THURSDAY, March 28, 2024
nationthailand

Don’t insult us by |calling it democracy

Don’t insult us by |calling it democracy

Re: “Why a national strategy bill is necessary”, Letters, March 2.

To my knowledge, there has never been a democratic form of government that has had a crisis panel, national strategy bill, or any other body or individual that could override the popular will as represented by an elected government. There is the power of impeachment, but that comes from within the government. Of course, even that would be questionable, since the current draft charter envisages a government that is half-appointed. 

I agree with Dusit Thammaraks that, as a sovereign nation, Thailand has the right to install whatever kind of government it chooses. The only thing we Westerners ask is that you do not insult our intelligence by calling it democracy. 
Any time an individual or group can remove a government, there is no definition for that sort of power other than dictatorship. 
In a democracy you cannot guarantee there will be no civil disobedience from time to time. Sometimes the people disagree with their government. America in the 1960s was a classic example, but there was no coup, no civil war and eventually the government gave the people what they wanted. Thailand does not seem to understand that disagreements happen in a democracy. 
John Arnone
 
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