit. What sets them apart from most others, however, is their sense of moderation, rationality and concern for society.
Despite the fact that all three are engaged in family-owned and -run businesses, they have demonstrated remarkable professionalism during critical times. In the aftermath of the tom yum goong crisis, Choak had to scuttle for a means to relieve his family’s massive accumulated debt, worth 400 million baht. In turn, Varisorn found himself strapped with an estimated 300 million bath debt.
Although comparatively free from family debt, Jongsarid likewise was tasked with the mission of renewing the seven-decades-old Kamnan Chul farming enterprise in the hilly terrain of Phetchabun province. How to make a once household name continue to cater to the younger generation is as challenging an endeavour as ever.
Nongnart Srisakul Harnvilai.
The creativity and business acumen of these men are second to none. Through the introduction of a sufficiency economy and other organisational reforms, they have managed to turn their businesses around. Choak’s Chokchai Farm at Pak Chong has become a delightful all-in-one eco-farm tour featuring its Umm milk and other dairy products. Varisorn’s Chumphon Cabana Resort is the country’s showcase of how to run an “organic hotel”. Jongsarid’s Kamnan Chul Farm is now a must-stop farm and shopping centre for visitors to the beautiful Khao Khor area.
Besides the typical issue of expansion, all three also put an emphasis on when to “stop”, to stay away from the insatiable “illusion of growth” and win the hearts of their own employees.
Instead of interview transcripts, Nongnart came up with a dare-to-change assignment for her three subjects. They were asked to visit one of the trio’s businesses, spend two days learning the ins and outs, and finally propose business development plans for the company they have visited.
In effect, Choak has to switch from his cowboy hat to play a hotelier on the southern island, leaving his Chokchai Farm in Jongsarid’s hands. Meanwhile, Varisorn has to take a break from the sea and sandy beach to rack up new business plans for Jongsarid’s Chul Cunvong Farm Co in mountainous Phetchabun. What has each discovered? Are the proposed plans really and sufficiently feasible?
The book also provides substantial historical background on each of the three companies and, in particular, how the sufficiency economy model has enabled the Chokchai Farm and the Chumphon Cabana resort to escape the financial woes of 1997. There is also a nice story of how Jongsarid of the Kamnan Chul Farm has set up a special “PO Box” as a way to communicate between him and thousands of his staff. Such tales show there is a human side to business as well.
Nongnart’s writing style is simple and with a conversational slant that engagingly allows readers to imagine hearing these executives’ trains of thought.
Some readers may dismiss the stories as unique cases that cannot be emulated elsewhere. Sceptics may wonder if certain details are too good to be true. At any rate, CEO: Body Swap does offer plenty of business lessons and actual life lessons too. Recalling his difficult times of years ago, Varisorn notes: “Am I angry at those bankers and creditors who were after me at the time? Not any more. They had to do their job [in trying to make me repay my debts]. The 1997 crisis has taught me the harsh, ruthless nature of debt settlement. But now I consider those people as the guardian angels who came down just to test whether or not I could handle the situation.”
And if anyone still feels puzzled about this sufficiency economy idea, just read Choak’s words: “I think the philosophy of Sufficient Economy is liveability … not excessive wealth or how to outperform the gains of last year. Sufficiency Economy is a concept that will enable you to live in all situations, particularly during economic crisis. If any company can survive it, I think they are already practitioners of sufficiency economy – in one form or another.”
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On May 28, PM Abhisit, at the Army auditorium, in his capacity as director of ISOC, opened the project “Fighting the economic crisis by the philosophy of sufficiency economy.” This project is implemented by ISOC, and the government has allotted one billion baht for it. The initial perriod of this project is six months. (Matichon, May 30, 2009:11)
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🙂
just to be a fool na…
pls, wizards of new mandala — you really want to tell me there’s an _alternative_ to sufficiency economy? really?
really?
REALLY?
just for record: i wonder what you’ll think in … 2-5 years 😉
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Maybe maverick can stick to SMS where argument is really, really not required.
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RK # 7
Maybe, mAvvvEErIckKKy thinks that this is cool sub-culture that will dominate blog comments in “2-5 years”? Ha!
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@ ralph kramden, c.7
& @ Srithanochai, c.8
i prefer work to arguments. as i said, let’s talk ab it in 2-5 years.
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Panthep Phuaphongphan, one of PAD’s demagogues, has summarized the differences between “new” and “old” politics in ten points (ASTV Phuchatkan, June 3, 2009). Not surprisingly, PAD favors sufficiency economy:
7. New politics will make the economic system create social justice and emphasize the national good and the people. Old politics makes the economic system fall under the command of only a small number of monopoly capitalists.
8. New politics develops the sufficiency economy side by side with the conservation and rehabilitation of natural and environmental resources that are the basis for the conduct of life and occupation according to the geographical ecology. Old politics favors benefits for only a small number of capitalists, and thus destroys the ways of life and the resources of all people in the nation.
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@ Srithanonchai, c.10:
“New politics develops the sufficiency economy side by side with the conservation and rehabilitation of natural and environmental resources that are the basis for the conduct of life and occupation according to the geographical ecology. Old politics favors benefits for only a small number of capitalists, and thus destroys the ways of life and the resources of all people in the nation.”
if you look around the world… you’ll find statements like this… in each & every country… these days.
let’s see… na
if you’ve some kind of “real economy” business, dear Srithanochai… i’ll be eager to listen over next years…
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We are told by maverick that he or she deals in facts. Okay, maybe at some undefined time in the future, but in this most recent post,a claim is made with no facts. I actually think that SE can be claimed as something that is uniquely Thai. Sure there are statements elsewhere about sustainability, but SE is a more politically and ideologically driven set of ideas. Maybe maverick could provide some facts about alleged similarity?
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Mavyyboy #11
I am always enlightened by your keen and substantive observations.
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Ralph Kramden: You guys knocking the SE concept need to get your stories straight:)
Is it unique, or is its borrowed from E F Schmacher???
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Not sure where Schumacher comes in here on this thread, but I said: “I actually think that SE can be claimed as something that is uniquely Thai. Sure there are statements elsewhere about sustainability, but SE is a more politically and ideologically driven set of ideas.” So I am not necessarily claiming originality about the ideas themselves, but the way they are put together into a package.
Schumacher actually had a lot more on labour in his approach to Buddhist economics and this king wouldn’t do that. The working class scare him.
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@ Srithanonchai , c.13:
calling me mavyyboy, na… i’m just 46 of age. maybe i left fever of youth behind. but for sure na… i’m aware of the bounds of my petty individual ignorance. a lot of my friends are in their 60’s, 70’s, 80’s — & i’m glad i was allowed to appreciate their “insight” na.
i said it before, i don’t want to argue. ppl get very excited as if they’d be personally involved to make some point.
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@ rk, c.15
“Schumacher actually had a lot more on labour in his approach to Buddhist economics and this king wouldn’t do that. The working class scare him.”
thanks for update. i didn’t know about schuhmachers relation to what you call “buddhist economics” [i guess it’s not related to SE 555].
i also didn’t know you’re able to share mind with king of thailand to know that “the working class scare him”
thank you for bringing light while i’m lost in darkness of ignorance
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Not sure where Schumacher comes in here on this thread
Not on this particular thread, but the not original/borrowed line has been raised in other threads on SE initiated by AW over the last 2 1/2 years.
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Mavvy: One doesn’t have to share a mind, just read his speeches over the years and see who he supports.
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Mavvy (all right, I skip the boy, though your posts are quite youthful):
“thank you for bringing light while i’m lost in darkness of ignorance” > Maybe, you can join Sondhi’s PAD, because they do not only include SE in their ideas, but Sondhi also claims that he had lit the candle to start bringing light back to Thailand!
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WEEKEND BRUNCH
A man of the middle path
By NOPHAKHUN LIMSAMARNPHUN
The Nation
Published on July 18, 2009
Dr Sumet Tantivejchakul warns mankind to beware of Mother Nature’s wrath |and to maintain the balance by taking the route of sufficiency
Dr Sumet Tantivejchakul, 70, secretary-general of the Chai Pattana Foundation, had no hesitation in sharing his belief that overpopulation, environmental degradation and extreme capitalism were the culprits behind the current global economic crisis, climate change and other illnesses affecting the planet.
“We’ve plundered this planet’s resources mercilessly over so many years. The Earth is deteriorating at an alarming rate.
“In my opinion, overpopulation is a major issue. Take Thailand for example. When I was a child, our population was only 16 million. Now we have 65 million.
“Global population, meanwhile, has jumped from 4 billion to 6.9 billion. Then there’s consumerism or overconsumption. Consumption in the US alone is six times the global rate.
“We would probably need a total of five planets to accommodate this rate of consumption – two and a half planets for food and other production facilities and another two and a half for waste management.
“In my opinion, socialism, communism, liberalism or even capitalism are ideals that have long gone. Consumerism is the only faith left today. And it’s really unstoppable.
“In the wake of a collapse of the US-styled capitalism, we continue to look for replacements. We’re now talking about China or Russia as being the new saviours of the global economy [as far as renewed consumption to drive growth is concerned],” he says.
Sumet, who joined the Chai Pattana Foundation when it was founded in 1988, has been working on rural-development projects for His Majesty the King over the past several decades.
A powerful voice on royal initiatives with regard to sufficiency economy, Sumet has often cited His Majesty’s remarks on the degradation of the environment.
“His Majesty has warned that since humans are not treating the Earth nicely, they should beware of Mother Nature getting angry and one day punishing us all.
“I think we’re already being punished pretty badly though. We’ve been suffering from global warming, the 2004 tsunami and, more recently, Nargis [the typhoon that devastated Burma] and then the landslide in China etc.
“Before that there was Hurricane Katrina and wildfires across the heart of continental Europe. They were all warnings from Mother Nature.
“In terms of the current economic crisis, it’s ironic that we’re trying to rescue the economy with even more consumption by handing out money to people to buy even more in the name of stimulating the economy.
“In my opinion, the solutions should be in the realm of sufficiency economics. Take the middle-path. It’s either dharma or nature.
“In other words, we need to save our natural resources to slow down the approaching catastrophes instead of exploiting them at the rate we have for many years.
“The initiatives on sufficiency economy are not completely new, but they’re practical. The philosophy is neither anti-growth nor anti-business. It’s simply about moderation, which means not doing too little or too much.
“It’s about being reasonable, which means making decisions rationally and taking all key factors as well as anticipated outcomes into consideration.
“It’s about risk management, which means one’s preparedness to cope with the ensuing impacts and probable changes in various scenarios.
“We also need two crucial conditions to be successful in adopting the initiatives on sufficiency economy. One is all-round knowledge, and the other is virtue, namely honesty, patience, perseverance and intelligence. After all, the philosophy of sufficiency economy is to promote sustainable economic growth. For example, a growth rate of 4 to 5 per cent annum is desirable, but hyper-growth rate such as has happened in the past is not,” says Sumet, who is a former chief of the National Economic and Social Development Board.
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my 90yo mum used to drive around with a car window sticker that said…
Live Simply So That All May Simply Live
so Sufficiency Economy is a good idea but hardly new or unique
although Thai politicians and right wingers with lavish lifestyles may feel better if they say they subscribe to the idea
for me Old Politics in Thailand means rule by elite and military “for the good of Thailand” built on the backs of the subservient majority
PAD New Politics means the same thing but dressed up as yet another way to defeat the possibility of rule by and for the majority of Thai people
in Old Politics the elite and military managed the majority of Thais by
calling for subservience to the King, Religion and Nation and fear of the military
Thaksin taught the majority that they could still respect the King and Religion but participate in ruling the Nation
Ruling the Nation must include ruling the military and this is the unfinished business of politics in Thailand!
Sooner of later the military must swallow their own lessons on Sufficiency!
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Wow, you people seem to have a lot of knowledge about these projects.
I actually have to do a major paper on this project.
My paper topic is “How does the self sufficient economy project help the Thai GDP?”
If anyone could help me with that or even allow me for an interview with you, it would be reallly really helpful.
Can someone? Please?
Thanks A lot,
Anshu
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@ Anshu 🙂
you’ve arrived at the well of truth on these topics.
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EDITORIAL Revolutionary sufficiency
Published: 21/08/2009 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: News Bangkok Post
How can you preach sufficiency to the poor when they do not even have enough to start with? We often hear this question from critics of the sufficiency philosophy. Unfortunately, it is a question that leads nowhere.
When moderation is the cure for excessive consumerism and materialism which is threatening the survival of humankind, we should instead ask what we must do to make moderation the norm in public policies and our everyday life, instead of harbouring cynicism.
In a society marked by outrageous inequalities such as ours, the pursuit of moderation is indeed a radical move. It implies a comprehensive, systematic reform to undo power monopoly of the few by ensuring equitable distribution of resources for the majority. These resources include land ownership, food security, education, healthcare, welfare, rights, access to credit, to life opportunities and to decision-making at all levels.
The 2007 Constitution makes it clear in Article 83 that the government must follow the sufficiency philosophy in its public policies. Article 85 also stipulates that the government must carry out policies to effect land reform and equal access to water and other natural resources. So we should closely monitor the Abhisit government to make sure it stays true to these constitutional mandates, that it does not just pay lip service to the moderation principle or abuse it for political gain – which, sadly, is what is happening with the scandalous Sufficiency Community Project.
Simultaneously, we should push the government to fulfil its constitutional obligations to create an equal playing field for the citizenry.
In the meantime, we should also monitor if the government is undermining the already moderate lifestyle of the locals by allowing environmentally destructive industries to destroy the sources of their livelihood.
Reacting to the government’s destructive policies is not enough, however. While it is essential to push for pro-active policies to give the citizens equal life opportunities, it is also equally, if not more, important to foster a social environment to encourage the values of moderation, giving and sharing in society.
After all, sufficiency or moderation is not just a principle, it is a moral principle. Amid the powerful religion of greed-driven materialism, moderation is social conscience against excess. It encourages people to define happiness differently by going back to the basic values of family togetherness, food security, community cohesiveness, and spiritual growth.
But these values are not isolated from the social environment. They grow when there are supportive public policies. They wilt when families and individuals must struggle in society’s rat-race without an adequate social safety net. To provide fertile soil for morality to grow, we must push for policies that empower the people while instilling them with a sense of moral duty to share when they have more than enough.
Sharing is not about material goods only. It is also about the sharing of information which is crucial to curb excessive power at the top. This sharing of information is a check-and-balance tool to moderate information and power monopoly, without which democracy will never have a chance to grow.
The sufficiency or moderation philosophy is a powerful political tool to redress the excesses of the powerful. Instead of crippling ourselves with cynicism and allowing the government to target only the poor, we should see the potential of the sufficiency philosophy and use it to effect change.
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Srithanonchai
very good article…. thanks
but I suspect that the elite that need to read and take the article to heart dont actually read anything more than an SMS (eg Maverick) so they wont get the message
Prem and his mates are experts at nodding and winking and they think they dont need more than that
too subtle for the audience that needs it, its only the thoughtful people that already agree that will applaud
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See Political Prisoner’s comments at http://thaipoliticalprisoners.wordpress.com/2009/08/21/new-what-about-economic-and-political-inequality/
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Is this the same sufficiency economics as purported by his Royal Highness the king. Where he suggests that people live within their means and return to their villages (“let them eat cake”). Even if their means = Zero! That’s good advice from the worlds Richest Monarch with wealth in excess of 35 BILLION Dollars. It Was twice that at 70 Billion, but the recent events in the worlds stock markets reduced the wealth to just 35 Billion. Hey it’s tough for everybody !
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See below, and don’t laugh–the guy is serious!!!
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
From: [email protected]
Date: 09/05/2009 05:14AM
Subject: First CRT Regional Dialogue in Southeast Asia – Qur’anic Guidance for Good Governance and Sufficiency Economy Principles
Dear Friends and Colleagues:
The Round Table proposes to demonstrate that Southeast Asian ethical philosophies can make important contributions to the global community in the 21st Century. Two approaches familiar to the Caux Round Table have been selected for review and discussion. They are, first, understandings of Qur’anic Guidance for good governance evolving from workshops and study at the International Islamic University Malaysia, and second, the principles of a Sufficiency Economy articulated in a Theravada Buddhist context initially by His Majesty the King of Thailand.
To discuss these ethical approaches with global applicability, the CRT organized a dialogue in Bangkok. The Foreign Minister of Thailand, the. Hon. Kasit Piromya, hosted the dialogue at the Ministry. Tunku Abdul Aziz, CRT Coordinator for Southeast Asia, chaired the discussions. The dialogue was co-sponsored by Banyan Tree Global Foundation and the Institute for Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore. Khun Nick Pisalyaput, Chair of CRT Thailand most ably organized the sessions.
The statement of conclusions agreed to by participants is attached for your review.
Southeast Asia, throughout history a crossroads of people, cultures, trade and political influences, has a unique intellectual and moral relationship to decision-making. Southeast Asian cultures, communities and nations stand apart from the more hierarchical traditions and highly structured social patterns of Northeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. In Southeast Asia, a deeply personal sense for the individual in the context of cosmic movement is paramount. Southeast Asian perspectives center on fluidity, the flow of time and the changing currents of circumstance. Southeast Asians, in general as there are always exceptions, seek a balance and a sense of due proportion in their relationships – neither too close to shore nor in over their heads. Adjusting one’s circumstances without loss of faith or self-confidence as larger trends reveal themselves is often seen as successful accomplishment.
This perspective gives rise to important insights about human nature and human opportunities, insights which deserve to be shared with the larger global community.
The study of Qur’an in the International Islamic University Malaysia reflects such a vision of a person’s place in being responsible as a Khalifa, or steward of God’s purposes and open to the needs for justice as they may arise in different settings.
The standards of a Sufficiency Economy similarly acknowledge the responsibility of companies to subordinate inordinate demands to the needs of the total environment which supports their profitability.
Sincerely yours,
Stephen B. Young
Global Executive Director
Caux Round Table
http://www.cauxroundtable.org
6 West Fifth St., 3rd Floor
Saint Paul, MN 55102
Phone: (651) 223 2852
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Coincidentally, the same Stephen Young also features in an article in the Bangkk Post of 7 September 2009. His statements were as follows:
…
At a recent seminar entitled “Ethics in Thai Democracy: Do We Have It?”, organised by the Political Development Council, Stephen B Young, Caux Round Table Global executive director, said democracy could only work in an environment that is ruled by law and a fair justice system.
Mr Young said Thai jurisprudence has standards for judging the actions of leaders and rulers. These standards, he said, impose an ethic of fiduciary conduct and servant leadership on the outcomes of democracy, and should therefore be incorporated into Thai democracy to prevent its abuse at the hands of the unscrupulous.
Among the standards are barami (charisma) of a good patron who holds the trust and care of the people at his or her heart, and Tosapitratjatham, the 10 virtues for ethical leadership as well as the principle of sufficiency economy emphasising the middle path, foresight, rationality, self-responsibility and compassion.
He disagreed with the notion that Thailand was now greatly divided between the elite and grass-roots.
“There are only differences in opinion. All people have the right to vote. Look at Isan, say, in the early 70s and how it is now. Before there were few roads, now there is development and they are like Bangkok.”
He concluded that the challenge of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra for Thailand was serious because Thaksin does not “think like a Thai”.
“Other Thai leaders who had political problems at home – Pridi Banomyong, Plaek Pibulsonggram and Thanom Kittikachorn – they did not fight back nor try to restore their power after living in exile. But Thaksin is defiant,” Mr Young said.
…
For the entire article, see http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/23404/thailand-still-has-to-struggle-to-achieve-democracy
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Is it possible that this is the very same Stephen B. Young who wrote reports on “non-partipatory democracy” for USOM in 1966 and then had it published in 1968 in Asian Survey? That article was “The Northeastern Thai Village: A Non-Participatory Democracy” in Vol. 8, No. 11, pp. 873-86. There he was listed as employed by USAID in Vietnam, and the research was said to have been financed by Havard University.
Sounds like it could be if one looks at this: http://www.asianforumcsr.com/programs/bios/Young.htm
Another biography (http://www.cauxroundtable.org/view_file.cfm?fileid=18) says this: “In 1966, Young discovered the ancient bronze age culture of Ban Chiang, Thailand, by tripping over a tree root on a small path in Ban Chiang village in Udorn-Thani province.”
His CIA links are explained in that biography: “Young served for the American Agency for International Development in the Republic of
Vietnam during the Vietnam War, working on village government reforms and economic development. Young developed unusual relationships with the Tan DaiViet Party of Vietnamese nationalists who formulated the strategy of pacification, rural development and constitutional reform that defeated the Communist insurgency in South Vietnam. Young’s work on village community development was recognized in his book on the Vietnam War by CIA Director William Colby and Young’s understanding of the realities of the Vietnam War were admired by President Richard Nixon, who asked Young to advise him in the writing of his book No More Vietnams.”
He is a Republican (not on Thailand!): “In 1996 Young ran for the nomination of the Republican Party of Minnesota for the United States Senate and in 1999 Young sought the Chairmanship of the Party on a coalition basis uniting social conservatives with moderates and independents.”
He has taught at SASIN, Chulalongkorn University, on
corporate social responsibility, something he has a deep interest in and which is reflected in an article he wrote about the economic crisis and the CPB’s businesses in 2002 as “Family Businesses and Reforms in Corporate Governance,” a paper presented at the Caux Round Table in Singapore, at the the Institute of Policy Studies (http://www.cauxroundtable.org/view_file.cfm?fileid=34).
A long and complicated history with Thailand, but just the kind of person the palace conservatives like having around.
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Re Thaksin’s challenge for Thailand is serious because “Thaksin does not think like a Thai” :
Hmmm…
1. ugly crony capitalism – check
2. never admits a mistake (except being too nice, of course) – check
3. a practiced liar – check
4. dodgy education -check
5. arguably never made an honest dollar in his life – check
…etc. etc.
Thaksin certainly seems to think and act a lot like many if not most of the ruling elite – red or yellow. So when the rich and powerful privelidged (?) elites openly display such gross immorality, it is no mystery why dishonesty and crime is so prevalent in the poor and middle classes who are just struggling to survive or provide for a better future for their kids.
Perhaps if there were double-sided signs at the airport reading: “MEGALOMANIACS AND PEDOPHILES NOT WELCOME HERE”
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And already SE has morphed into just another form of corruption. Thailand’s finest are essentially very one trick ponies. And the pony has long been completely lame.
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Time for a brainstorming activity on living within your means. Collaborate, and choose a spokesman to present your conclusions . Messrs. Thaksin & Sonthi ought to be talking to Somsri and Somchai, since they are the only folks in the group who truly know what subsistence means. But no! Try to ensure that there is an interaction, and you still get the same old over-eager hand-raising race by those who think it is their prerogative alone. They are conditioned to react rapidly without considering at all what is actually being called for. It would be unrealistic to expect an opinion from Somsri and Somchai, who are themselves thoroughly conditioned into the habit of always allowing their more gregarious and rich classmates compete for all the attention. Poor classroom management, right! But stick to imposing outside approaches and you get nothing. Do what local teachers do and you get way too much ill thought-out input from the self-elected classroom cleverclogs.
It is at times like these when one is very inclined to conclude that one is thoroughly wasting one’s time. One might even wonder whether outside ways of doing stuff have any relevance at all here. Particularly since one probably ended up working here through redundancy at home. The rejects of one daft system trying to make converts among those thoroughly locked into another daft system. There is actually a lot to be said for early retirement, if one can afford the indulgence. But the grim reality is that one is locked into this bollocks until death or more redundancy do us part.
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Ralph #31
That’s indeed him.
In the Bangkpok Post of today, but in a different context, Sulak has this to day:
“The elite want to live under structural violence with inner peace and good conscience. They don’t want (radical) social change or emancipation. There’s something terribly reactionary about this position.”
http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/23450/a-virtuous-life-in-the-service-of-humanity
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And now the Nation has the first of a two-part interview with this “old friend” of Thailand. He begins: “the New York Times especially [doesn’t understand]. The Washington Post. The Economist. Foreigners don’t know the way the Thais think. I’m more worried now about Thailand than ever before.” Damned foreigners.
Fromm where I sit, while these outlets are not the deep and meaningful studies of Thailand that academics provide, the interesting change that has taken place since at least the 2006 coup is a more critical stance towards those like Young who have long claimed to interpret Thailand for foreigners, almost always from the royaloist perspective. It has taken a long time for this more mature attitude to develop.
It is a great advance that statements like the next one are now more likely to be seen for the shallow propaganda that they are: “In 1961 it was my dad, with the passion of His Majesty and Field Marshal Sarit. He was a dictator, a military dictator, he was a tough guy, but he cared about the people, especially Isaan [the Northeast], and His Majesty also cared about Isaan.”
The interview is replete with royalist twaddle: only Thaksin wants change in Thailand. The elite and aristocracy are not the princelings of the palace and so on but the unspecified monopoly Thaksin had in telecoms. You can dislike the way that business was done (before Thaksin came to power in this case) but the deflection of attention from the real, fabulously wealthy elite is a travesty of manipulation of meaning (Young must have learned at the knee of his dad’s buddy Sarit).
His history is wrong and the interview gets worse. Can’t wait for the second instalment.
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“shallow propaganda” > The problem is that Young really believes in what he says. And he thinks that he is (almost) the only foreigner who is able accurately to understand Thailand. Yet, with connections such as Anand Panyarachun, FM Kasit, and Suthichai Yoon (and probably some higher-ups), he does not have to care about intellectual honesty and ethics… He gets access so easily, and thus can push his political interests effortlessly, while others, who know much better, have to struggle not to be submerged by the dominant elite views.
The interview is at http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2009/09/09/opinion/opinion_30111781.php
Reading this interview, I am really baffled about all these superficial statements, and Young’s obvious lack of factual knowledge (e.g., re Thaksin got his concession, or re Pridi’s exile). The first thing that he should probably do is to go into a library and have a good read for two or three months to bring him at last to an initial level of understanding.
It is only all the more baffling that The Nation would print stuff like this (in two installments!).
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Why is it baffling that the Nation prints such stuff? They are engaged in a propaganda exercise that is driven by a hatred of Thaksin. Their initial hatred of Thaksin was driven by the attempts Thaksin made to silence them, so there is justification. There surely was enough material to allow serious journalists to criticize and attack Thaksin. Now, though, in order to attack Thaksin they have been prepared to promote any fellow enemy. They are prepared to make things up if necessary, and they have been prepared to allow their journalism to deteriorate to a level that it can hardly be called journalism.
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The Nation and Bangkok Post to certain exteny are alike the totalitarian propaganda gasping for its last breath that could have been found at pages of communist periodicals of Warsaw Pact in the time of so called ‘perestroika’ . The rhetorics is strikingly similar. Far right meets far left in full circle. We should not be shocked here.
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to be fair.the pro. never get the questions about mr. sonthi lim and his PAD. who messing up this country.destroyed the government building, keep thousands of passagers in the 2 airports hostaged.and he never get to mention about the PAD .
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