The day Burma was silenced

[mikesilvia]

As Americans we take for granted the freedoms we have. People complain about wire tapping and the Patriot Act. Yesterday, a major crackdown on Burma occurred with thousands likely dead or in prison because they took to the streets and protested.

Burma’s generals silenced the Buddhist monks yesterday morning.

For a week and a half, the monks had been on the streets of Rangoon in their tens of thousands, and their angry calm gave courage to the people around them.

But overnight, they were beaten, shot and arrested, and locked in their monasteries. Handfuls of them emerged yesterday – two or three brave individuals, a dozen at most – but nothing to approach the mass marches of the previous nine days. Everyone felt their absence.

You could see it in the faces of the civilian demonstrators who took to the streets anyway, in defiance of the official warnings.

Full story here.

A Japanese journalist was also fatally shot, video of the news story here.

[11chaos]

Mike,
This makes me sick. Yet we will sit here and do nothing because we have no monetary interest there. Another thing that is wrong with the world. I did see the footage on the Japanese reporter getting shot. The Generals have said that the reporter was caught in a crossfire. Sickening.

[mikesilvia]

One problem I have with both political parties is the way we weaken our Presidents in times of war or times we need them to act.

For instance, when Ronald Regan was in power Democrats tried to place a "nuclear freeze" on building new nukes so we didn't anger the Soviets. Republicans destroyed Clinton after the Lewinsky scandal and I think made him too scared to act against Osama and terrorism around the world. Today, Democrats have weakened President Bush on Iraq that he can not act against Iran, Sudan or in Burma. Until our politicians care more about Americans and less about power this will repeat again for every President that follows President Bush.

[cardsfan06]

What has the World Came To? This killing of innocent people just shows what the world has came to.sickening.I heard a awesome song by nickelback called "If Everyone Cared" What If everyone cared?. The end is near.

[mikesilvia]

The end is not near. Much wost things have happened over the past few hundred years. Stalin and Mao are responsible for 100 million deaths (by some estimates) or 1/3 of todays population. I don't think anyone can even comprehend 100 million deaths. In Cambodia (the basis for the Killing Fields movie) 1/3 of Cambodia's population was killed. Pol Pot was literally responsible for marching out the population of his entire capitol, killing the ones he didn't want and re-inserting the population back in. We have yet to see the horrors of the past. Not even close.

[haybierman]

... also see Spanish Influenza pandemic in the early 20th century. I'm sure many thought the end was near then as well.

As for Burma; while it is very tragic indeed, the simple fact is that this has been going on for upwards of 20 years there so why are we just now starting to care? There was a democratic uprising in 1988 where several people were killed but nobody cared then, so why do we care now? Just asking.

Also, I find it humorous how the world is screaming for U.S. intervention while at the same time we are berated for going into Iraq, Pakistan, Mogadishu, the Balkans, and so on... The international community has a very "what have you done for me lately" disposition and to be honest, I think we need to become a bit more isolationist and let the world try to run itself for a while just so they can see that maybe it isn't such a bad thing for America to be sticking our nose in other people's business.

Lastly, why is it that everyone expects us to intervene when there are countries much closer to Burma, both geographically and ethnically, that should maybe be helping out i.e. Russia, China, India, etc.. Why is it our responsibility?