Myanmar. No nation's name stirs more hatred and disgust in the American left than this one. Why?
I was speaking with a person whom I admire and respect. She understands universal goals. Appreciates the value of tradition, spirituality, humanity and diversity. Nonetheless, she is a victim of crass media.
Have you ever heard anyone object to the name Thailand? Why not? Because 'our' team did it.
The Thais are colonial pawns. The standard operating procedure of the Dutch, Americans, British, etc. colonialists when colonising a nation is to find the #2 group, the second largest power brokers. The number 2s might be a different tribe, race, social class, etc. The colonisers approach #2 leaders and ask them if they wish to be #1s (at least in their fish pond). #2s answer yes. Colonisers enslave, deport, disempower, etc. the #1s.
This is one reason the blacks of America are the Nubian princesses and princes of Africa.
The British used this method in the Kingdom of Ava, a precursor to the Burmese state. The British still are using it, not just with regard to Myanmar. The British, and the Americans, benefit from every colonisers every genocide every day, every dollar.
Within Ava, the Thais were similar to the Welsh, a principality in a kingdom. The Ava throne was Burmese. Thais excel at commerce and controlled much of the navigable coastline of Ava.
The Thais now have a semi-consitutional monarchy, and enough of a pretense of democracy for Americans to put them in 'our camp'. (When it comes to democracy, no nation does pretense as well as America.) Foreign nations often fall into the domain of either the Democratic or Republican Parties. For example, Japan is Democrat, China Republican. Myanmar is the du jour whipping boy of the Democrats.
Siam, a precursor to Thailand, is an ethnic name. Siamese was the predominant ethnic group, and the nation's name was changed to Thailand in 1939 to encompass the many diverse ethnicities in Thailand. Burmese or Burmans were the largest ethnic group in Ava, and the monarchy was Burmese.
Fast forward 50 years, and Burma renames to Myanmar. Evil incarnate! Why? Primarily because two Democratic Party politicians who were more interested in political service than public service (thank you for that, my brother), pimped out the people of Myanmar for the politicians's political gain. Vilifying the government of Myanmar got votes. What else mattered?
I'm always impressed by Americans ability to lecture other nations on how to conduct their politics. There is no arrogance like ignorance.
Does one of the poorest countries in the world have civil rights issues? Go figure! They don't have shooters entering their elementary schools. Myanmar doesn't have a mass shooting a day, every day. Myanmar doesn't have the largest percentage of their population in prison of any country in the world. That would be America.
America has the second most natural resources of any nation, for example coal, timber, natural gas, gold, and copper1. Before you get self righteous about the folks at number one, remember Russia was plundered by both hemispheres for millennia. Until a couple centuries ago, there were just some relocated Asians in America, enjoying the natural beauty. Until we killed 90% of them. And yes, most of them died from small pox because, like present day american medical apartheid, white folks spread "small pox blankets" among the Ancient American tribes.
Some time back, I was discussing this with the Rabbi at the Orthodox synagogue (now Chabad) in GodsDoor. The Rabbi had been raised in Miami, and had lived in Israel. I pointed out the fact that most of the Ancient Americans had died from disease and he replied 'Yes, only because we didn't get to kill them first!'
This was the same Rabbi who, when I explained my ancestors were American Baptists from the North, more liberal than the Southern Baptists, replied "O, they always are!"
Christopher! Language!
