A house divided against itself

At the time of the remarks, deepening hostility between slave and free states was raging through the young nation. The conflict turned into the 1861-1865 Civil War between the northern and southern states. It was the deadliest war in American history, claiming more than 600,000 soldiers' lives and a large number of civilian casualties. Over 10,000 military engagements took place. An enormous amount of the same blood was spilled, brother against brother. The threat of international interference (Britain and France on behalf of the southern Confederacy) also loomed large.

Lincoln's words should serve as a reminder to us in Thailand. History has a tendency to repeat itself, but it does not have to if we are wise enough to catch ourselves before falling into its trap.

It is obvious that our country is at a crossroads, and not all the available options are winning ones. Some Western analysts describe Thailand as being a "political tinderbox".

 "Never before has the country's future seemed as uncertain as it does today," wrote Bertil Lintner - a Swedish journalist based in Thailand and the author of several books on Asia - in the July/August issue of Foreign Affairs. "If the confrontation continues and the economic crisis starts to bite in earnest," concluded Lintner, "Thailand, a country seen as a pillar of economic and political stability in Southeast Asia just a few years ago, could become a textbook example of a democracy's collapse."

Indeed, some people have already put a wager on it happening. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen must be one of them.

In appointing former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra as his and his country's economic adviser, with eyes wide open on Thailand's internal rifts, Hun Sen clearly has put a wager on the one he believes will emerge as the winning horse in this race to calamity - ours. The appointment is in part schadenfreude, his pleasure derived from Thailand's displeasure, and in part a design to ignite our highly flammable situation. Should his winning horse return to power, an added benefit for him would be that the overlapping area may no longer be called "overlapping". He is killing two, three or more birds with one stone. Sadly, by allowing ourselves to play his game, not ours, we keep sending more birds for him to kill, and put ourselves on the back foot.

Some of our own are also putting a wager on our political collapse.

In the interview given to Times Online, it was clear from what Thaksin said and did not say that the endgame is near, and it will pave the way to a new era. Just exactly what this entails was left unspoken but clearly understood. Unavoidably, this era may only come about after a major payback. Peace, some believe, descends only when all your opponents are "neutralised".

Our former prime minister, in the same interview, put the responsibility for unity and reconciliation squarely on the shoulders of His Majesty the King. This is an irresponsible, unfair and myopic statement.

To put the record straight, His Majesty, over the years, has been trying to get it into our DNA that the nation's unity is the most important thing for our future survival and prosperity. But we never heed his words. Contrary to what was implied repeatedly by certain factions, His Majesty would never be bothered by a prime minister whose political party won 19 million ballots and 377 seats in Parliament. His Majesty has walked every inch of this land and touched the lives of his people in so many ways, big and small. He entertains no hidden agenda, only love and compassion for the people. He does not have to give them cash in return for love and respect; he just gives them his best.

There is nothing to compare between the 19 million votes for the Thai Rak Thai Party - which were in no way negative votes against the monarchy - and the much larger number of people who hold His Majesty in the highest regard. He has never been a jealous party, as alluded by some self-serving individuals. He did not cause the vicious conflict in which the country is embroiled. It is not fair to demand that he clean up the mess we ourselves have created.

It started with a group of people who were disturbed at the widespread corruption and abuse of power by politicians in power and the hubris they demonstrated. This turned into a political showdown, resulting in a coup that was poorly planned and executed by the military, which was far from unified. His Majesty did not cause any of this, but he has suffered through it all, perhaps more so than the rest of us, simply because he thinks more highly of us than we do of ourselves.

So, everyone, please stop dragging His Majesty into this dirty fray. It is a clever ploy, but it is unfair and unjustified. If one is sincere and serious about bridging the internal divide, what about ceasing to incite, inflame and exploit the situation for personal and political gain. A ceasefire can only take place when a flag is raised and accepted by all warring factions. His Majesty is not one of these factions.

While Thailand scrambles to find its way, and a way out of its political mire, we are losing the respect of neighbouring countries. We have become a home-alone nation because of the selfishness of all the players in the conflict, who put their interests first and foremost, above those of the country.

In 1812, long before the American Civil War, Abigail Adams (wife of the second US President, John Adams) said to Mercy Otis Warren - America's first female playwright - about her country's political turmoil: "A house divided upon itself - and upon that foundation do our enemies build their hopes of subduing us."

The fall of Ayutthaya in 1767 should provide food for thought.