Matthew Lee explains the "responsibility to protect." Military intervention is the most extreme option, but there is a policy, adopted by the U.N. General Assembly that extends from the obligation to stop genocide.
ADDED: The Australian has an editorial "Tear Down Burma's Bamboo Curtain."
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"...a policy, adopted by the U.N. General Assembly that extends from the obligation to stop genocide"
except in Iraq, North Korea, Cambodia, Vietnam, the Soviet Union, Darfur, Cuba, Venezuela, Zimbabwe, China, etc.
The UN will go in only if there's money to skim and children for sale.
Really does raise another issue, which is why is the question of intervention being raised with Myanmar/Burma as a serious topic when that same issue is ignored, kind of, regarding Darfur! Of course, Myanmar is an Asian country and Darfur is "one of those places" in Africa, which the Euro's ignore or else want the USA to resolve for the sake of Euro's sanity and well-being.
There's no soap opera story yet for Burma, is why.
Disasters are entertainment.
In the sense of makes you interested, not makes you happy, except insofar as being interested is happy, which is quite a ways.
If you intervened on principle, you'd be all over the world, and another soap opera story line entirely would take over.
One of George Carlin's riffs is rooting for disaster fatality numbers, and disappointment when they're revised downlwards, as the TV experience.
Military intervention is the most extreme option, but there is a policy, adopted by the U.N. General Assembly that extends from the obligation to stop genocide.
War is not the answer. I think a UN study of the situation followed by intense negotiaions with the Burmese military government followed by some mass marketing of Save Burma t-shirts and bumper stickers is the better option. I mean it worked out so well for Darfur.
I'm preparing the Burma ribbons as we speak!
con't
In Iraq the soap opera line, for instance, is oppressed victim US soldiers and bereaved families ; and millions of innocent Iraqis killed.
The reality doesn't matter at all.
Screw 'em all.
Chump don’t want no help, chump don’t get no help.
Same as it ever was!
Friday, February 16, 2007
Oh God, I'm laughing so hard I might hurt myself!
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Environmental activists led by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore announced plans on Thursday for a worldwide string of pop concerts in July featuring Sheryl Crow, Red Hot Chili Peppers and scores of others to mobilize action to stop global warming.
Can these idiots get any more ridiculous?
Weren't these the same clowns that put together LIVE -AID to stop African hunger? Ya been to Africa lately?
If an idiot Liberal has a problem..............Throw a concert!
You want to help farmers (like they need it) have FARM-AID
Africans are starving. Have a concert and call it LIVE-AID.
A hurricane hits New Orleans. Have a concert!
Earth gets a little hot. Have a concert!
A meteorite is heading to Earth! We better have a concert...... and quick!
What a bunch of phonies!
See here and here for articles reading the Equal Protection Clause as a similar duty by states to supply the "protection of the laws" to those within their borders.
Everyone, wait just one gol-darn minute here. Are you all saying that Hugo Chavez has an obligation to invade the USA to protect us all from the ravages of our government? Is that what this "debate" is all about? Interesting, eh!
Horse Manure.
Now the Libs want us to intervene because their consciences are pricked?
Same as in Darfur. Some interventions are more equal than others, I guess.
The only pure interventions, one surmises from the causes that inflame the liberal politcal libido, are those in which the US has no politcal interest at all.
In this way, they can remain morally pure. The progressive conscience is tugged only by suffering that has no connection to US foriegn policy, above the fray as it were.
And yet this doesn't involve Africa, for reasons I cannot explain. you'd think, slavery and all, it would be otherwise.
Are you all saying that Hugo Chavez has an obligation to invade the USA?
Sure thing! I suggest an initial wave of paratroopers followed by tanks and then infantry. That'll get Chavez pretty far until a plucky band of typical American teenagers start fighting back.
WOLVERINES!!!
We should not be invading countries on a humanitarian basis alone. Unlike Iraq, Burma is not exporting terror, nor is it seeking nuclear weapons or threatening its neighbors.
We need places like Burma to remind us that totalitarianim is bad and that governments with too much control over society are bad. The natural response to something like Burma, should be to increase the independence of our own citizens by reducing the size of our own government.
Ah ha, take that all you left-leaning, picture taking, tree hugging, Obama Mama's, your time has come and you're now in the descendant orbit of life. Us right-wing conservative life breathers commentors are ascendant and rule this blog commentors.
But, to answer some one's question, "yes," totalitarianism is bad yet tolerable in small doses, like Darfur or Burma/Myanmar! Must be true else France would have taken action, right!
To the Australian and the UN: You tear down the Bamboo Curtain.
We're busy right now playing whack-a-mole with Islamist mutts in Afghanistan and Iraq and getting ready to dump a whole world of bunker bombs on Iran.
Maybe you meddling bleeding hearts can do as good a job in Burma as you've done in Darfur.
So next time Cuba suffers a devastating hurricane, which it does frequently, but obviously is never covered being a closed Communist society...that means the UN should march in and topple Castro?
Good deal.
I'll bring it up at Matt's blog whenever it happens again.
Cheers,
Victoria
We don't need the United Nations. We need John Rambo.
Militarist dictatorships exist to give the armies of free nations something to do. So if a free nation wished to exercise itself by getting rid of the military dictatorship of Burma, I would be perfectly happy to let them do it.
But the US military is currently engaged in the Iraqi occupation, so India or Australia should take the slack.
Guy Hamilton: This country is ungovernable. The junta will stop anything from going to the people if they don’t get credit for it. What do you thing sugar tits?
Jill Bryant: It all feels so….alien. I wish I could just walk around in a t-shirt and panties.
Billy Kwan: Short people have no reason to live.
(Year of Living Dangerously 1982).
So next time Cuba suffers a devastating hurricane
The only problems with this statement are:
1) Cuba is far from a closed society. An American and any other nationality can travel there easily (it is the U.S. government you will get in trouble with if you go to Cuba)
2) Cuba's hurricane preparedness and response system is extremely effective--probably the best in the Caribbean. In fact, given our response to the 2005 hurricanes, we could probably learn a thing or two from the Cubans.
Unlike Iraq, Burma is not exporting terror, nor is it seeking nuclear weapons or threatening its neighbors.
Oh, I wondered why we invaded Iraq.
Oh please. The UN couldn't collectively wipe it's own ass properly after it takes a big shit on everything it does.
So what you're saying, Freder, is that you're entirely indifferent to the question of Burma, and only look to local partisan advantage and cheap-shot-taking?
Now why should we not believe that about your views on Iraq?
On the bright side, you already seem to have learned from Cuba.
Cuba is far from a closed society. An American and any other nationality can travel there easily
Heh. Yeah Freder you're right. Its just the Cubans who have a hard time travelling as they tend to get in trouble with their government.
In fact, given our response to the 2005 hurricanes, we could probably learn a thing or two from the Cubans.
Well maybe Louisiana can. Seems like the rest of the Gulf states seem to have a handle on how to protect their citizenry rather than herding them all in a stadium and hoping for the best.
What's the other thing or two Freder? Free health care or economic and political policies which drive people into the sea? Literally.
Cuba is far from a closed society.
Unless of course you are
1) a citizen trying to leave.
2) a citizen, protesting the current regime
or
3) a US journalist who strays off the path chosen for you by your minders.
You know, Freder if you believe that crap about Cuba you're even a bigger fool than I thought. You are unable to recognize evil. You must like, for example, living in a society that cannot feed its own people and maintains a committee in each bloc to inform on the dissidents. Be my guest--move to Havana and live like one of the average Cubans.
"Cuba is far from a closed society." I just noticed this comment, and I guess, in comparison to the old Albania under Enver Hoxa, or the NORKS under the great and dear leaders, it is probably true. But I think Freder sets the bar awfully low for freedom. (now, in fairness, there is some evidence that Raul is in fact loosening up the bonds. I hope he can bring that off because it would be a good thing to have Cuba back in the full community of nations.
FF: So, we should have elected Gov. Blanco to rule the USA as effectively as she governed Louisiana? But, if she ran the USA, who could she blamed when she sat on her tush while Hurricane Zelma ruined NYC! Jeez, get a life!
BTW, folks, Sweetie Pie Vickie has got a neat idea. Maybe we can generate more CO2 with our SUVs and invade Cuba with this year's wild batch of Hurricanes. But, then will Cuba become like the USA, another closed society rather than being open and free like FF said?
Hurricanes are the new weapon of choice now!
In fact, given our response to the 2005 hurricanes, we could probably learn a thing or two from the Cubans.
Like "don't build coastal cities below sea level".
we could probably learn a thing or two from the Cubans.
2. When Fidel said "A revolution is not a bed of roses."
he meant "I am going to kill alot of you".
Folks, please be nicer to dear old FF, his mind is warped by all those nasty low trans fat lattes he's been drinking. Plus he can smell the stench from his cesspool and he believes he's in "Habana!"
Jeez, what a maroon!
Freder Frederson said...
Oh, I wondered why we invaded Iraq.
For oil and to explicitly kill poor downtrodden Iraqis that conspire with fedayeen-saddam and AQ you fucking moron. Didn't you get the memo?
1) Cuba is far from a closed society. An American and any other nationality can travel there easily (it is the U.S. government you will get in trouble with if you go to Cuba)
Since I've actually BEEN to Cuba, you're not going to get off that easily about this. But since I'm really steamed, see Pogo for my reply.
And add that there is no internet, no international satellite television, no cable TV, nothing of free press as we know in the USA and the West allowed.
In Cuba, typewriters have to be registered with authorities as if they were GUNS.
I don't mind people saying that Burma should have an UN response. What kills me is when people defend the untenable lack of liberty which they wouldn't tolerate for a SECOND in their own homeland, in Cuba.
2) Cuba's hurricane preparedness and response system is extremely effective--probably the best in the Caribbean. In fact, given our response to the 2005 hurricanes, we could probably learn a thing or two from the Cubans.
Oh of course. They herd up everyone in camellos, and drag them forcibly to shelters hundreds of miles away -- separating children from parents along the way.
Do you even listen to what you're saying?
Cheers,
Victoria
Since I've actually BEEN to Cuba, you're not going to get off that easily about this....And add that there is no internet, no international satellite television, no cable TV, nothing of free press as we know in the USA and the West allowed.
Yeah but they have free health care. That's trumps everything. Free health care is the right bower in the Euchre of political discourse.
I wrote a post about this on my blog some time ago about what does "do something" mean.
Hoosier Daddy was absolutely correct... "do something" means have a meeting and make a study and dink around while people die.
Since I've actually BEEN to Cuba, you're not going to get off that easily about this. But since I'm really steamed, see Pogo for my reply.
You presented a completely disingenuous and dishonest argument, implying that hurricanes that hit Cuba cause mass deaths that are covered up by the government there. I pointed out, truthfully, that this is simply not true and that Cuba has a very effective system to protect their citizens from the ravages of hurricanes. Even you now admit this is true (however disruptive and coercive that system is).
And I guess I should be more explicit because I know how much you all love distorting my points. But when I said Cuba is far from a closed society, it was of course in the context of comparing it to Myamar (which after all is the subject of this thread).
Because I point out these indisputible fact, I am a commie sympathiser and apparently love Castro and want to move to Cuba.
Give me a freaking break.
Dear FF: You ain't getting no "freaking break!" In your own words, you said and I quote: "I am a commie sympathiser" Ok, if you insist, that's being unfair but what the heck, this ain't ping-pong, it's political infighting.
Do enjoy your stay in Habana and stay away from the special shows!
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