“War on Terror” Doesn’t Extend to Burma
According to the dictionary, a terrorist is someone who uses violence and intimidation to achieve political objectives. That sounds a lot like the Burmese military, but no one in our government has labeled them terrorists.
If our country had a nickel for every time the president mentions the War on Terror, we wouldn’t have a budget deficit. But what does it mean? The Burmese people have been terrorized for decades. Their duly elected leader sits in prison and scores of innocent civilians have been massacred in the streets. When peace loving Buddhist monks led pro-democracy demonstrations recently, the Burmese military responded by ransacking the monasteries and beating the monks with canes.
Where is all the tough talk when in comes to the terrorist Burmese generals? It’s pretty clear that the War on Terror is nothing more than a political slogan. It was invented to gain support for an invasion of Iraq, even though Iraq had nothing to do with the 9-11 attacks.
Unlike the Iraqi leaders, Aung San Suu Kyi enjoys widespread support in Burma. She was elected in 1988 by an 80% majority. Of course George Bush did offer this statement about the situation in Burma, which he had his press secretary recite to the media:
“The world is watching the people of Burma take to the streets to demand their freedom, and the American people stand in solidarity with these brave individuals. We feel admiration and compassion for the monks and peaceful protesters calling for democracy. Every civilized nation has a responsibility to stand up for people suffering under a brutal military regime like the one that has ruled Burma for so long. I call on all nations that have influence with the regime to join us in supporting the aspirations of the Burmese people and to tell the Burmese Junta to cease using force on its own people who are peacefully expressing their desire for change. By its own account, the Junta has already killed at least nine non-violent demonstrators, and many others who have been injured and arrested as they seek to express their views peacefully. I urge the Burmese soldiers and police not to use force on their fellow citizens. I call on those who embrace the values of human rights and freedom to support the legitimate demands of the Burmese people.”
Riveting. Mr. Bush, you are right to call on others to support the legitimate demands of the Burmese people, but the Burmese Junta won’t listen to the secretaries and steel workers of America. With all due respect, only one person is Commander in Chief of the most powerful military force in the world.
What do you plan to do to confront these atrocities Mr. President? Perhaps it should be call it the War on Nasty Looking Arab Terrorists that We Can Reference in Political Campaigns to Scare the American People into Voting for Us.
Burma, Myanmar, Burmese Junta, War on Terror, George Bush, Burmese revolution
October 2nd, 2007 at 3:56 pm
It’s good to see someone else is paying attention to Burma, and pointing out that nothing is being done to help. Like I said in a post on my site, we’re apparently too busy with Iraq to pay attention to Burma and defer to China. Burma has no oil, after all.
October 8th, 2007 at 2:06 am
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October 8th, 2007 at 2:30 pm
[...] When you think about it, voting for someone who can convince people to put a cheap, paper sign on their lawn is probably a good way to choose a candidate. It shows an ability to talk regular, clear-thinking individuals into doing stupid and pointless things. If the last 29 years of C-Span have taught us anything, it’s that this is a vital skill in political circles. [...]
May 16th, 2008 at 4:35 am
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