Comments on: Banal and Sad

By: Roy

Roy — Wed, 22 Nov 2006 12:14:52 +0000

The point is, you're an arrogant Indian shithead Siddhartha.

Pull your thumb outa your ass and look and India. It is a shithole.

By: hairy_d

hairy_d — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 16:52:17 +0000

I recently made a trip to Rangoon earlier this year after much hesitation over whether or not it was ethically correct.

how was it? i have a parent born in burma – some place with no name – have always wanted to visit – so am curious about your experience . pix pls.

i have to say – there is something to it – i click the name-link to maybe 1 out of 10 posters – and so far – it may be the one-world tone or something – but i seem to end up more often than not on someone with a toronto beat . nice blog pooj. where was the protest march?

By: siddhartha

siddhartha — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 16:34:06 +0000

LOL, and you think India is a top notch country do you Siddhartha?

LOL, and your point is...?

By: Pooj

Pooj — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 16:16:53 +0000

Thanks for posting this Siddhartha. Similar to Like that only, my family have some roots in Burma. My father’s side of the family lived there for decades, my dad was born there. There are many Indians like us who re-settled in Thailand after the junta assumed power, and they all speak very fondly of the country and its people. Very romantical-ish, it gives me goosebumps! I recently made a trip to Rangoon earlier this year after much hesitation over whether or not it was ethically correct. But I’ve had a deep desire to go for years, for the sake of ‘heritage’ mostly. I am still trying to define my thoughts and reconcile what I now know with what I believe, these are not fully-formed ideas. I am not quite sure what my opinion is on boycotting Burma anymore. Honestly, I encourage as many people as possible to go and see what it is like there, you need to experience Burma. I am not so sure I subscribe to the belief that we are doing the people of Burma a favour by staying away, not anymore anyway.

By: Roy

Roy — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 05:01:41 +0000

"a country wracked by poverty and disease while its dictatorial elite has fun and makes money"

LOL, and you think India is a top notch country do you Siddhartha?

By: Like that only

Like that only — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 13:16:23 +0000

My mother grew up in Burma till the age of 14, and a part of her still thinks of it as "home". She often talks of the (relative) prosperity of the place, the absence of social barriers (unlike in Hindu India), and the industriousness of Burmese women in particular. She mostly ends the conversation with tears in her eyes, and says "then the generals came and destroyed everything". Though her family lost everything in the 60s riots, she maintains that it was the state that turned them out - their Burmese neighbours did everything they could to help, and then some.

I often hope and pray the dictatorship is dismantled during her lifetime, so I can take her to Burma one last time.

By: fsowalla

fsowalla — Sat, 18 Nov 2006 06:33:54 +0000

The US Government had sent a number of the Irrawaddy’s journalists on exchange programs to the U.S. These programs, called International Visitors programs, are on various topics, including journalism ethics, fact-checking, etc. The participants get a chance to meet with a number of counterparts in media related organizations as well as political types in 5 different cities in the U.S. The IV program often works well over the long-term, and I think it’s borne out by the quality of teh newspaper. One of those “unsung victories” for U.S. public dilpomacy that you rarely hear about.

By: Classical Liberal Freedom Loving Warrior Against Terror

Classical Liberal Freedom Loving Warrior Against Terror — Sat, 18 Nov 2006 04:10:19 +0000

Another thing in the times article that is banal and sad is that it tried to lump the blame on Bush Administration. And another thing from the times of not showing any nuances wrt India. If a non intellectual masturbator was to visit delhi he would spot burmese refugees. I dont deny that India has not done enough but it has, and guess what No one can force people to change, It is not about indian colonization vs chinese colonization. Burma has chosen what it wanted from either of its larger neighbors. India has provided voice to burmese dissidents in a fashion similar to thailand. Just what did Mr Clinton do against the dictatorship in Burma? Frankly to most americans in the now ubiquotous binary L/R D/R Red/Blue divide Burma is a defunct brand of shaving accessory and no one gives a \”flying fuck, man\”

By: Kurma

Kurma — Sat, 18 Nov 2006 03:50:36 +0000

I’m not sure this one beats Jayalalitha’s (she only had one a in her name at that time) foster son’s wedding in expenses. She had a huge section of Chennai lit up. Guests received silver plates, but no cars, I think.

The two are not quite comparable. Tamils weren’t starving at that time, for one. Another important distinction is that this guy can do whatever he wants, it’s a dictatorship. But she was an elected CM and still did it! People were pissed off and she did get the boot in the following election. But this is a woman with no shame whatsoever… she regularly had people fall at her feet, artists paint her as devi, the virgin Mary etc. She was once on a dais with IAS officers on either side while she addressed a crowd – one of them handing her fresh handkerchiefs, which she would use to wipe her face and hand to the other IAS officer… But the other side is equally bad – they tried pull off her sari in the legislature once, for instance.

Sigh…

By: nvldxs

nvldxs — Fri, 17 Nov 2006 20:22:18 +0000

Great post Siddhartha. Guess these guys put the Marcoses to shame. The video of the wedding on You Tube has been deleted – wonder if there was any political pressure.