Can an Election Make or Break Nations?

The election trial so far has been something beyond a political drama. The motif of the bitter rivalry between the old and new, the conservative status quo and the next generation antithesis, is given a twist with a princess who denounced her title to enter matrimony being nominated by a political party as their prime ministerial candidate. Then, the plot is thickened with another dramatic turn of events with a subsequent royal decree denouncing the former princess’ candidacy.

 

Princess Ubolratana’s brother, the king, was adamant that his sister is a princess, and by tradition must remain above politics. And, of course, the party that dared to involve a member of the royal family’s highest echelon was dissolved. Likely, with many wishing far more severe punishment than being barred from political positions for the members of the Thai Raksa Chart party.

And that’s just the climactic build up. The background story spans decades, and the moral discourse is timeless, like any nation building historiography should be.

 

However, will it really matter? What can an election do anyway? How many times have prime ministers been helpless, and complacent to being kicked out of office in this country? Why bother?

The answer is metaphysically complex, but it can be simple just as well. Political decisions can simply be about brag rights, or making a statement. It could simply be a decision from spitefulness towards someone, for example, voting for Pheu Thai party or Future Forward just because you didn’t like Uncle Tu‘s disruption of your soap opera time. And, that’s the beauty of it, your opinions, your choices are just as justified and just as equal to the prime ministerial candidate’s own vote.

And for that metaphysical equal piece of equity pie, people have died for, are dying for, and will continue to die for it. Even just for the brag rights of being able to say one has chosen to stand equal to those with power to crush one’s life with imprisonment, or even murder, many have stood against armies for.

Many people have no idea how good equality tastes like. Many people doubt that it has a taste, or that it even exists. However, it is more difficult to deny the tastes of inequality.

 

The Nikkei Asian Review had Thailand’s Election on the cover of their March issue, and many have rushed to condemn the claim Thailand is the world’s most unequal country to be ridiculous, a Shinawatra conspiracy and hack job, and an insult to Thailand’s integrity on equality. They must have not read the actual article because not any mentioned, or bother to attack the source of the claim:

“Credit Suisse Global Wealth Databook 2018, the richest 1% of Thais controlled 66.9% of the country’s wealth”.

 

Regardless of the wealth gap, all Thais are equally subjected to the likely turmoil that will ensue with a split political decision.

So, does it matter? Not really in a cosmic, or a sense relative to the entirety of humankind, but for those who have tasted equality, or those who are desperate to have their fair turn, it is as a matter of life and death.