Losing face

Honestly, the world's financial system is crumbling and countries of the South are regressing in meeting Millennium Development Goals as people who were being lifted out of poverty are being thrown right back in and a repeat of late-90s IMF economies is a near reality - but all of this made very little news of late compared to the PAD rallies (for once, politics became more newsworthy than the economy, too bad it was the politics of idiots!) and now in true Thai fashion we must discuss economic failure in a way that impacts everyone the way it is supposed to - by discussing reputation!

Thailand may "lose face" and investor confidence if it fails to sign international agreements at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit in Chiang Mai next month, a senior trade official warned.
...

"Thailand is having two kinds of problems - economic and political - that have impacts on the business sector," he said. "We hope the conflicts and issues can be settled peacefully, so the Thai economic situation can start to improve."

Yo Jitsukata, vice-president of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce in Bangkok, said the protests are damaging Thailand's image as a democratic country. "This kind of political confusion degrades Thailand's reputation," said Mr Jitsukata, also president of Marubeni (Thailand). [Link]

Only now Thailand's reputation as a democratic country is being damaged? A coup in 2006 didn't do it for ya? 3 Prime Ministers in one year didn't make you think "well hang on now..."? But today, after video footage of guns and crazy yellow shirts, today we have decided that we should be slightly embarrassed about ourselves and perhaps this has gone on slightly too long. Now, suddenly, we have integrity and it is with this integrity we would like to shift our attention to the economy. For our faces must be saved, lest they be lost.