New Mandala readers who can’t get enough on the place of “sufficiency” in this new era of Thai military rule will be interested in an article that Shawn Crispin has put together for Asia Times Online. In one section, Crispin writes:

Now, the country’s new military leaders are invoking the monarch’s message to help reconcile the political damage and economic distortions caused by ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s five years of divisive and some say morally corrupt rule. Yet it’s unclear exactly how much emphasis the country’s new leaders will place on the contrarian philosophy, which sends an inherently protectionist message.

The article provides a good summary of the place of “self-sufficiency” in the current context and offers some handy speculation on future directions. New Mandala will continue to follow this crucial rhetorical and practical issue. Reader comments and contributions to this debate are warmly welcomed.