Reasons not to be cheerful

Okay Robin, you have taken me to task, so I will try again your way.

We had the great auto scheme. So far, over 10 per cent of the cars have been either defaulted on or just walked away from. This has caused a glut on the used- and near-new car market, and auto sales have tanked. Then we had the great rice price-pledging scheme. I would explain that, but I don’t understand it. All I know is that a fortune has been lost as a result of it. We then had the great flood-prevention programme. Flooding has already begun. Want to make a bet on how many votes Yingluck would get in Ayutthaya if there were an election today?

Let’s face it, Yingluck is only the prime minister because of her name and because the Isaan people remember her brother and his village loans (most of which were not paid back) and health insurance (which has panicked the medical community because of slow or missing payments from the government).

I won’t even get into the Bt2-trillion loan for infrastructure because that is not a populist programme. It’s designed as a feeding ground for more private individuals.

All of Thaksin’s populist programmes are designed to get the Isaan vote, not to improve life in Thailand. I must give credit to Thaksin’s shrewd planning, but please don’t ask me to be respectful to his clone. Respect is not mandatory because of one’s position. Respect is earned. These people are not royalty – they are public servants, at least theoretically.

All of this sounds like political chicanery and a moronic electorate to me. If it doesn’t to you, then I’m sorry, but at least this time I was more specific. 

John Arnone 

Bangkok