The disconnect between the mainstream media and the red shirts has become even starker after the February 26 court ruling on former PM Thaksin Shinawatra's so-called ill-gotten wealth, leading to the seizure of Bt46 billion of his assets.

Many are wondering why the red shirts seem so unwilling to accept the verdict and abandon their "hero".

Picking out a single factor behind this loyalty would most likely lead to an inadequate understanding of the red-shirt movement. Here are just some of the many things behind the discontent:

There's too much face, money, ego and power at stake

Thaksin and his cronies constitute a large and influential political group. A lot is at stake and that's probably why unconfirmed reports are emerging that MPs from the pro-Thaksin Pheu Thai Party are handing out to red shirts among their constituents and that some are even paying people to attend the rallies.

The lesser of two evils logic

On the day of the verdict, some red shirts told this writer that even though Thaksin was corrupt, he had done more for the people, especially the rural poor, than any other prime minister in modern Thai history. In comparison, the yellow-shirt People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) has chosen to accept the September 19, 2006 coup, sees the old-elite rule as legitimate and cites Thaksin as the worst leader.

The logic of double standards

This issue is almost totally ignored by most of the mainstream mass media. However, it has been the main reason for the red shirts to go out and protest. That's why the mass rally scheduled for next week onward is called the "People's War against the Elite". Besides, the fact that virtually nobody in the mainstream media has questioned the legitimacy of the process, that began with the 2006 coup and ended up with last Friday's verdict, is making the red shirts see red.

Despite endless attacks on the old elite through the red-shirt media and rallies, the mass media is still unwilling to accept one obvious fact - there is more to the crisis than just Thaksin.

Thaksin, a corrupt politician for the educated middle class, is also a mirror that reminds the poor and less-educated red shirts that their political voice and electoral choice is only valid as long as the middle class and the elite concur.

Therefore, Thaksin's rise in 2001 was fine because the middle-class thought he was good. But, when the poor persisted on continuing to vote for Thaksin, despite the resistance from the middle and the elite classes, the votes were disregarded and even annulled through a military coup.

The red shirts are also wondering if the old elite is being subjected to the same scrutiny as Thaksin. Sadly, the answer is a resounding no.

Being part of a large family

After years of struggle, the bonding is so strong that the red shirts are willing to accept Thaksin and other comrades the way they are - despite all their faults.

Struggle for equality

Rhetoric or not, the so-called progressive elements within the red-shirt movement appear to be totally consumed by this idea and have always longed for a "historic" class struggle. Like Surachai Sae Darn, a leader of the red shirts' left-wing group Daeng Siam, said on stage at Sanam Luang late Friday night after the verdict: "They have turned Thaksin the big capitalist into Thaksin the revolutionary."

People may laugh at this, but enough "progressive" red shirts are betting on Thaksin.