Endowed By Our Creator
By Mitch Berg
At his best, Michael Yon is among the best journalists around, in the classical sense of the term.
This piece – about an American, pseudonymously “Charlie” – journeying up the Irrawaddy River in defiance of the Burmese junta’s ban on foreigners after Cyclone Nargis, which killed hundreds of thousands and exposed the corruption, cruelty and incompetence of the Burmese government – hit me where I live.
The local people, even the monks, expressed open hatred for the government of Myanmar. The people wanted guns as badly as they wanted shelter. They had no idea what to do with the guns, yet Charlie was deeply moved by the robust character of these people, to whom democracy and freedom were not cynical conceits argued over coffee or crumpets, but ideals for which these simple denizens of the river yearned, believing deep in their hearts that the United States of America could bring change to this far-off corner of the world. They hoped that the U.S. would swoop in and bring justice to the Irrawaddy by deposing the Myanmar military regime. But these hopes would be dashed by real-politik and shifting geo-strategic priorities. Something about the universality of man’s desires occurred to Charlie, how, he thought, we all want the same things—freedom, dignity, a chance to make our own way in this world. Between village visits and dodging patrols he would sit quietly on the bow of the boat and ruminate under the same night sky full of stars that had witnessed men struggle through folly, fiasco, and victory in the pursuit of these very ideas.
This quote smacked me right in the gut when I read it. It resonated on so many levels, both low (this is why the Second Amendment is a right “of the people”, and don’t you ever forget it) and high – this is what America, and the small-d democratic ideal that founded us and, at our best, binds us together, means to those looking at us from outside who really know what it is not to be free. Ignore the eurotrash; douse the stench of Berkeley from your nose; take those breathless articles about America’s supposedly diminished stature in this world and wipe your bottom with them on the hottest day possible, too good for them as it is.
The quote sums up why we’re here.
Naturally, you need to read the whole thing.
July 11th, 2008 at 7:15 am
Want freedom, Burma? You’re in luck. You’ve got oil. The wingnuts are on their way. Stock up on roses and don’t forget to greet them as liberators!
July 11th, 2008 at 7:43 am
AC Burma is in China’s backyard. China is already friendly with the regime. China doesn’t have enviroweenies to stop drilling. And last China doesn’t allow any citizen to have guns or antigovernment thoughts.
July 11th, 2008 at 8:17 am
It’s a shame, really. The Burmese helped the Allies fight the Japanese in WWII. If the Australians had fallen under a regime like this, I suspect there would be a lot more international pressure brought to bear.
July 11th, 2008 at 9:12 am
Thanks, Mitch. I read Yon’s post earlier in the week and felt much the same as you, but haven’t had the chance to post about it.
July 11th, 2008 at 9:21 am
Well said, Mitch.
Freedom is universal, from Burma, Saudi Arabia, China, to the People’s Republic of DC.
What this guy needs,
http://ngishili.com/images/tank_china.jpg
is a handgun.
/jc
July 11th, 2008 at 9:42 am
Heh.
No, what he needed was one of these.
Which means, given Scalia’s dicta in Heller, that we really gotta do our homework on some of these lower-court suits and legislation. Also, get standing in Chinese “courts”.
“Dicta? I never even met her”. There. I did it for you. Merry Chr…er, never mind.
July 11th, 2008 at 9:53 am
Technically the “Burmese” are just one of Myanmar’s tribes–there’s not exactly a good name for the whole country that doesn’t derive from the regime. That said, it’s good to see others catching on to the need for armed self-defense to depose a government.
July 11th, 2008 at 10:21 am
> No, what he needed was one of these.
Wolverines!
That’s how you deal with evil-doers. Only Frenchified wimps try to negotiate with or lobby on behalf of those Myanmar junta-doers.
Meantime, let’s get those poor people some food and shelter.
/jc
July 11th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
” . . . we really gotta do our homework on some of these lower-court suits and legislation.”
It’ll be fun to watch AC & his friends suddenly discover federalist principles and fight vigorously in favor of cites, counties, and states being able to make their own interpretation of the Bill of Rights.
July 12th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
Burma is an example of the many places around the world that are dominated by tyranical governments. Even Angryclown seems to sense in his own dimwitted way that these people deserve freedom. We would be entirely justified to take action against any or these tyrants, whether in Myanmar, Zimbabwe, Darfur, or even North Korea. We cannot, however, take on all the worlds problems at once. Even America does not have that much power. We have to choose our battles according to the limits of our power. That means we should only intervene where our vital interests are at stake. We can’t save everyone.
If the UN were worth a bucket of warm piss, a place like Myanmar would be a worthy political renovation project. Out with the old tyrants, in with a legitimate government as determined by the populace. That will not happen. The UN is largely a club for just the sort of thugs who currently control Burma. Sometimes reality just sucks.
July 12th, 2008 at 5:17 pm
The part I thought was fun; after the typhoon and the junta’s refusal to allow the American task force to land supplies there were calls to invade Burma. From the left.
Even though not a single Burmese was involved in 9/11.
Seriously – what all the above have said about the UN and, most importantly, the need to get these people some relief.