It appears as though the honeymoon, such as it was, is being shelved for now. People seem intent on choosing sides, intent on declaring the red or yellow nature of their souls.
And people such as I, who as artists tend to zero in on moral ambiguity, and to hold that mirror up to the world, will tend to be forced into pigeonholes not of our own making.
Yesterday my dear mama called me to tell me that I had been singled out for criticism on the red-shirt channel by no less a figure than the leader of this country. I haven't seen this footage, but if true it would certainly be a sad case of curing the symptom rather than the disease.
However, no one has dragged me off to the gulag as yet, so I'll continue to call it as I see it.
This morning, the papers are full of the announcement that the cabinet has withdrawn its special amnesty paper which would have made a mockery of the annual royal birthday amnesty by creating Thaksin-specific rules. This could mean many things, depending on the level of paranoia one wishes to imbue it with. Here are three possible theories:
(a) They decided to put the interests of the country first for a change. (the Polyanna theory)
(b) The entire thing was a cleverly calculated mini-drama staged in order to have an excuse for Thaksin to address the nation in tones of piety and humility (his letter saying he wouldn't "accept" a royal pardon) and indeed, the yellow-shirts played into their hands by immediately planning a rally, then, humiliatingly, having to un-plan it. (The Machiavelli theory)
(c) They read my blog regularly and do whatever I tell them. (The fantasy theory.)
Of course (c) is essentially flippant but opinion has been clearly divided between (a) and (b). There is also the dumb luck theory: that everyone bungled it and the Thaksinites just happen to benefit ... which is conceivable, though unlikely. I don't believe the Thaksinite management, well-fueled and expensively advised as it is, misses much.
Examining the cynicism which seems to motivate all sides of this war to achieve control over "all this" is very discouraging.
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