{"version":"1.0","provider_name":"Mark S. Cogan","provider_url":"https:\/\/markscogan.com","author_name":"Mark Cogan","author_url":"https:\/\/markscogan.com\/index.php\/author\/polisci03\/","title":"Pita Touches the \u201cThird Rail\u201d of Thai Politics &#8211; Mark S. Cogan","type":"rich","width":600,"height":338,"html":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"Hp7eLxadb0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/markscogan.com\/index.php\/2023\/07\/21\/pita-touches-the-third-rail-of-thai-politics\/\">Pita Touches the \u201cThird Rail\u201d of Thai Politics<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/markscogan.com\/index.php\/2023\/07\/21\/pita-touches-the-third-rail-of-thai-politics\/embed\/#?secret=Hp7eLxadb0\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" title=\"&#8220;Pita Touches the \u201cThird Rail\u201d of Thai Politics&#8221; &#8212; Mark S. Cogan\" data-secret=\"Hp7eLxadb0\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n\/* <![CDATA[ *\/\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/markscogan.com\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n\/* ]]> *\/\n<\/script>\n","thumbnail_url":"http:\/\/markscogan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Pita.jpg","thumbnail_width":970,"thumbnail_height":466,"description":"If you touch it, you die. That\u2019s the supposed result for politicians who confront highly contentious issues. Likened to grasping the \u201cthird rail,\u201d the one that provides the electricity that powers a train or subway, the result is political suicide\u2014at least that was the metaphor attributed to U.S. House Speaker Thomas \u201cTip\u201d O\u2019Neill when discussing the topic of Social Security in the early 1980s, as any politician attempting to reform the largest social safety net for retired American workers would later cost them their political careers at the ballot box. Pita Limjaroenrat, the prime ministerial candidate of the progressive Move Forward Party, which upset Thailand\u2019s conservative military-backed parties in the May 14 election, also touched on a sensitive national issue:\u00a0l\u00e8se-majest\u00e9."}