youtube.com, global challenge to the Thai culture

What a challenge it has been for the divine status of the Thai monarchy!

From the Jufer case, the first non-Thai to face prison sentence due to Les-Majeste law, to the blocking of youtube.com.

I'm the big fan of youtube.com, so I followed the news regarding the matters closely.

What I feel is, certainly, the Thai culture has faced the challenges from globalization. Thai culture cannot be viewed as homogenous, unity, bounded. It's more like a continue dialouge between the spread of the global culture and the pre-existing Thai culture.

We have to accept that, up to this point, all the aspect of any culture have to face challenges from different perspectives.

The important question is, therefore, how should we react to any challenge from the global (or, perhaps, Western) cultures that don't hold the same perspective as us.

Much of the Thai government and the Thai elites in the past decided to dealt with the spread of global challenges by "censorship". We must not forget that one there were many books that were perceived as a threat to nation burned.

Now, facing the recent challenges, the Thai government moved to block the website. In my opinion, the block is, however, such an outdated solution to the problem. It only resulted more in curiuosity, and only provoke more challenges.

Thai elite and government should, perhaps, start to realize that "you cannot close people's eyes, ears, and shut people's mouths forever!".

Non-sense

Hi guys,

Since I've an exams coming up, I have decided to randomly waste my time writing things up on my blog again. Before I decided to write this post, I have found that much of the blogs that I have normally visited have been very inactive lately. C'mon guys, I need to read some of your story, update your blog. Well, if you aren't going to update them, let me do mine first.

What a hell boring life I'm having at the moment. I have nothing to do apart from reading for my qualifying exams. The weather has been nice last week (when weather is nice in England, that really means a lot), but I didn't do anything apart from lving in the library. Sometime I talked to myself, "what da hell am I doing here in the library when the skies are so blue".

My second term here has been much better than the first term. The English problem has been overcome, not completely, but to some extent. My social life is better, I got to know more people. And I found housemaids for next year from my course, a bunch of nice european people. My academic performance has also been better, part of it due to an improvement in my English. However, it's still far from reaching a satisfied level.

I'll keep on updating you guys with some more non-sense post in the near future.

computer breakdown, and exam coming up

Hi,I disappeared for a long time. Since after I finished my last essay, I took a week off from work.

However, after I'm back, the disaster happened to my computer. I accidentally spilled some water over it. So it died.

Now, I'm without my computer. So, I won't have that much chance to update this blog. In addition, I will have to prepare for my qualifying exams, which are coming up in April. So, I will take this chance to freeze this blog for at least a month, until I finished my exam.

Sorry, and see you again when the sky is blue.

essay สุดท้ายยยยยยย

โอ้ยๆๆๆๆ ในที่สุดก็มาถึง essay สุดท้ายของเทอมแล้ว

แต่แปลกจัง พอมาถึงอันสุดท้าย มันน่าจะง่ายที่สุด

กลับปรากฏว่า มันยากแฮะ คิดว่ายากพอๆกับอันแรกๆเลย

ที่ยากนี่ไม่ใช่เพราะอะไร เป็นเพราะหมดแรงแล้ว แล้วจิตใจก็ไม่ค่อยอยู่กับเนื้อกับตัว

ตอนแรกเห็นเป็นอันสุดท้ายเลยตั้งเป้าไว้สูงมากๆ กะว่าแบบต้องเลิศสุดๆ

พอเตรียมๆไป โอ้จอร์จ มันหน่วงมากๆๆๆๆ

ตอนนี้เลยติดแหง่กอยู่นี่ล่ะ เมื่อไหร่จะเสร็จฟะเนี่ย....

Message from one of the Constitution Drafting Committee

In "the Nation" today. The Constitution Drafting Committe had a hot debate on whether the non-elected PM would be allowed in the next constitution

The Nation's news is as follows:

..................................

Sriracha Charoenpanich was the main advocate of a non-elected PM being allowed under the new charter, and even Constitution Drafting Committee Chairman Prasong Soonsiri supported the idea, which is a departure from the 1997 constitution.

Sriracha said:

"I don't think I will join the drafting of yet another new charter because it's of no use. We are like trapped rats. If we follow the same old road to failure, I think I should just pack my bags this evening [and leave the drafting process]. I'm not a conduit for the Council of National Security, but if we get the same old result after the election then what problems will this charter solve?

"I don't see your [democratic] ideology as effective. We're like a cart stuck in the same track and Vietnam is about to surpass us. What will you get, talking about democracy?"

..................................

The committee will hold the vote on this issue in April.

Well, what do you think? A non-elected PM!

Anyway! As Khun Sriracha said, they want to aviod going on the same road to failure like 1997 constitution....

So they want to go "back" to....ประชาธิปไตยครึ่งใบ....and perhaps เผด็จการทหาร?

Vietnam is surpassing us.....

"So we should follow Burma's path?"

มหาลัยที่รัก

พอดีเจอ Quote น่าสนใจ

เขาบอกว่า ปี 1840 ชนชั้นสูงของ Brazil ชื่นชอบความเป็นเสรีนิยมมากแต่เป็นแบบ

"endorsing liberalism in principles, but enbracing conservative in practices"

อ่านแล้วขำ รู้สึกเหมือนเคยเจออะไรแบบนี้มาก่อน

มหาลัยที่ชอบบอกว่าตัวเองมีเสรีภาพทุกตารางนิ้วอ่ะ....

Beer Review: Hoegaarden White Beer

อาทิตย์ที่แล้วรีวิว New Castle Brown Ale ไปแล้ว

คราวนี้มาลองรีวิวเบียร์"ขาว"บ้าง

ขึ้นชื่อว่าเบียร์ "ขาว" แล้วมีดีขนาดไหนกัน

Hoegaarden White Beer ครับพี่น้อง



รสชาติ: ออกแนวบางๆ มีกลิ่นผลไม้ปนนิดๆ ประมาณว่าเกือบๆจะเป็นเบียร์ผู้หญิงเลย ตอนไปผับกับเพื่อนอังกฤษก็เห็นพวกผู้หญิงดื่มแต่ยี่ห้อนี้ อืม...คงไม่โดนหาว่ากินเบียร์ที่ผู้หญิงเขากินกันนะ

ราคา: สองปอนด์กว่าๆ แพงพอดู แต่ก็ไม่มากไปกว่ายี่ห้ออื่น

ความแรง:เบามากๆครับ แบบดื่มได้เรื่อยๆไม่แฮ้ง

ดีไซน์: ไม่เคยเห็นเป็นขวดอะ เห็นมีแต่ขายตามผับเป็นเบียร์สด แต่จะมีแก้วของตัวเองเป็นพิเศษ แก้วก็งั้นๆ

ตำนาน: ไม่รู้คับ

เอ่อ ให้คะแนนละกัน ให้ 8.5 เต็มสิบพอ เพราะไม่โหดดุดันดั่งใจ อ่อนโยนนุ่มนิ่มตอนนี้เราไม่ชอบ ไม่เหมาะกับสถานการณ์ออกรบ (ตอนนี้ต้องบิวด์จิตใจหนัก เพราะใกล้สอบแล้ว ไม่มีเวลาอ่อนโยน)


.........................

เอาล่ะ เรื่องเบียร์พอก่อน ตอนนี้ขอถือวิสาสะอัพเดตความเป็นไปให้ชาวบ้านชาวช่องที่ไม่อยากรู้ต้องรู้บ้าง

่อ่า เหลืออีกสองอาทิตย์เองจะปิดภาคเรียนอีกแล้ว

นี่มันมหาลัยไรฟะเนี่ย เรียนสั้นชิบ

นี่ภาษาเพิ่งจะพอนั่่งเม้าท์กับชาวบ้านชาวช่องได้ ก็ปิดเทอมพอดี ว้า....

แต่เปิดเทอมมานี่สิ สอบเลยครับพ้ม สอบนี่ก็โหดจัด คำถามนี่กว้างเป็นมหาสมุทรแปซิฟิครวมกับแอตแลนติก กว้างไม่พอยากอีกตะหาก

.............

วันนี้อยู่ดีๆไปนั่งทำงานกลุ่ม เพื่อนมันก็มา google ชื่อเราเฉยเลย เลยไปเจอรูปที่คณะขึ้นมา ความลับเลยแตกว่าเป็นอาจารย์มาเรียนต่อ...มันแซวใหญ่เลย

เราเลย google มันกลับบ้าง ปรากฏว่าพี่แกเป็นคนดังมาจาก UC Berkeley แบบว่าได้ทุนมาเรียนจากที่นั้นเพราะเก่งจัด บวกเป็นประธานโครงการ NGO ขนาดใหญ่ในปาเลสไตน์ (Google ไปเจอข่าวมันเยอะแยะไปหมด มีรูปคู่ Tony Blair ด้วย)อายุยังไม่เท่าไหร่เลย

ทีนี้เลยลอง google เพื่อนอีกคนดู ก็เจอเป็นคนดังเหมือนกัน เป็น Researcher มาจาก World Bank ที่ D.C. งานในเน็ตเยอะแยะไปหมด

เอ่อ เลยลองหาคนโน้นคนนี้ครับ ปรากฏว่ารู้สึกคอร์สที่เรียนอยู่นี่จะมีแต่พวกเทพๆเยอะ เอ่อ มิน่า...มันฉลาดกัน มีแต่พวก high profile

...............


ว่าแล้วก็ไปเขียน essay ต่อดีกว่า

Beer Review: New Castle Brown Ale

I just had this beer last night!

Well, it's actually not beer, it's ale...but I can't see the different. So let's call it beer (this is a drunk man ignorance).

1) Taste: the taste is very smooth and unique. you can't really feel the biiterness of it. It definitely taste better than all kind of beer I had berfore in Thailand. รสชาติกลมกล่อม ได้ใจมากๆ

2) Design: the bottle size is big. I think the size is comparable to 1 pint of beer, which is really good coz you don't have to buy new bottle often. The design is very nice. The fact that the choose to use clear bottle can possibly cause bad effect for those that don't drink fast. ดื่มช้า ดื่มไม่หมด เห็นหมดเลย

3) Price: I didn't know how much I paid. First time I was in rush, and second time I was เอ่อ.....drunk man ignorance (again)

4) Story: man, there's so many story to tell about this beer. You can find out from

http://www.answers.com/topic/newcastle-brown-ale

5) Effect: since I'm not a คอทองแดง drinker, I think this beer suits me really well. The effect is not so strong. And few hours after you got drunk by this beer, you don't really feel the hangover anymore. Instead, you start to see the beautifulness of this world.....again.

Overall Score: I'm so impressed. I give it 10 out of 10.

wait for the next beer review...probably next Saturday, when I got a chance to free myself from the BLOODY OXFORD'S WORKLOADS again.

Watch this space for the future of Thailand: Hypocrite's Development Policy

After I have been thinking about Thailand's future, something comes up to my mind.

I think the future of Thai's development policy will have the following characteristics;

1) Promoting "cultural values" (of-course, Thai cultural values of Buddhism), and if things continue like this: ความพอเพียง will dominates.

2) Nationalism: รักชาติ คนไทยหรือเปล่า.... ไม่เห็นด้วยกับเราคุณก็ไม่รักชาติ โย่วๆๆๆ, this really support the development policy based on cultural values, moral values, to dominate.

3) Populism: populist policies based on promoting Nationalism and cultural values (don't get confuse by those discourse which say populist policies are only those of Thaksin, I don't see any reason what "เศรษฐกิจพอเพียง" cannot be called "populism", it also uses lot of propraganda to a mobilise support from mass.

......and finally, the most important......

4) Neo-liberalism: Of-course Thai economy in too much integrated with the world economy, we can't stop our journey on "Neo-liberalism" path. Thailand has to continue its liberalisation, relying heavily as ever on the forieign investors.

If four major characteristics of development policy continue, I'd say the future of Thai development can be best described by this word "HYPOCRITE'S".

Think about it like this, we focuses on our cultural values -- to shift our attention from any redistribution policy, from the structural problems of our economy. But liberalise -- to protect the benefits accrues to the middle and upper class.

All I can see, if we have the development policy like this, is the more "inequality", the persistent of "poverty" problems, the "widening gap" between rich and poor.

Sustainable? well, with countinue inequality..sustainability is pretty much in doubt.

Development? can we say these type of policies actually solve any "poverty" problems (poverty, at least, should be the target of any development policy).

I expect that the real effect of these development policy is certainly in doubt. Saying one thing, but actually doing another thing....isn't it "hypocrite's"?

Watch this space for the future of Thailand: Hypocrite's Development Policy!

The Story of My Present Uni: Ox

When I was at TU, there was a widespread motto that has been used like tissue paper, this motto is "I love TU, cause TU teaches me to love people".

Well, as I have moved on, and now founnd myself at the new Uni in England. I'd like to share an interesting motto of this university.

"Oxford University: Where Your Best Isn't Good Enough, Since 1117"



Seriously, no one (apart from a few genious I knew here) is really "good enough" here.

I actually have more story to share about this bloody Uni. -- You know you’re at Oxford if:

1. You’ve ever drunk your coffee while sitting on the toilet – to save time.
2. You’ve heard someone give an academic explanation of how they cooked their food.
3. You’ve ever violated three or more traffic laws per mile during your bike ride to the library – to save time.
4. If you find that aforementioned bike ride to be the most relaxing part of your day.
5. If you read for an hour before you realize your trouser legs are still rolled up from the bike ride.
6. If you’ve ever skipped a lecture to go read for the paper due in a week.
7. If you’ve ever told the librarian the name of the historical figure you’re researching – instead of your own name – when collecting your books.
8. When the most annoying part of your day is the 45 seconds it takes for someone to stomp their wooden-soled boots through the library - as loud as they can.
9. If you dream about your research.
10. If you're more worried about losing your Bod card than your bank card.

Big Quote from Big Guy: Mr.Wenger

If anyone ask me who's my favorite person! The person I adore the most!

Well, you might be surprise, he is not "economist", not "academics", not "Thai".

It's a weird answer, but he is "Arsene Wenger"!!!!!!

This guy is so great! Apart from being a great football manager at great football club, he also has a great attitude.

Recently he gave an interview about his personal life, I got one of an all-time great words that I have ever heard from him.

When he was ask about what has driven him to achieve success, he answered:

"What drives me on is that belief that tomorrow I’ll do things better and be a better person than I am today".

I'm so impressed. By the way, Mr.Wenger got an "economic degree" from a major university in France. An in his works, he always show how an economist would flourish in a real world job.

The Society of High-Morality: Buddhadas Bhikku's Perspective

I got this sequences of Than Buddhadas (ท่านพุทธทาส) quotes from the academic paper that I'm reading for my essay.

It's very interesting, since Than Buddhadas proposed his ideal type of society base on his buddhist ideology. The society which is based on the moral ground, and self-restraint of greed.

It might be the type of society that the present (military-chosen) government try to propose; society based on high morality.

Let's see what Than Buddhadas said (the following phases are quoted indirectly from "Buddhism and the Idea of Human Rights: Resonances and Dissonances" by Perry Schmidt-Leukel, University of Glasgow)

“Liberalism cannot provide a basis for social utility because it promotes selfishness,individual benefits rather than social benefits” (Buddhadäsa 1989).

By viewing Liberalism as incompatible ideology for the morality to flourish, Than Buddhahas refused to endorse liberal democracy as desirable mode of government. Proposing instead the socialism dictatorship mode of government to control people morality.

For Buddhadäsa, true freedom consists in conquering all selfish tendencies. A socialism with dictatorial features, being opposed to the liberal ideal of individual freedom, is therefore more suitable for dealing adequately with the problem of selfishness than liberal democracy (Buddhadäsa 1989).


Than Buddhadas stress on the moral quality of dictatorship, by stated that this dictatorship "must" possess the ten virtue of the king (dhamma raja).

However, it is necessary that the socialist dictator follow the Dharma and manifests—in accordance with the ancient Buddhist ideal of the Dharma-king—the ten virtues of kingship (cf. Buddhadäsa 1989)

“If a good person is the ruler the dictatorial socialism will be good, but a bad person will produce an unacceptable type of socialism.A ruler who embodies the ten royal virtues will be the best kind of socialist dictator”(Buddhadäsa 1989).

With high moral dictator in place, looking after citizen who were able to restaint their self-interest. We finally reached the ideal type of society. The Society of High-Morality.

Such an ideal Buddhist dictator, says Buddhadäsa, will look after his people the way good parents look after their children (Buddhadäsa 1989). He will “promote the common good” and “abolish the evil of private, selfish interest”(Buddhadäsa 1989).

The book quoted here as Buddhadäsa 1989, is "Buddhadäsa (1989). Me and Mine: Selected Essays of Bhikkhu Buddhadäsa. Ed. Donald Swearer. New York: SUNY."

Well, I have no intention to criticise Than Buddhadas's idea.

Just want to reflect on the present propagande of this government to promote the society based on restraint of self-interest, greed, and celebrates high morality. These promotions come together with the process of promoting the appointed prime minister as "possessing high morality".

I know many readers will readily accept that promoting the society with high-morality standard is a good idea, since it's in accordance with Buddhist philosophy. But would you like to live under this type of society: Benevolent Social Dictatorship ?

ขี้เกียจ ขี้โกง ขี้อิจฉา ขี้โม้

This 4s ขี้... were given by much of Thai elites as the reason why our country is undeveloped, or developing slowly (If my memory is correct, Sonthi (Boon..) and Anand (Panya..) is among those lastest who use this rhetoric.

Viewing these "culture" as "anti-development", probe ordinary Thai to think that those fail to leap themselves away from misfortune is those that possess below-standard "ethics of life" (They are ขี้เกียจ ขี้โม้ ขี้โกง...ขาดศีลธรรมในการดำเนินชีวิต).

It's a type of answer which "blame it on themselves for their own misfortune". Yes, viewing the all the development problems of our countries this way, the solution to choose in solving the problem is to help the poor realise that their "ethics" is errorness, and help them to change it.

But is it just themselves to blame for their own misfortunes? Is it just themselves to blame on for their poverty?

This way of viewing Thai poors as causing the problem for themselves is, indeed, one way to "shift our attention from our country structural problems". It lead us to think "there's nothing worng with our inequality", while in fact, anyone born in the lower class will eventually enjoy none of the chances that higer or middle class people are able to enjoy".

People born into rural area will of-course have less chances to received proper education, working in agricultural sector in Thailand will allow them to earn so little that would never make them rich.

So, even with this structural problems, we still try to blame that it's their fault that they are poor, because they don't possess that working ethics, that other Thai richs may manage to possess.

And finally, we are now just trying to change the poor people "ethics of lives", by promoting what we know as "ความพอเพียง". Do you really think this will allow Thailand to eradicates her poverty problem. No "NEVER", it's just the same old style of blaming the poor for their own poverty. With so many structural problems out there, we just leave it for the poor to be responsible for themselves.

For myself, it's such "good-sounded" excuses for in the end, leaving the poors poor.

ทางเลือกที่จะตื่น

เคยดูเดอะเมทริกซ์ภาคแรกไหม?

ตอนพระเอกถูกให้เลือกว่าจะกินยาเม็ดไหนในสองเม็ด เม็ดหนึ่งเพื่อตื่นจากโลกสมมุติที่เดอะเมทริกซ์สร้างขึ้น แล้วพบกับความจริงที่โหดร้ายว่าโลกนั้นถูกครอบงำอยู่โดยเครื่องจักรขนาดยักษ์ กับอีกเม็ดหนึ่งเพื่อกลับไปใช้ชีวิตอย่างสุขสบายต่อไปบนความไม่รู้

คิดไปแล้วมันเหมือนกับทางเลือกที่เราต้องเจอในการเป็นนักวิชาการ หรือการเป็นคนที่ตั้งคำถามมากมายกับสังคม

ในแง่หนึ่งเราอาจไม่ต้องทำงานวิชาการ ไม่ต้องตั้งคำถามก็ได้ แล้วก็ใช้ชีวิตอยู่ต่อไปโดยไม่ต้อง "กลุ้มใจ" กับปัญหาต่างๆในสังคม

แต่ในอีกแง่หนึ่งเราก็เลือกแล้ว ที่จะพยายามไขว่คว้าหาทางทำอะไรสักอย่างให้ไอ้ที่เราเห็นอยู่รอบตัวมันดีขึ้น ยิ่งเรียนไปก็ยิ่งเห็นปัญหาต่างๆมากมาย นู่นก็เป็นปัญหาแบบหนึ่ง นี่ก็เป็นปัญหาอีกแบบหนึ่ง

มันเหมือนเราเลือกที่จะกินยา แล้วตื่นขึ้นมาพบความจริงที่โหดร้ายแบบในเดอะเมทริกซ์

อาจจะต่างกันตรงที่เรา (ผู้เขียน) หล่อน้อยกว่าคีนูนิดนึง แล้วก็ไม่ใช่เดอะวัน แต่เอาเถอะ นั่นไม่ใช่ประเด็น

ประเด็นคือ สงสัยเป็นหน้าที่ที่เราเลือกแล้ว (ว่ะ) ที่จะต้องตื่นจากมายาคติ และทรมานกับความเป็นจริง

Thaksinomics V.S. Sufficiency Economy

News from Bangkok Post Website:

The Council for National Security (CNS) is asking academics to write reports on the sufficiency economy to prove to the international community that the theory suits Thailand and the world. CNS spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd said the council wants academics to look objectively at the principles of the sufficiency economy, an initiative of His Majesty the King, before presenting recommendations.

''We want to increase both Thai and foreign confidence in the government's economic policy,'' said Col Sansern.

The CNS move is in response to recent articles about Thailand's economic policies in three international publications _ Asian Wall Street Journal, The Economist and Newsweek.

The articles compare the economic policies of the ousted Thaksin Shinawatra administration with those of the interim government. The articles all say the international community had more confidence in so-called Thaksinomics _ Mr Thaksin's economic policies _ than in sufficiency policies.

The writers said Mr Thaksin's approach was more in line with world capitalism and had been proven appropriate for international development, while the sufficiency economy has not yet been accepted by some economists.

Col Sansern said the CNS suspects Mr Thaksin, who has hired an influential US-based lobbyist and public relations firm to promote his international activities, was behind the publication of those articles.

A sufficiency economy does not conflict with the world's capitalist-based economic system, said Col Sansern.

Instead, the two principles complement each other, he said

Cummon!

Now it has become Thaksin V.S. King's Theory

While, CNS urged Thai academics to provide support for sufficiency economy, their argument that those criticism of sufficiency economy from international perspecives were financed by Thaksin is "useless".

This debate on "sufficiency economy" will never yield any insight, unless we stop taking it as "royal theory". When the fact that "who said it" is more important than "its substance", don't expect any valuable debate. It is ended from the start.

Paradox of the Modern Nation-State

I read this idea of Ben Anderson, which I think is very interesting - especially for the Thai case.

Paradox of the Modern Nation-State: While the modern nation-state is a new construct (by nationalism idea, by the political elites), the effort to create it is to make it old in history.

Interestingly, with our history textbooks uses in Thai schools, how many Thais would know that our nation-state is a modern construction?

Seems like a perfect explanation for Thai understanding of history, is it?

A Lonely Night with Czech's Beer and Textbooks

Man!

What a Night!



Anyway, Czech's Beer is in fact, GREAT!

ฉันมีค่าแค่ไหน?

ท่ามกลางกระบวนการร่างรัฐธรรมนูญใหม่ (ฉบับ คมช.)

ขอมอบเพลงนี้ให้กับประชาชนชาวไทย...ด้วยความเคารพ



ถ้าคนอย่างฉันตาย...จากไป

เธอเศร้าใจรึเปล่า?

หนึ่งคนที่ข้างเธอ...ยามเหงา

มัน "มีค่าสักแค่ไหน"...สำหรับเธอ?




คลิกเพื่อฟังและร่วมร้องเพลงนี้ในเวอร์ชั่นคาราโอเกะ

...เพื่อไว้อาลัยให้ประชาธิปไตยไทย

ได้ที่ "กระต่ายน้อย Music&Videos" ทางขวาครับ

ถ้าให้ดี เปิดหน้าต่างใหม่ ฟังเพลงไป ดูรูปในโพสนี้ไป จะได้อารมณ์มาก!

ธรรมศาสตร์

ปรีดี พนมยงค์ (ก่อตั้งมหาวิทยาลัยวิชาธรรมศาสตร์และการเมือง พ.ศ.2477)



"มหาวิทยาลัยทำหน้าที่ประดุจ “บ่อน้ำ” ที่คอยดับความกระหายของราษฎร ซึ่งแสวงหาความรู้ในทางสังคมการเมือง"

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น้ำดื่มโดม (ปัจจุบัน)



ราคา 5 บาท

ขวดกระทัดรัด กิ๊บเก๋ ประดับสัญลักษณ์พระราชทานยูงทอง

หาดื่มได้ทั่วไปในธรรมศาสตร์เพื่อดับกระหาย (หิวน้ำ) และซึมซับ "ความรักประชาชน"

ป.ล.ดื่มเสร็จแล้วโดดเรียนไปชอปปิ๊งพารากอนกันนะ

Happiness as an Evaluative Space for Development?

As we all know, "happiness" has been proposed by some of the Thai elites and academics to be our alternative goal of development. Gross National Happiness (GNH) has attracted wide range of interests, it has became a very fashionable term. Today I have Amartya Sen's reflection on this issue for you to read.

First of all, let me tell you that happiness is not a new concept in economics. It's actually always there, inherented in the term "utility", i.e. the mental satisfaction derived from something. So when you heard about happiness as an indicator of well-being, please don't say it's a new thing.

Ironically, as some country like Bhutan want to use Gross National Happiness as their goal of development, it also means that they want to use Gross National Utility as their development objective. And as economic theory normally argues that level of utility a person achieves depends on the amount of consumption (as constrainted by income) he or she gets, it doesn't really make a big different between using GNH or GDP. It's just the same thing.

Alright, let's now arrive at Sen's comment on the use of happiness (or utility) as an evalative space for development.

Sen has stated this in his book "Inequality Rexamined" (Page 6-7):

"This way of seeing individual advantage is particularly limiting in the presence of entrenced inequality. In situation of persisitent adversity or deprivation, the victims do not go on grieving and grumbing all the time, and may even lack the motivation to desire a radical change of circumstances. Indeed, in terms of a strategy for living, it may make a lot of sense to come to terms with an ineradicable adversity, to try to appreciate small breaks, and to resist pinning for the impossible or the improbable."

"Such a person, even though thoroughly deprived and confined to a very reduced life, may not appear to be quite so badly off in terms of the mental metric of desire and its fulfillment, and in terms of the pleasure-pain calculus. The extent a person's deprivation may be substantially muffled in the utility (happiness) matric, despite the fact that he or she may lack the opportunity even to be adequately nourished, decently clothed, minimally educated, or probably shletered."

Alright, in his book, Sen went from this to proposed "capability approach" as an evaluative space for development.

For those that have been attracted to the idea of GNH, I hope this quote might reflects on something. GNH, first of all, is a very bad evaluative space for inequality (as Sen argue above). Second, it's bad in the same way as using income or commodities (GDP) to evaluate development (since income or comodities reflect utility, which is the term for happiness).

Well, in the end, some other theory (a.k.a. sufficiency economy) that also relied on the argument of "development as happiness" will have to be reconsidered. Especially, since it try, not only to put happiness as an evaluative space (which, as explained, goes against idea of equality or justice), but also proposed that people have to adjust their calculus of happiness, to reach the point where they can be happy easily. It's more than "not caring on inequality", proposing instead the "rigid form of inequality".

Any development practitioners and academics in Thailand, please come out from this fantasy and face the truth. Don't you agree that inequality is a big problem for Thailand?