Pacificsts on the march!

Right, heard on the news this morning that Burmese Buddhist monks are about to bring about the end of the 40 year military regime by.... NOT EATING. Well, that's not really the case, but as it was explained on the radio this morning the Buddhist culture is the absolute foundation of the society, and the regime has only stayed in power by heavily courting (read: bribing) the clergy. Now, the clergy is refusing to take alms from the military leaders. It would be like being refused communion at a Christian church. The clergy has ostracized the worst leaders and culled them from power. Of course, the backlash of a militant government against a peacefully protesting population means that the next big genocide is on the horizon, and for once the western world is on top of it's game. Bush heightened sanctions against Myanmar this week, and Gordon Brown and the UN Security Council aren't far off. It just struck me. Most Americans don't even know where Myanmar is, or even what it is. Burma only has associations of Burmese Pythons and The King and I. And we have sanctions against them. Next great pivot in the Axis of Evil. All because a handful of Buddhist monks refuse to take food from a hand they know will go commit evil. You can't make this stuff up.

tags: buddhist  monk  myanmar  burma  protest  sanction  genocide  religion  

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