Coup lessons from Thailand

I agree with Edward B Duhigg, who encouraged red-shirt leaders to take study tours abroad to learn how true democracy works in developed countries. This gives me an idea of how to prevent bloodshed stemming from people’s uprisings against rotten governments, like those of Egypt, Libya, Tunisia and Syria. Thousands of people died in those uprisings. What a waste of life.

Developing countries should send their military top brass to Thailand to learn how to overthrow a corrupt government without a single shot fired; not a single drop of blood shed. Our generals will guide them step by step, from picking the coup date (astrology required), arranging troops and tanks, drafting coup statements, writing makeshift constitutions, terminating the old one, rounding up politicians, installing interim governments, giving the coup itself an amnesty and so on.

Of course the lesson is not for free. I think US$10 million for each country should be reasonable, considering the thousands of lives being spared. The Dutch have their speciality, and so do we.        

Somsak Pola   

Samut Prakarn