On 28 June, Senator Kobkul Arpaporn Na Ayutthaya posted:
“Every day, the COVID-19 situation worsens. Even though the Thai healthcare system is among the best worldwide, the reason is the Thai people. No discipline (do not follow the rule). No moral (selfishness). No knowledge (ignorant of the speed, gravity, danger, and control and preventive measures against a contagious disease). This is the point: There must be the clearest education reform.”
Simply put: “It’s the fault of the damn commoners.”
Never mind that “no discipline” applies to a government that makes a mess of rules, regulations, and processes. Never mind that “no moral” applies to a government that treats citizens like beggars. Never mind that “no knowledge” is a government that only knows how to rule but not serve.
The mentality behind the quote is this:
The patriarchy governs Thailand as not a modern nation-state but a traditional feudal family. The rulers are the parents. The people are the children.
In this social order, the parents can do no wrong, while the children must rely on the parents for food, shelter, clothing, and every aspect of life. Thus, it creates a system of helplessness and dependency.
The parents hold a godlike status. Therefore the children must obey, worship, and kowtow in eternal gratitude. Once in a while, the parents must smack the children around a bit. It’s simply good feudal parenting.
Hence, it explains the social mentality:
The bad children yell at the parents for not providing sufficient vaccines.
The good children kiss the parents’ feet in eternal gratitude for the delayed and least effective vaccine that parents provide through kindness, compassion, and mercy (but not duty as the servant of the people). Good children are like good pets, crumbs on the floor are enough.
Meanwhile, the parents simply cannot grasp the bad attitude of those ungrateful children who dare question the parents. How can you not be grateful for crumbs on the floor?
There’s a reason why General Prayut forever cries about “I love you / why don’t you love me / you don’t have to love me / but I still love you.”
It is because the family system functions on emotions.
Love, worship, obedience, and gratitude come from the heart. If all the Thai children fall head-over-heal in love with Parent Prayut, then all would be well in the Kingdom.
Then truly, Parent Prayut can do no wrong. Because love is blind, deaf, and makes people dumb.
Senator Kobkul would get what she wants.
There would be discipline because the children would listen and obey without thoughts or questions, regardless of how ridiculous or senseless the order may be. There would be morals because moral is unquestioned obedience. There would be knowledge but only the knowledge controlled by the parents. There would be the right education, which in reality means, “successful indoctrination.”
And all would be well in Family Thailand.
2021-06-30