Using the wrong ammunition

When David slew Goliath he had no chance of winning, and yet prevailed with one rock. Abhisit also has a daunting challenge: to discredit the prime minister in the eyes of the red-shirt voters. He will not win the debates. Nobody on the other side of the House cares what he says, and will vote against him anyway. He claims corruption on a large scale. The response of the red shirts (and many other Thais) is, “That’s okay as long as we get our share.” Abhisit claims Thaksin is running the show. The response is, “That’s my man! And if Yingluck is a clone, that’s good.”

If Abhisit uses a multiplicity of ammunition, he gives her a chance to pick and dwell upon the less important things. But how about one carefully aimed rock that is close to the red shirts, such as rice cheating or Thaksin leading the reds into danger to get his money back, and then using amnesty for the rank and file to cover a Thaksin whitewash and ditching their aspirations? Then Abhisit could move on to Thaksin using their votes to feed his family and its hangers-on.

Richard Bowler

Bangkok