Burma: monks vs. junta
June 1, 2008 3:20 PM Subscribe
Monks Succeed in Cyclone Relief as Junta Falters. In Burma (Myanmar) the Buddhist monks are doing more than anyone to help the victims of Cyclone Nargis. At the same time, Burmese officials are trying to stem the influence of the monks by forcing survivors who have sought refuge in monasteries to return to their shattered homes. [Via Barbara's Buddhism Blog.]
...casts shame on the Burmese junta's western sponsors
no, it does not.
and that's the problem.
posted by krautland at 4:09 PM on June 1, 2008 [3 favorites]
no, it does not.
and that's the problem.
posted by krautland at 4:09 PM on June 1, 2008 [3 favorites]
Cowardice of Transference: The redirection of blame from the Burmese junta onto its "Western sponsors" is at heart a form of condescending colonialism.
posted by stargell at 7:22 PM on June 1, 2008
posted by stargell at 7:22 PM on June 1, 2008
Monks kicking ass without even using their Shaolin techniques. Exactly how do these dictators think they're going to win against someone who won't fight?
posted by GuyZero at 8:58 PM on June 1, 2008
posted by GuyZero at 8:58 PM on June 1, 2008
It's actually remarkably easy to win against someone who won't fight.
1) Kick the shit out of them. This is easy, because they won't fight.
2) While they believe themselves to have won by demonstrating their moral superiority and your own relative bankruptcy, you have your driver take you home, enjoy a good meal, a cigar and a martini and then sleep with your wife while not giving a good god damn what they think because you can kick the shit out of them whenever you want. Because they won't fight.
See, easy?
You're describing the kind of thinking that leads idealistic college kids to believe that they can stop Bush and Cheney if they make their papier mache puppets just a little more devastatingly sarcastic at the next peace-in. (They were SO close last time.) In the meantime, Bush and Cheney send the lowliest of their flunkies in to belabor these kids heads with sticks and paint mace in their eyes without even bothering to be aware of them except as a vague abstraction on some memo somewhere - about a dozen words to cover every last one of them. And it goes without saying they never even consider for an instant not invading Iraq.
The monks are actually doing something much smarter. They're fighting the fight they can win. If they had tanks, I don't think they'd plant flowers in them and then get together to pray the junta away.
posted by Naberius at 10:04 PM on June 1, 2008 [1 favorite]
1) Kick the shit out of them. This is easy, because they won't fight.
2) While they believe themselves to have won by demonstrating their moral superiority and your own relative bankruptcy, you have your driver take you home, enjoy a good meal, a cigar and a martini and then sleep with your wife while not giving a good god damn what they think because you can kick the shit out of them whenever you want. Because they won't fight.
See, easy?
You're describing the kind of thinking that leads idealistic college kids to believe that they can stop Bush and Cheney if they make their papier mache puppets just a little more devastatingly sarcastic at the next peace-in. (They were SO close last time.) In the meantime, Bush and Cheney send the lowliest of their flunkies in to belabor these kids heads with sticks and paint mace in their eyes without even bothering to be aware of them except as a vague abstraction on some memo somewhere - about a dozen words to cover every last one of them. And it goes without saying they never even consider for an instant not invading Iraq.
The monks are actually doing something much smarter. They're fighting the fight they can win. If they had tanks, I don't think they'd plant flowers in them and then get together to pray the junta away.
posted by Naberius at 10:04 PM on June 1, 2008 [1 favorite]
Meanwhile, monks and nuns in Tibet are still being arrested for protesting the occupation and for opposing the "patriotic re-education" campaign.
posted by homunculus at 10:10 PM on June 1, 2008
posted by homunculus at 10:10 PM on June 1, 2008
1) Kick the shit out of them. This is easy, because they won't fight.
2) While they believe themselves to have won by demonstrating their moral superiority and your own relative bankruptcy, you have your driver take you home, enjoy a good meal, a cigar and a martini and then sleep with your wife while not giving a good god damn what they think because you can kick the shit out of them whenever you want. Because they won't fight.
I think you're missing the point in their refusal to fight. They're MONKS after all, they have spiritual and moral reasons for not using violence to achieve goals.
And what you're saying about "idealistic college kids" sounds short sighted too, I doubt they think a puppet is gonna stop anything. But they're taking some kind of stand, and drawing attention to the issue so give em a break already.
(Not that a little armed revolution against the pigs is necessarily a bad idea)
posted by Liquidwolf at 10:33 PM on June 1, 2008
2) While they believe themselves to have won by demonstrating their moral superiority and your own relative bankruptcy, you have your driver take you home, enjoy a good meal, a cigar and a martini and then sleep with your wife while not giving a good god damn what they think because you can kick the shit out of them whenever you want. Because they won't fight.
I think you're missing the point in their refusal to fight. They're MONKS after all, they have spiritual and moral reasons for not using violence to achieve goals.
And what you're saying about "idealistic college kids" sounds short sighted too, I doubt they think a puppet is gonna stop anything. But they're taking some kind of stand, and drawing attention to the issue so give em a break already.
(Not that a little armed revolution against the pigs is necessarily a bad idea)
posted by Liquidwolf at 10:33 PM on June 1, 2008
From the Pilger article linked above
Dismissing the idiocy of a military intervention in her country, she asked: "What about all those who trade with the generals, who give them many millions of dollars that keep them going?" She was referring to the huge oil and gas companies, Total and Chevron, which effectively hand the regime $2.7bn a year, and the Halliburton company (former chief executive Vice-President Dick Cheney) that backed the construction of the Yadana pipeline, and the British travel companies that send tourists across bridges and roads built with forced labour. Audley Travel promotes its Burma holidays in the Guardian. The BBC, in contravention of its charter, has just bought 75% of Lonely Planet travel guides, a truculent defender of "our" right to be tourists in Burma regardless of slave labour, or cyclones, or the woman beyond the trip-wire. Shame.
posted by adamvasco at 12:17 AM on June 2, 2008 [1 favorite]
Dismissing the idiocy of a military intervention in her country, she asked: "What about all those who trade with the generals, who give them many millions of dollars that keep them going?" She was referring to the huge oil and gas companies, Total and Chevron, which effectively hand the regime $2.7bn a year, and the Halliburton company (former chief executive Vice-President Dick Cheney) that backed the construction of the Yadana pipeline, and the British travel companies that send tourists across bridges and roads built with forced labour. Audley Travel promotes its Burma holidays in the Guardian. The BBC, in contravention of its charter, has just bought 75% of Lonely Planet travel guides, a truculent defender of "our" right to be tourists in Burma regardless of slave labour, or cyclones, or the woman beyond the trip-wire. Shame.
posted by adamvasco at 12:17 AM on June 2, 2008 [1 favorite]
I am really beginning to hate the Junta. If we were going to invade a sovereign nation and remove the leader in power, why couldn't we have done it to them? Oh wait, never mind they were not the 2nd leading oil producing competitor with the sudis. Because we all know it is perfectly ok to invade under propaganda when oil is involved. But God forbid we invade for human rights! Lord knows I hate Bush and these 7 1/2 years he stole from us.......
posted by Mastercheddaar at 7:18 AM on June 2, 2008
posted by Mastercheddaar at 7:18 AM on June 2, 2008
Who's in the Junta? The mysterious generals who run Burma.
posted by homunculus at 11:47 PM on June 2, 2008
posted by homunculus at 11:47 PM on June 2, 2008
Burmese Volunteers Struggle to Bring Aid to Cyclone Survivors
posted by homunculus at 10:35 AM on June 3, 2008
posted by homunculus at 10:35 AM on June 3, 2008
US Navy ships are due to leave Burma's coastline because of the continued refusal of the government to allow them to help victims of Cyclone Nargis.
posted by homunculus at 9:48 AM on June 4, 2008
posted by homunculus at 9:48 AM on June 4, 2008
Burma's most famous comedian has been detained after leading a private effort to deliver aid to cyclone victims.
posted by homunculus at 4:23 PM on June 5, 2008
posted by homunculus at 4:23 PM on June 5, 2008
Myanmar’s government is keeping aid from reaching survivors of Cyclone Nargis and stepping up efforts to force them out of emergency shelters.
posted by homunculus at 6:15 PM on June 5, 2008
posted by homunculus at 6:15 PM on June 5, 2008
As Donors Disappear, Cyclone Survivors Fend for Themselves
The Troops Have Arrived at Last, but Where’s the Aid?
posted by homunculus at 4:26 PM on June 12, 2008
The Troops Have Arrived at Last, but Where’s the Aid?
posted by homunculus at 4:26 PM on June 12, 2008
Buddhism, Politics and Separation of Church and State
posted by homunculus at 4:48 PM on June 14, 2008
posted by homunculus at 4:48 PM on June 14, 2008
UN Appeals for Funding to Keep Burma Aid Helicopters Flying
posted by homunculus at 5:22 PM on June 21, 2008
posted by homunculus at 5:22 PM on June 21, 2008
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posted by homunculus at 3:33 PM on June 1, 2008