Myanmar

[calijetfxr]

What should the UN and specifically the US do about the current tragedy in Myanmar?

As the death toll rises (nearing 30,000 with projected estimates between 60,000 and 100,000) and the health risks to survivors grows dramatically, the military lead government of Myanmar refuses any formidable help from the international community. Should we watch from a far or potentially invade as is currently being suggested?

What do you think?

[man in a bottle]

invade ? who is saying that we need to invade.

[calijetfxr]

has been suggested in the media.

Is It Time to Invade Burma? - Yahoo! News

[uphill]

Has anyone heard of the Shan States?

There are a very few places where I won't put my boots on the ground in a consulting capacity. Myanmar is one of those places. That's before the cyclone and the threat of cholera, etc. Invasion would be exceptionally problematic.

The government of Myanmar is hostile to about every other nation.

And what gives us the right to invade? Saving people from themselves again so we can feed them in the aftermath of the cyclone. Topple the government (you broke it/you bought it)?

[calijetfxr]

uphill previously said:

Has anyone heard of the Shan States?

There are a very few places where I won't put my boots on the ground in a consulting capacity. Myanmar is one of those places. That's before the cyclone and the threat of cholera, etc. Invasion would be exceptionally problematic.

The government of Myanmar is hostile to about every other nation.

And what gives us the right to invade? Saving people from themselves again so we can feed them in the aftermath of the cyclone. Topple the government (you broke it/you bought it)?

I'd like to start by saying that I agree with your appraisal of the Myanmar government and it's hostility to outsiders. I spent some time working in Thailand and to say that relations were strained with Burma (at the time) would be an understatement. The thing I'm having trouble with is that the Myanmar government's views are not necessarilly representative of the views of the Myanmar people. When New Orleans was hit by Katrina their were numerous foreign governments that offered assistance and were declined access by the US who was wholly incapable (or unwilling) to resolve the issue themselves. I'm sure the majority of those affected in New Orleans would have welcomed the extra assistance with open arms.

I'm not saying topple the Myanmar government but I don't think letting people die of starvation, cholera, etc. is the answer when their are resources available that can help to prevent it.

[mir207]

Shan States link, following up on Larry's post.

Tough to know what to do - sit back and you seem callous (e.g. Rwanda), step in an you look like bullies (e.g. Somalia and Iraq). No win in most cases. Failed nation states are the biggest unsolved problems of global governance and security. That it is in the interests of some governments (e.g. that of China) to sustain broken governments in other countries makes it much harder or impossible to come to consensus solutions. Iraq highlights the perils of attempting to take over governance of another country - especially when you have no plan for how to manage said country. Burma would be much worse, I suspect.

[FJDave]

Meh - write them a check for $10.00 (works out to about a Million Burmese Bucks, or 3 Big Macs) and call it even. Let it go. We have too much other crap to worry about at the moment.

[fj6high]

Aid is finding its way into the country! Yes their goverment is not open to outsiders but aid is slowly reaching the effected.

[Digger422]

FJDave previously said:

Meh - write them a check for $10.00 (works out to about a Million Burmese Bucks, or 3 Big Macs) and call it even. Let it go. We have too much other crap to worry about at the moment.

+1..You hit it in the head FJDave....

[DominicG]

Digger422 previously said:

+1..You hit it in the head FJDave....

+2


We kind of have that whole Iraq thing to take care of..