Curse

Dark Paladin X · Sep 26, 2007, 07:48 PM // 19:48

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlates...950741,00.html

A peaceful pro-democracy protest lead by Buddhist monks turns deadly when the totalitarian military regime of Myanmar lead a violent crackdown silencing the opposition.

Here are a few facts about Myanmar:
*Myanmar was a peaceful Buddhist nation until the military regime led a military coup.
*Myanmar committed a LOT of human rights abuses (no really, it's a dictatorship).
*Myanmar, as well as Uganda (technically, most of the child soldier usage in Uganda is done by rebel groups), is one of the few countries around the world to use child soldiers, often forced against one's will.

Also, the protest was PEACEFUL. Yes! Finally! Fight with words, not fists. It reminds of the Dalai Lama who negotiated the Chinese government with words for Tibet to be independent. War and violence never solves ANYTHING. If peaceful protest works with Ghandi and the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s, it will work with the Free Tibet movement (as well a democratic government) and of course, the democratization of Myanmar .

On the other, speaking about free Tibet, I'm going to boycott (or refuse to buy) any goods made from China to pressure these bastards to free Tibet. After all, Chinese goods tend to be in poor quality.

Divine Freak · Sep 26, 2007, 08:02 PM // 20:02

It'd be nice if violence wasn't considered a first option so often in the world

Dark Paladin X · Sep 26, 2007, 08:03 PM // 20:03

I'm not assaulting anyone, I'm just saying the monks in Myanmar had done the right on calling for regime change with nonviolence.

Absinth187 · Sep 26, 2007, 09:33 PM // 21:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dark Paladin X

War and violence never solves ANYTHING.

Anything? Ever? How do you stop violent dictatorships when they don't care if you peacefully protest or ask them nicely to stop? I believe the answer is somewhere in between pacifism and kill, kill, kill. Peace is always better, but there is a time for force.

Quote:

On the other, speaking about free Tibet, I'm going to boycott (or refuse to buy) any goods made from China to pressure these bastards to free Tibet. After all, Chinese goods tend to be in poor quality.

No offense, but China won't feel one iota of pressure if you boycott their products. I'm all for boycotting companies/entities which I disagree with, but unless hundreds of thousands or millions boycotted too, nothing would be affected. Not to mention, Chinese products are EVERYWHERE. America outsources and imports so many things, it would be difficult at best to identify everything to boycott.

MMSDome · Sep 26, 2007, 11:25 PM // 23:25

"The Pacifist is as surely a traitor to his country and to humanity as is the most brutal wrongdoer"

-Teddy Roosevelt

<3

Divinitys Creature · Sep 27, 2007, 12:49 AM // 00:49

It was really sad watching unarmed monks getting beat

Dark Paladin X · Sep 27, 2007, 11:13 AM // 11:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by MMSDome

"The Pacifist is as surely a traitor to his country and to humanity as is the most brutal wrongdoer"

-Teddy Roosevelt

<3

War should be the VERY VERY VERY last option. If dealing with a threat, you always be peaceful first. I'm saying is give peace a chance. The monks did the right thing to use nonviolence instead of fighting, because violence just make things worse.

Absinth187 · Sep 27, 2007, 05:23 PM // 17:23

The Roosevelt quote is spot on. Give peace a chance, however, is just a hippie slogan.

Quote:

The monks did the right thing to use nonviolence instead of fighting...

The monks, unfortunately, are dead now.

Lord Sojar · Sep 27, 2007, 05:52 PM // 17:52

I watched 7 Years in Tibet, it was sad and moving. It is unfortunate that certain governments oppress their people. This is one of those moments in which I wish we had a real life Superman. He could just fly in, kick the oppressors' asses and fly out. Or, this is a valid argument as to why the US needs a team of Ninjas to infiltrate governments such as the one in question and slice and dice the fascist dictators into tiny bloody pieces (silent violence is just as good as peace) One day, there would be oppression, the next freedom. Sure you would wonder why those people disappeared, but in the end, a blind eye could be turned. They might have been abducted by aliens.

Dark Paladin X · Sep 27, 2007, 10:58 PM // 22:58

it sadden me when countries solve things through war as well as totalitarian states abusing human rights and committing mass genocide (like in Tibet and Darfur). Human rights abuses, independence, or a certain change in policy can be solved with non-violence. I mean, take Martin Luther King Jr., Ghandi, and the monks in Myanmar for example.

Corinthian · Sep 28, 2007, 04:18 AM // 04:18

Goddamn hippie monks got what they deserved. I guess some people never learn that wars are fought with huge guns that look effin' cool.

Dark Paladin X · Sep 28, 2007, 09:04 AM // 09:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by Corinthian

Goddamn hippie monks got what they deserved. I guess some people never learn that wars are fought with huge guns that look effin' cool.

Uh...dude, they didn't deserve to get beaten up, the monks were being peaceful. It was the totalitarian government that beated up the monks. And no, war isn't cool, really.

Drakken Breathes Fire · Sep 28, 2007, 09:27 AM // 09:27

Is anyone else noticing the obvious hilarity behind a 'Dark Paladin' chiming about peace?

You're forgetting the obvious truth that right and wrong don't exist.
We're mammals dude, you get two kinds of animals in the world, those with claws and those with fangs, occasionally you get one that has both, when they get into a scuffle, there's no talking it out.

Why do we try to analyse it further? We evolved away from having claws and fangs, but we still instinctively have to use them. That's why we made the knife, the sword, the spear.

ryanryanryan0310 · Sep 28, 2007, 10:18 AM // 10:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drakken Breathes Fire

Is anyone else noticing the obvious hilarity behind a 'Dark Paladin' chiming about peace?

You're forgetting the obvious truth that right and wrong don't exist.
We're mammals dude, you get two kinds of animals in the world, those with claws and those with fangs, occasionally you get one that has both, when they get into a scuffle, there's no talking it out.

Why do we try to analyse it further? We evolved away from having claws and fangs, but we still instinctively have to use them. That's why we made the knife, the sword, the spear.

WTF!

There really some crappy chit going on over there. But hopefully the sqeeze by the other nations changes the policy of that country.

AscalonWarrior · Sep 28, 2007, 10:55 AM // 10:55

Been watching this, very sad. Really.

Does someone know why they shot at the unarmed peacefull monks anyway?

Drakken Breathes Fire · Sep 28, 2007, 11:02 AM // 11:02

Most animals either fight or run away when they're scared.
I'd assume those peaceful monks gave the powers that be quite a scare, maybe through the support they were drawing or what-have-you.

Faer · Sep 28, 2007, 01:29 PM // 13:29

It's sad that it happened. But... That's life. We live in a world of war, not one of inviting your enemy to tea. As much as it'd be cool to have a "Live and let Live" global society, it's kill or be killed.

Somebody is going to come out on top, and it isn't going to be the guy with the smaller guns.

WarKaster · Sep 28, 2007, 05:13 PM // 17:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by AscalonWarrior

Been watching this, very sad. Really.

Does someone know why they shot at the unarmed peacefull monks anyway?

because they are douche bags....and what Draken and Faer said.

They where seen as a threat...the people in power responded to that "threat" in the only way the knew how...sadly it was with AK's and hand grenades.

Mordakai · Sep 28, 2007, 05:38 PM // 17:38

It's up to China now. The US can impose all the sanctions it wants, if China continues to support the regime, it won't matter.

Drakken Breathes Fire · Sep 28, 2007, 08:54 PM // 20:54

Yeah, you just don't go to war with 1/3rd of the world population as China and India are allied. What the big boys say, goes.