Here’s a post that’s a bit different. Alex DiLalla is from Raleigh and follows NC and national politics. He is currently a student at the University of Chicago majoring in Public Policy with a minor in Human Rights.
Right now, across the globe, there are struggles for democracy that have not yet made it to the headlines of our papers. While our attention is turned to Ukraine, Iraq, and the developing situation in Israel and Gaza, we must remember that there are other places around the world not as familiar to us where people are fighting for their right to live freely.
In Thailand a military coup recently usurped power from a democratically elected government, leaving the rural poor and working class Thai without true representation as rich, politically connected elites now call the shots.
Military leaders are calling for the implementation of unelected councils to enact sweeping political reforms that they refuse to elaborate on, while critics – academics, politicians, and students – are being brought in for “questioning” by the new regime.
Even at the worst of times in the U.S. – when our leaders cannot seem to agree on much and all we see on the news is political posturing – we can still count on the continuation of our democratic values and fair elections that give us the opportunity to change our leadership.
Standing up to the military junta that has overthrown their elected government will be no easy task for Thai citizens. In the past, the U.S. has aided the struggle for democracy in Thailand by imposing strict economic and military sanctions. While there is no doubt that the Thai people are capable of defending their democracy, America must stand ready to answer their call and provide what assistance we can as the Thai people struggle to rebuild their democracy.
First count my vote, before you go lecturing other countries to count theirs. NC Court of Appeals Justice Sanford Steelman, Republican: 100% of the tally in 2010. NC Attorney General Roy Cooper, Democrat: 100% of the tally in 2012. Just like Saddam Hussein in 2002. I wrote in a constitutionally electable person against Steelman and again against Cooper. My vote was openly discarded both times.
I would argue that the US political system has also been hijacked to large degree, not militarily, as our campaign donation system means that moneyed, powered individuals and corporations can buy the government they want directly without the inconvenience or negative publicity of funding a military coup. Gerrymandering ensures that contested elections supports the donation system and vice versa. The details may differ from Thailand, but the result is largely the same politically…large segments of the population that have very little impact on the selection of elected officials and thus, have no practical representation in the government.
At no time is a military junta or dictatorship a positive but in the case of Thailand to condemn the military without more background is simplistic. After the last number of years of total deadlock, total chaos in the streets because of political corruption for at least two democratically elected parliaments and PM. The King who has for many years stayed clear of politics was forced to take a position and I am not entirely sure did not back the military intervention. The military has forced itself on the Thai government and its people before rightly or not and there was little to over throw this time either. So not so simple.
Pretty simple. You call the parliaments corrupt but you fix that in elections not pointing a gun at people and taking their freedoms.