When power turns against the people instead of learning from or working with them, it loses both wisdom and legitimacy.

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🏰 Historical Context

Centuries ago, during the decline of the Khmer Empire, emerging Thai polities such as Sukhothai and later Ayutthaya expanded their influence. Historical accounts suggest that these expansions often succeeded not merely through military might, but through strategic alliances with local populations—winning support from Khmer communities who were dissatisfied with their rulers.
This method reflected a political intelligence: rather than crushing the people, the Thai leaders undermined the empire’s centralized power by isolating the ruling class from the governed.

Present Dynamics

“The current Thai is attacking the people instead of focusing on the rulers.”

This expresses a shift from strategic engagement to punitive suppression. It implies that instead of distinguishing between rulers (as decision-makers) and citizens (as victims or bystanders), modern power structures or military actions target the vulnerable population—villagers, migrants, or border communities—those least responsible for political tensions.

Deeper Meaning

Philosophically, this shift reveals a moral and strategic decay:

Morally, it reflects the loss of ethical restraint—the principle that civilians should not bear the cost of political rivalry.

Strategically, it shows a failure to understand the root of legitimacy. Power built on fear or harm to the people breeds resentment, not loyalty.

Historically, it inverts the old wisdom: what once led to victory (working with people) is replaced by what ensures perpetual conflict (oppressing them).

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