December 15, 2005
Letter to the editor of the Nation
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published on December 15, 2005
Pointing out society’s shortcomings can be done without stereotyping
Re: “Thaksin alone is not powerful enough to cause society’s ills”, Letters, December 13.
I concur that it is certainly short-sighted and shallow to blame one person for all of society’s ills. However, I have not gotten the impression that anyone – let alone everyone – is doing so, as Frank G Anderson suggests. Naturally, Thaksin, as prime minister and head of the Thai Rak Thai Party, will be the focus of most of the attacks. This does not mean, however, that anyone truly believes he is the spawn of evil in Thai society.
The author turns around and blames everything on Thai society. However, by calling Thai society “unethical, selfish and greedy”, the only thing the author really highlights is his own patronising attitude towards Thais. First, he believes that Thais have all been duped en masse into believing that one man can somehow be the root of all ills. Second, by highlighting that everyone is to blame – “teachers, students, politicians, monks, community leaders and followers” – he has managed to stereotype an entire nation.
Does the author not also, as he put it, “blame everyone else for [his] problems”? I am suggesting that stereotyping is discriminatory, and that in itself is a problem. Is this patronising attitude of the author truly the fault of the citizens of Thailand?
He also refers to Thais as being short-sighted by nature and that this attitude is what causes society’s ills. Perhaps it has not occurred to the author from his perch that he, too, is a member of society as long as he resides in Thailand.
Valisa
Bangkok
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