Nationalism would seem to have no place in the age of globalization. The free movement of goods, capital and people was supposed to make national borders as quaint as sepia-toned photos and dial phones.
And yet, nationalism, or at least its economic version, is proving to be a force to be reckoned with in the early days of this century. Recent examples of the trend have played out in Russia, Venezuela and even Thailand.
The word "even'' is used in regard to Asia's ninth-biggest economy because it has been a globalization darling for years. Even after the dark days of the Asian crisis a decade ago, Thailand opened its economy as widely to foreign executives and investors as it did to tourists.
There's another reason that Thailand's nationalist U-turn is surprising: a lack of oil. While I am not playing down recent political events in Moscow or Caracas, rising prices of crude oil and natural gas have empowered some leaders to turn inward. As such underground treasures swell government coffers, some politicians feel they can blow off globalization.
Can Thailand really do that? What's odd about the military's control of Thailand since Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was overthrown in a Sept. 19 coup is the brand of economic nationalism that appears to have been adopted.
It used to be that nationalism was about helping your people, or blaming the rich for the plight of the poor. In Thailand's case, the ruling junta's efforts to date may hurt all Thais.