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IN MY OPINION

SOCRATES:
"Haven't you noticed that opinions without knowledge are shameful and ugly things?
The best of them are blind - or do you think that
those who express a true opinion without understanding
​are any different from blind people who happen to travel the right road?" 


(PLATO's ​REPUBLIC, Book VI 506c)
PLATO COMPLETE WORKS
Translator: G.M.A. Grube, Revised by C.D.C. Reeve, John M. Cooper, Editor, D.S. Hutchison, Associated Editor,
Hackett Publishing Company, Indianapolis / Cambridge, 1997, p.1127

A SHAM DEMOCRACY OVERSEEN BY GENERALS DOING WELL AGAINST COVID-19

12/7/2020

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A NOTE FROM THIS SUBSCRIBER

The Economist (11 July 2020), attempted to figure out the reason why Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam had surprisingly succeeded in fighting off the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of infected cases and fatality rates have been extraordinarily low in these countries. It could have been because of degrees of authoritarianism in their systems of government which may have effectively helped push the population in the direction desired to contain the virus. Or it could have also been the Buddhist way of life which helps contribute to a healthier lifestyle, together with more open-space living in rural communities.  Only small number of people in Thailand live in flats or apartments where they would be cooped up between four walls.

The Economist, however, did not have much to say about the Buddhist factor other than giving it an enticing headline and a mentioning of a Thai word 'Wai', a Thai (as well as Hindu) greeting with two enclosed palms, thus avoiding the western-style physical handshake. (It could not be called ‘Wai-five’ as suggested by The Economist since it uses two hands - ten fingers. A ‘Wai-ten’ will not be fashionable either. A plain ‘Wai’ would be just fine, thank you!)

​The focus is more on various governments' effective measures and the population's willingness to comply with government directives. Their proximities to China, in terms of physical borders and flow of tourists, somehow keep the countries well informed and better prepared. As for Thailand, in spite of a 'sham democracy overseen by generals', The Economist attributes Thailand's success to 'the quality of its health care' that 'makes Thailand a popular destination for medical tourism', and that the Thai 'government was quick to set up a vigorous covid-fighting task-force'.

It's nice to hear good news about Thailand from The Economist once in a while. I'm sure those generals will be happy to allow the circulation of this current issue of The Economist in  their 'sham democracy'.

By the way, The Economist Intelligence Unit categorizes Thailand in 2019 as a 'flawed democracy'. Now in 2020  it probably is downgraded to  a 'flawed democracy in shamble'. 

It's OK with me, as long as I get my weekly printed copy of The Economist on time!

Somkiat Onwimon
Pak Chong
12 July 2020

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▶️ THE ECONOMIST
▶️ THAILAND
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    Author

    สมเกียรติ อ่อนวิมล
    Somkiat Onwimon
    (1948 - 20xx)
    ​lives in Thailand, studied political science and international relations from The University of Delhi (B.A. & M.A.) and The University of Pennsylvania (Ph.D.). He lectured at Chulalongkorn University, and later became a television news 'n documentary reporter-producer-anchorman. He was elected a member of Thailand's 1997 Constitution Drafting Assembly, elected a senator in 2000, and appointed member of the National  Legislative Assembly in 2007. Now at his Pak Chong home, he lives a quiet country life of reading, writing, and thinking.


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  • REFLECTION
    • MORNING WORLD >
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      • BOBBY SANDS
    • IN CONTEXT >
      • CLASS WAR IN THAILAND?
      • ราชอาณาจักรแห่งบ่อนการพนัน
      • หน้าที่พลเมืองและศีลธรรม
      • SINGAPORE VS TRUMP'S TARIFF
      • สงครามการค้า สหรัฐฯ vs. ไทย
      • IN CONTEXT 17/2024 [Earth Day 1970-2024]
      • IN CONTEXT 16/2024
      • IN CONTEXT 15/2024
      • IN CONTEXT 14/2024
      • IN CONTEXT 13/2024
      • IN CONTEXT 12/2024
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  • ON PLANET EARTH
    • EARTH
    • THE WORLD >
      • SCAM INC. (The Economist)
      • SOUTH-EAST ASIAN SEA
  • THAILAND
    • THE MONARCHY >
      • THE MONARCHY IN WORLD FOCUS
      • 9th KING BHUMIBOL- RAMA IX >
        • KING BHUMIBOL AND MICHAEL TODD
        • Queen Sirikit 1979
        • THE KING'S WORDS
        • THE KING AND I
      • 5th KING CHULALONGKORN >
        • KING CHULALONGKORN THE TRAVELLER
        • KING CHULALONGKORN THE INTERNATIONALIST
      • PHRA THEP (PRINCESS SIRINDHORN)
    • DEMOCRACY IN THAILAND
    • NATIONAL PARKS OF THAILAND >
      • KHAO YAI NATIONAL PARK
      • PHA TAEM NATIONAL PARK
      • PHU WIANG NATIONAL PARK
      • NAM NAO NATIONAL PARK
      • PHU HIN RONG KLA NATIONAL PARK
      • PHU KRADUENG NATIONAL PARK
      • PHU RUEA NATIONAL PARK
      • MAE YOM NATIONAL PARK
      • DOI SUTHEP-PUI NATIONAL PARK
      • DOI INTHANON NATIONAL PARK
      • THONG PHA PHUM NATIONAL PARK
      • KAENG KRACHAN NATIONAL PARK
      • MU KO ANG THONG NATIONAL PARK
      • MU KO SURIN NATIONAL PARK
      • MU KO SIMILAN NATIONAL PARK
      • HAT NOPPHARATA THARA - MU KO PHI PHI NATIONAL PARK
      • MU KO LANTA NATIONAL PARK
      • TARUTAO NATIONAL PARK
    • THAKSIN and ASEAN
  • AND BEYOND
  • THE LIBRARY
    • THE ART OF WAR by SUN TZU
    • SUFFICIENCY ECONOMY BY KING BHUMIBOL OF THAILAND
    • SOFT POWER (Joseph Nye, Jr.)
    • CONVERSATIONS WITH THAKSIN by Tom Plate
    • THE GREAT ILLUSION/Norman Angell
    • MORNING WORLD BOOKS >
      • CASINO ROYALE
      • 1984
      • A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME
      • A HISTORY OF THAILAND
      • CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES
    • SCIENCE >
      • ประสบการณ์ทางวิทยาศาสตร์
      • HUMAN
    • DEMOCRACY IN AMERICA
    • FIRST DEMOCRACY
    • JOHN MUIR
    • MODELS OF DEMOCRACY
    • MULAN
    • THE VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE
    • ON THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES
    • PHOOLAN DEVI
    • THE REPUBLIC
    • THE TRAVELS OF MARCO POLO
    • UTOPIA
    • A Short History of the World [H.G.Wells]
    • WOMEN OF ARGENTINA
    • THE EARTH : A Very Short Introduction
    • THE ENGLISH GOVERNESS AT THE SIAMESE COURT
    • TIMAEUAS AND CRITIAS : THE ATLANTIS DIALOGUE
    • HARRY POTTER
    • DEMOCRACY / HAROLD PINTER
    • MAGNA CARTA
    • DEMOCRACY : A Very Short Introduction
    • DEMOCRACY / Anthony Arblaster]
    • DEMOCRACY / H.G. Wells
    • ON DEMOCRACY / Robert A. Dahl)
    • STRONG DEMOCRACY
    • THE CRUCIBLE
    • THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE
    • THE ELEMENTS OF JOURNALISM | JOURNALISM: A Very Short Introduction
    • LOVE
    • THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES
    • THE SOUND OF MUSIC
    • STRONGER TOGETHER
    • ANIMAL FARM
    • POLITICS AND THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
    • GEORGE ORWELL
    • HENRY DAVID THOREAU >
      • WALDEN
    • MAHATMA GANDHI
    • THE INTERNATIONAL ATLAS OF LUNAR EXPLORATION
    • พระมหาชนก
    • ติโต
    • นายอินทร์ผู้ปิดทองหลังพระ | A Man Called Intrepid
    • แม่เล่าให้ฟัง
    • SUFFICIENCY ECONOMY
    • พระเจ้าอยู่หัว กับ เศรษฐกิจพอเพียง
    • KING BHUMIBOL AND MICHAEL TODD
    • ... คือคึกฤทธิ์
    • KING BHUMIBOL ADULYADEJ: A Life's Work
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    • พระราชดำรัสเรื่องร่างรัฐธรรมนูญ >
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    • TESLA INTERVIEW 1926
  • IN MY OPINION
  • S.ONWIMON
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