They really retard the country

To what extent is the info in the article confirmed by other sources? Anyone has “”the present king and the coup d’Etat”?

Maybe AjarnChris’ and AjarnPasuk’s conclusion: “In the end, the survival of these beliefs has a profoundly anti-democratic aspect…” may be based on the assumption that modern democracy and its practices are, on the whole, rationale and scientific. Superstitions and religion has no role to play in this ‘reality’ (a view rigorously promoted by the atheist, Richard Dawkins).

I find such views quite limiting when framed against Thai society’s/democracy’s ‘reality’ where such practices pervade everyday spaces, from the most traditional shrines to cyberspaces, where ‘celebrity-astrologers’ have a role to play for both popular soapstars and politicians alike. (Besides, how rationale is modern, capitalist economics that got us into this global gloom)

David w’s ending question “Do the majority of American Christians need to give up their belief in angels to become good democratic citizens?” also got me probing more into the American case – and I ask: Will a Muslim American be elected president? Or is it a matter of time and it should be ‘When’? (as a few years ago few would have thought a black president was even possible, not considering a black candidate with a Muslim middle name!)

Maybe this is merely the way democracy expresses itself in reality, with common people relating to some traits of their leaders – and someone like PMAbhisit would lack appeal for many voters compared to PMThaksin (Thailand’s one and only ‘celebrity prime minister’). Interestingly the opposite seems to hold true for ‘rationale’, ‘modern’ foreign media who seem to increasingly find PMAbhisit more trustworthy than PMThaksin… Or is it too hard for his Thai-based astrologers to calculate the opportune time for interviews with BBC, CNN, Al Jazeera without his precise geographical whereabouts?

On the issue of Animism and Buddhism, here is a small anecdote.

About two decades ago, the group pf students of which I was a member, was taught by Niels Mulder. He had come to Thailand in the 60ies with the aim of explaining the behavior of Thai people by reference to their Buddhist beliefs. After all, it was assumed that the Thais were Buddhists, and that religion had a substantial influence on shaping their behavior. The longer he studied the Buddhist scriptures, the bigger the gap between them and the Thais’ observable behavior became. In his following search for what really informed much of Thai behavior patterns, he came to the conclusion that Thais are animists at heart, and that Buddhism only covered a very thin upper layer on their syncretistic belief system.

Obviously, much more could be said about this issue, and there is a good measure of literature on it. Still, one might want to read what Mulder had to say.

Mulder, Niels (1996) Inside Thai Society: Interpretations of Everyday Life. Amsterdam and Kuala Lumpur: The Pepin Press.

I also recall that the war on drugs was especially popular amongst Bangkok’s middle class. The idea that it was rural people and taxi drivers who were the main supporters of this policy is belied by the opinion polls of the time.

Any evidence for the claim that “the biggest devotees of astrology and magic” are “the rural masses”? I guess it depends on what “biggest” might mean. But the amulet markets and resort to big name and expensive astrologers and ceremonies appears to be the preserve of celebrities, the new rich and the middle class. And quite a few palace ceremonies have a lot to do with astrology and related beliefs.

As to ‘the people,’ they are victims of homage fraud on the part of the entire political process. While everything is for the people, nation, monarchy and religion, that is, during campaign promises, after election it’s all for number one.

The combination of what’s wrong politically in the country is indeed scary.

i like & enjoy ur blog, lots of thx 4 it.

u ask: “I’m interested if anyone can point to instances where Abhisit has turned to the supernatural?”

i doubt it’d fit his “mind set”; that’s traits & habits & training. a lot of people call it “education”, these days

i guess he’d “encountered” so-called “supernatural” the moments he experienced his very fragile life a human being when he was physically attacked in pattaya & in bkk.

& after that… “mind set” integrates experience into predominant patterns. people once called that “karma”

Abhisit.

Who is the politician that Isan folk seem not to be too impressed with nowadays?

Abhisit.

Who are the biggest devotees of astrology and magic?

The rural masses, the swing vote.

As for this quote:

“In the end, the survival of these beliefs has a profoundly anti-democratic aspect. Generals who command a nation’s armed forces, and businessmen with assets in billions of dollars, are reluctant to accept that politics are moved by the sentiments of the people rather than the influences of the stars and spirits over which they can claim some special control.”

Visualize 3000 extra-judicial executions.

Visualize a bunch of up-country taxi drivers nodding their head that this is effective policy.

Visualize that the rural masses are at once pleased with this policy and demand no accountability on the part of the government.

Multiply this over hundreds of completely untransparent rent-seeking siphonings off of government funds.

Throw in a leader who fashions transforming himself after a democratic election into some very undemocratic demagogue (cf. Mussolini or Lee Kuan Yew, Marcos, Park Chung Hee….etc etc).

The bottom line is what the “people” want is only part of the “democratic” problem, perhaps not even the biggest part.

I could imagine him watching the US TV series ‘Supernatural’, but cannot personally recall him publicly seeking out the mystics – that could be a factor in his eventual downfall!
(unless of course he has his own private super powerful mystic for guidance and even influence!)

Keyes frames this class of phenomena in terms of legitimation.

Bob