And That's My Take... (Buddha Must Be Weeping)

AND THAT’S MY TAKE… (BUDDHA MUST BE WEEPING) © 2010 by Curtis Sagmeister. All Rights Reserved. rnNot one known to show emotion, Buddha must now be weeping over the civil unrest in Thailand. For more than two months, protesters have camped out at a downtown Bangkok park, using it as a makeshift headquarters from which to launch their public grievances. And now, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has given the green light to the military to shoot the protesters. How did things get so out of control? This is all so confusing to one who perceives Thai people as being peace-loving beings that prefer their food spicy, who are devout followers of the teachings of Buddha, and who live in a country rich in lush vegetation and beauty. And they always seem to be smiling while pressing their hands together in a prayer while welcoming you to their home. Of course, there is also the other side to Thailand, and Bangkok particularly. That is, the sex trade industry catering to those who like their boys and girls young. Very young. Pedophiles from every corner of the world visit Bangkok to participate in any sexual kink and depravity one could imagine, all of which receive less than enthusiastic enforcement by local, often corrupt, law enforcement. Even the Thai federal government is reluctant to seek prosecution because the child sex trade is one of the premiere generators of tourism and foreign currency in the country. Sad, but true. It seems like only yesterday that the Yellow Shirts were protesting against the Thai government. That was two years ago. Nowadays that hue of protester supports its government and it is the Red Shirts today who seek to oust the government that overthrew its previous Prime Minister, billionaire Thaksin Shinawatra. What is surprising when looking at the history of this 700-ish year old unified country is that it is the only one in Southeast Asia not colonized by Europeans. Interesting history lesson huh? Recently, the Red Shirts have reportedly undertaken acts of arson, and it is this violent criminal act that has prompted the shoot to kill order by the Prime Minister. In addition, the government has begun forcibly dismantling the barricades established by the protesters, while publically reassuring the world that things are under control. Apparently not convinced, foreign governments have issued travel advisories and are warning their citizens to avoid visiting Thailand. The Thai people are no strangers to the see-saw topsy-turvy turmoil of their government. Even the name of their country has switched back and forth between Siam and Thailand. First established as Siam, the country was renamed Thailand in 1939 until the end of the Second World War, then renamed again to Siam until 1948 when it was again renamed Thailand. As far as Siam concerned, it doesn’t really matter what the name of the country is (celebrate the pun folks). The same flip flop appears to apply to Prime Ministers of Thailand. Once overthrown for being corrupt, former Prime Minister Shinawatra now seeks to repay current Prime Minister Vejjajiva for similar reasons. Caught in the middle are Thai people. To echo a song by The Who… ‘Meet the new boss, same as the old boss’. And that’s my take…