Comments on: Burma Update: Monks Dying for Freedom http://firedoglake.com/2007/10/02/burma-update-monks-dying-for-freedom/ Firedoglake weblog Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:49:38 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: kovie http://firedoglake.com/2007/10/02/burma-update-monks-dying-for-freedom/#comment-1011088 kovie Wed, 03 Oct 2007 10:03:42 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2007/10/02/burma-update-monks-dying-for-freedom/#comment-1011088 <p>So I guess that we’ll have to wait another 15 years for the next GOP administration to use this massacre as an excuse to invade Burma for reasons that have nothing to do with it. So much for Mr. Bush’s humanitarian-based excuse for invading Iraq and toppling Saddam for being an “evil dictator”. Of course, it was BS all along and anyone with a brain knew it. But it still bears repeating. We invaded Iraq for the same reasons that we’re not taking action against the thugs who run Burma and Sudan–oil.</p> <p>Man, what a dozen or so cruise missles could do right now against the mansions and palaces in which these scumbags live and work. Of course, that will never happen. And China eagerly looks forward to the Olympics.</p> <p>Whatever happened to “Never Again”? How do all the people who attend and get feted at glitzy humanitarian award ceremonies and balls live with themselves when this sort of thing happens right underneath their noses and they do nothing about it? Where is Bush on this? Where are the Dems and Repubs on this? Why is the UN not holding an emergency session on this? Why are Burma’s borders not being sealed by the US Navy and Special Forces? Whatever happened to all their claims of our being a force for good in the world?</p> <p>It’s all for shit. And hundreds if not thousands of Burmese monks are being killed because the world will do nothing.</p> <p>But Britney lost custody of her kids and Hillary took in $27 million, so I guess all is ok in the world.</p> So I guess that we’ll have to wait another 15 years for the next GOP administration to use this massacre as an excuse to invade Burma for reasons that have nothing to do with it. So much for Mr. Bush’s humanitarian-based excuse for invading Iraq and toppling Saddam for being an “evil dictator”. Of course, it was BS all along and anyone with a brain knew it. But it still bears repeating. We invaded Iraq for the same reasons that we’re not taking action against the thugs who run Burma and Sudan–oil.

Man, what a dozen or so cruise missles could do right now against the mansions and palaces in which these scumbags live and work. Of course, that will never happen. And China eagerly looks forward to the Olympics.

Whatever happened to “Never Again”? How do all the people who attend and get feted at glitzy humanitarian award ceremonies and balls live with themselves when this sort of thing happens right underneath their noses and they do nothing about it? Where is Bush on this? Where are the Dems and Repubs on this? Why is the UN not holding an emergency session on this? Why are Burma’s borders not being sealed by the US Navy and Special Forces? Whatever happened to all their claims of our being a force for good in the world?

It’s all for shit. And hundreds if not thousands of Burmese monks are being killed because the world will do nothing.

But Britney lost custody of her kids and Hillary took in $27 million, so I guess all is ok in the world.

]]> By: rustbelt girl http://firedoglake.com/2007/10/02/burma-update-monks-dying-for-freedom/#comment-1010848 rustbelt girl Wed, 03 Oct 2007 05:08:33 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2007/10/02/burma-update-monks-dying-for-freedom/#comment-1010848 <p>just thought i’d make sure it was clear that the people being hunted by the burmese military in that video are karen, an ethnic minority. like many regimes, the burmese have taken advantage of the bush administration’s labeling people they don’t like, “terrorists” to get rid of people they don’t like. ethnic minorities and traditional peoples are at particular risk. and, assuming the burmese junta’s genocidal plans to pan out, the karen still might be driven to surviving by raising opium poppies again.</p> just thought i’d make sure it was clear that the people being hunted by the burmese military in that video are karen, an ethnic minority. like many regimes, the burmese have taken advantage of the bush administration’s labeling people they don’t like, “terrorists” to get rid of people they don’t like. ethnic minorities and traditional peoples are at particular risk. and, assuming the burmese junta’s genocidal plans to pan out, the karen still might be driven to surviving by raising opium poppies again.

]]> By: Wordsmith http://firedoglake.com/2007/10/02/burma-update-monks-dying-for-freedom/#comment-1010642 Wordsmith Wed, 03 Oct 2007 03:53:55 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2007/10/02/burma-update-monks-dying-for-freedom/#comment-1010642 <p>Also - You Tube has video of the marriage of Gen. Than’s daughter getting married. Un-fucking-believable. The country’s people are barely getting by and this is how the money is spent.</p> Also – You Tube has video of the marriage of Gen. Than’s daughter getting married. Un-fucking-believable. The country’s people are barely getting by and this is how the money is spent.

]]> By: Wordsmith http://firedoglake.com/2007/10/02/burma-update-monks-dying-for-freedom/#comment-1010594 Wordsmith Wed, 03 Oct 2007 03:39:47 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2007/10/02/burma-update-monks-dying-for-freedom/#comment-1010594 <p><a href="#comment-1010066"><em>TeddySanFran @ 21</em></a></p> <blockquote><p><a href="#comment-1010048"><em>mack @ 8</em></a></p> <blockquote><p>Is there oil?<br /> Nope<br /> Are the oppressed Christian?<br /> Nope<br /> It will be another 10 years before the UN (and the US) commit there.<br /> Same as Bosnia.</p></blockquote> <p>There’s lotsa oil, but it’s spoken for. By China, our happy lender whom we cannot piss off.</p></blockquote> <p>There’s plenty of natural resources in Burma. Natural gas for instance, who’s getting that? Thailand, for one.</p> TeddySanFran @ 21

mack @ 8

Is there oil?
Nope
Are the oppressed Christian?
Nope
It will be another 10 years before the UN (and the US) commit there.
Same as Bosnia.

There’s lotsa oil, but it’s spoken for. By China, our happy lender whom we cannot piss off.

There’s plenty of natural resources in Burma. Natural gas for instance, who’s getting that? Thailand, for one.

]]> By: Kathryn in MA http://firedoglake.com/2007/10/02/burma-update-monks-dying-for-freedom/#comment-1010334 Kathryn in MA Wed, 03 Oct 2007 02:08:28 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2007/10/02/burma-update-monks-dying-for-freedom/#comment-1010334 <p><a href="#comment-1010039"><em>LS @ 4</em></a></p> <blockquote><p>Om Mani Padme Hum</p></blockquote> <p>Om Mani Padme Hummmm</p> LS @ 4

Om Mani Padme Hum

Om Mani Padme Hummmm

]]> By: newtonusr http://firedoglake.com/2007/10/02/burma-update-monks-dying-for-freedom/#comment-1010107 newtonusr Wed, 03 Oct 2007 00:12:34 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2007/10/02/burma-update-monks-dying-for-freedom/#comment-1010107 <p><a href="#comment-1010103"><em>dmac @ 46</em></a></p> <blockquote><p>mack says: </p> <p> October 2nd, 2007 at 4:12 pm </p> <p>Is there oil?<br /> Nope<br /> Are the oppressed Christian?<br /> Nope<br /> It will be another 10 years before the UN (and the US) commit there.<br /> Same as Bosnia.</p> <p>they-ha_e-other-resour_es-that-_hi_a-wa_ts-a_d-i_dia</p></blockquote> <p>dmac-send email to<br /> mactech<br /> at<br /> astreet<br /> dot<br /> com.<br /> I have a keyboard for you.</p> dmac @ 46

mack says:

October 2nd, 2007 at 4:12 pm

Is there oil?
Nope
Are the oppressed Christian?
Nope
It will be another 10 years before the UN (and the US) commit there.
Same as Bosnia.

they-ha_e-other-resour_es-that-_hi_a-wa_ts-a_d-i_dia

dmac-send email to
mactech
at
astreet
dot
com.
I have a keyboard for you.

]]> By: juslin http://firedoglake.com/2007/10/02/burma-update-monks-dying-for-freedom/#comment-1010105 juslin Wed, 03 Oct 2007 00:11:37 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2007/10/02/burma-update-monks-dying-for-freedom/#comment-1010105 <p>bushco condemning burma/myanmar rings a bit hollow to my sensitive ears….his hands are so bloodied with the needless deaths of iraqis and our soldiers from a war of choice…and btw….where’s osama bin forgotten?</p> bushco condemning burma/myanmar rings a bit hollow to my sensitive ears….his hands are so bloodied with the needless deaths of iraqis and our soldiers from a war of choice…and btw….where’s osama bin forgotten?

]]> By: dmac http://firedoglake.com/2007/10/02/burma-update-monks-dying-for-freedom/#comment-1010103 dmac Wed, 03 Oct 2007 00:10:24 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2007/10/02/burma-update-monks-dying-for-freedom/#comment-1010103 <p>mack says: </p> <p> October 2nd, 2007 at 4:12 pm </p> <p>Is there oil?<br /> Nope<br /> Are the oppressed Christian?<br /> Nope<br /> It will be another 10 years before the UN (and the US) commit there.<br /> Same as Bosnia.</p> <p>they-ha_e-other-resour_es-that-_hi_a-wa_ts-a_d-i_dia</p> mack says:

October 2nd, 2007 at 4:12 pm

Is there oil?
Nope
Are the oppressed Christian?
Nope
It will be another 10 years before the UN (and the US) commit there.
Same as Bosnia.

they-ha_e-other-resour_es-that-_hi_a-wa_ts-a_d-i_dia

]]> By: carolyn urban http://firedoglake.com/2007/10/02/burma-update-monks-dying-for-freedom/#comment-1010101 carolyn urban Wed, 03 Oct 2007 00:08:10 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2007/10/02/burma-update-monks-dying-for-freedom/#comment-1010101 <p>Oh my god. So horrific.</p> Oh my god. So horrific.

]]> By: Valley Girl http://firedoglake.com/2007/10/02/burma-update-monks-dying-for-freedom/#comment-1010100 Valley Girl Wed, 03 Oct 2007 00:06:04 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2007/10/02/burma-update-monks-dying-for-freedom/#comment-1010100 <p>To add a bit of perspective, Burma was a repressive police state even before the military junta in 1988. I was there in 1986, and had the chance to have a few clandestine conversations. The friend I was traveling with almost did not get a visa (1 week visa only choice) because she said she was a writer. Every currency exchange was monitored. There were 3 airplanes in the whole of “Air Burma”, and they looked like broken down PSA jets. (One crashed 3 mos. later). </p> <p>We stayed in Rangoon for a few days, and then went to the airport to try to fly to Mandalay. We were told that we would get on whatever flight they told us to get on. It was not to Mandalay. The only “official” tours were tightly controlled, irrc in cooperation with a Russian agency. The atmosphere, at least seen as a visitor, was one of fear and repression.</p> <p>And that was BEFORE the military junta. Thus, I cannot even begin to imagine how terrible life has been for the Burmese people since. Only that the courage shown in the recent uprising is beyond what you or I, living here in the US, can probably even imagine.</p> To add a bit of perspective, Burma was a repressive police state even before the military junta in 1988. I was there in 1986, and had the chance to have a few clandestine conversations. The friend I was traveling with almost did not get a visa (1 week visa only choice) because she said she was a writer. Every currency exchange was monitored. There were 3 airplanes in the whole of “Air Burma”, and they looked like broken down PSA jets. (One crashed 3 mos. later).

We stayed in Rangoon for a few days, and then went to the airport to try to fly to Mandalay. We were told that we would get on whatever flight they told us to get on. It was not to Mandalay. The only “official” tours were tightly controlled, irrc in cooperation with a Russian agency. The atmosphere, at least seen as a visitor, was one of fear and repression.

And that was BEFORE the military junta. Thus, I cannot even begin to imagine how terrible life has been for the Burmese people since. Only that the courage shown in the recent uprising is beyond what you or I, living here in the US, can probably even imagine.

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