Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Impatient Democracies
Countries look to the current relative stability of the US and cite the constitution as the source of that stability. However, the US went through many trials and tribulations in its formative years - a fact many new democracies seem to ignore. The revolution of 1800, the first time a new political party took control of the Presidency, was a revolution only because the transfer of power it was peaceful.
In Thailand, citizens were tired of coalition politics. They started to feel the pangs of legislative corruption that powerful parties foster. They began to cringe under the centralizing power of a strong central Prime Minister and they immediately and violently react against these as well as quickly as they had rejected coalition politics. What they don't realize is that a country must find a balance of the good and bad in any political system. No perfect government exists. If they are looking to America to find a better constitutional system they are missing the fact that there is also American corruption and presidential power grabs.
Furthermore, by resigning the Prime Minister of Thailand is only perpetuating a destructive cycle for democracy there. 100,000 people showed up to protest the Prime Minister's seemingly oppressive consolidation of power, but 16 million voted for him in a referendum election. In America we have an effective, stable government even though only about 50% of voters voted for Bush. This administration, no matter how much Americans may complain, is stable. Even with approval ratings in the low 30s, Bush can hold America steady (similarly, British PM Tony Blair's approval ratings are in the toilet, but the labour party maintains a strong and united front, keeping English government intact and stable). In Thailand 57% (a huge majority by American standards) voted for him. By succumbing to a substantial, but not prohibitive protest movement, The Thai Prime Minister is only weakening Thai faith in democratic governance. More recall votes makes government weaker - an unpopular president or PM in office does not.
