Former Prime Minister Dept: The phenomenon is worldwide, but its causes differ from country to country. American populism is not the same as Thai populism, according to The Globe and Mail. In Thailand, the rage stems from the perceived neglect of the rural poor by the ruling class, backed by big business, the army and the King. Thaksin Shinawatra, a populist billionaire and former prime minister, appeared to be different. He used some of his vast wealth to shower money on rural areas. Rural people, grateful for his largesse, voted for him twice and the first principle of democracy is that government must be based on popular consent, even if the government is made up of parties for which many people did not vote. It is clear from the worldwide rage against elected governments that this consent is becoming dangerously threadbare. More and more people in democratic countries feel unrepresented, anxious and angry. And they blame the elites. Culture and race play important roles in the United States – the culture of carrying guns, for example, and the discomfort at having a black, Harvard-educated president who talks like a law professor. As
reported in the news.
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@t thaksin shinawatra, first principle
14.5.10
