And if we are to get over the political melancholy and get the country back on course, we should get the hell out of that mess immediately. The deliberate spin to throw the whole country into a state of fear and anxiety has hit crazy, giddy, effervescent, and irrational heights.

It has become increasingly clear to me that unless we somehow take both Thaksin and the military leaders out of the political equation, we won't begin to shake off the political malaise that has been haunting us both before and after the coup last September. And unless we seriously shrug off the fixation with today's headlines on the bluffing going on between the "old regime" and the current powers-that-be, the country will remain with its head in the sand. Unless we make a serious effort to embark on real political reforms and reclaim our own right of self-determination, we will continue to fall deeper into the trappings of a "failed state".

It doesn't matter how much lobbying and behind-the-scenes manipulating are being injected into the political scene to instigate the sense of "abnormalcy" - or to create the scenarios of Thaksin returning to power - the irreversible fact remains that the ex-premier is facing a series of serious charges related to corruption and abuse of power. The possibility of him making a legitimate comeback - the emphasis here is on "legitimate" - is, by any standard, out of the question.

No amount of bluffing or plea-bargaining will change that fact. The only "honourable" (for want of a more appropriate term) option for Thaksin is to publicly and unconditionally answer all the severe allegations of political and financial wrongdoing that a good segment of the informed public has come to associate with his rule.

At the same time, it should also be clear to all concerned, including the military establishment, that the coup engineers who call themselves the Council of National Security (CNS) are on their way out, with or without pro-Thaksin "anti-military dictatorship" public rallies. The coup-makers are being tolerated only because they declared a self-imposed mission and deadline, and we all expect them to live up to the pledge.

The CNS's performance obviously hasn't been very impressive but that's no excuse for them to overstay their welcome. They too have to be shown the door so that the country can get back on its feet.

In other words, neither Thaksin and his clique nor the CNS leadership have the right to continue to put the country through a vicious torrent of rumours, threats and counter-threats underscored by the very selfish purpose of perpetuating their hold on power.

It's high time we got off this dangerous roller-coaster of political machinations and return the popular mandate to the people by declaring a definite timetable for the constitution referendum and the next general election.

But, let's face it, the post-election prospects won't be ideal - certainly nowhere near the point of satisfying what we would all like to see. Almost without a doubt, "old politics" and "electioneering" will be back. Familiar names in that old despicable political game will re-emerge with a vengeance. Suspicion of the "old regime" paying their "proxies" to exert their own influence in the new political scheme of things will be strong.

The road back to the "normalcy of democratic imperfections" will inevitably be flawed, but that, for all intents and purposes, is the only pragmatic option - the only way to restore the country's standing and the people's self-respect.

That's because the alternative - the ongoing hazardous confrontation - is fraught with too many potential calamities to be acceptable. It's thrust upon us. It's not an option. No matter how you look at it, the current situation is nothing but a cul-de-sac leading us nowhere but a dead-end of disastrous consequences.

Suthichai Yoon