Reflect on Anand’s wisdom
At this point in the debate, before we are inflicted with more drivel from Dr Frankfurt-School, I feel we should pause to recall the wise words of Thai statesman Anand Panyarachun.
Democracy, as Anand points out, is more multi-faceted than has been argued here so far, and comprises what he refers to as the “Seven Pillars”: 1. elections, 2. political tolerance, 3. rule of law, 4. freedom of expression, 5. accountability and transparency, 6. decentralisation, and 7. civil society. In Thailand right now, all seven pillars are either non-existent, in desperately short supply, or downright illegal.
As one who is not particularly enamoured with democracy, particularly in view of the catastrophic failure of democratic governance in western Europe which is aiding and abetting the eradication of several millennia of European civilisation, perhaps we should look more broadly at the quality of the individuals who purport to govern us. History shows that there have been good and bad absolute monarchs, good and bad dictators, and good and bad elected leaders. And in this regard, let us reflect that Anand, who is widely considered the best prime minister Thailand ever had, was never democratically elected.
Nigel Pike
