Flood shows inability to unite for common good

I surmise the latter. In any case, it’s fallacious. Farmland can be reclaimed. Housing can be re-built. Industrial parks can be repaired. However, were the central business and financial districts of Bangkok to be flooded, the recovery could take many, many years. The viability of the Kingdom as a modern economic entity would be devastated. Yes, then suffering would be “equally distributed” – much of the wealth of the Kingdom would evaporate.

Watching the government’s efforts to address the flooding is like watching Thai TV soap-opera idiocies. The Keystone Kops were better organised. The BMA fights the Cabinet. The Cabinet’s coalition ministers fight amongst themselves. Like an ostrich, the government dithers and hopes the crises will disappear. They have known about the flooding problem forever, but have done nothing about it. The advice of His Majesty the King, to build infrastructure which would solve the problem, has been ignored at least since 1980, and possibly before that. Now they are going to heed His advice? 

 

Here’s my opinion of what should transpire:

_ The PM declares a national emergency, and institutes unity of command;

_ The PM tasks a competent, non-political expert, who has a backbone, in crisis management and continuity of operations to consider courses of action, and that expert then promulgates directives which address the problems. 

Once orders are given, no dissent among subordinate government personnel should be tolerated. Those refusing to perform their duties should be immediately discharged from positions of responsibility, and replaced with people who would implement the policies and actions ordered by the State. This would include Cabinet ministers from coalition parties as well as civil servants, police and the Army. If its partners in the government are dissatisfied, they can call for a no-confidence vote and a possible new election after the crisis is past, and the state of emergency is lifted.  

_ The government directs the design and implementation of a comprehensive system for dealing permanently with the flooding problem, to include infrastructure to drain the water, and procedures to be implemented when the conditions causing floods commence. 

The above will never happen. People are selfish and self-aggrandising, and will not come together for the good of the Kingdom. Thai TV soap operas continue in real life.

You might infer that I’ve had some experience in the arena of crisis management. You would be correct. I taught these concepts at War College, and implemented the techniques at the national level. However, this is not my responsibility; it’s a Thai responsibility. Furthermore, the authorities in the Kingdom wouldn’t implement these concepts in any case. I’ll continue to watch Thai TV, and hope for the best.

Khun Bufo D Toad

Rajathewi, Bangkok