Bush Meeting Dalai Lama: Is That All You Can Do For Burma?

Burma: 400, 000 Members, 400,000 Dollars
Burma: Time For Nonviolent Guerilla Warfare
Burma: Time For Hyper Action
The World Is Failing Burma
Burma: Than Shwe Is Going To The Hague
Britain Is Betraying Burma
Burma: Time For All Out Sanctions By All Powers
Burma: Momentum Is Key To Victory
Shame On The Top Politicians Of The World: Burma Asks For More
In Solidarity With The Burmese People

For the money one candidate for president spent on one ad in Iowa this past month, you could catapult the democracy movement in Burma to success. But all the western leaders offer is words, gestures. Your kind words are killing me softly.

I appreciate Laura Bush and her husband extending moral support to the democracy movement in Burma. Bush has his heart in the right place. It is his brain that is the problem.

Moral support is only one small part of the deal. It must be accompanied by logistical support. A democracy movement has to be planned like a space mission, and then it works like exact science. It will work unfailingly, in country after country after country.

It takes a lot of guts for hundreds of thousands of people to come out into the streets in the face of certain brutality. But when that momentum is lost, it takes a lot of time to regain it.

If the momentum is strong enough, a successful uprising in Burma can catapult into a mass uprising in Zimbabwe. To Iran, to Egypt. To Saudi Arabia. And, let's not kid ourselves, ultimately to China.

No external power can bring about mass action, but all external powers working in close cooperation with the diaspora of each such country can provide the moral and logistical support that can make all the difference.

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In The News

Security And Opportunity For The 21st Century by Hillary Rodham Clinton reintroduce America to the world and restore our leadership ...... the democratic values that are the deepest source of our strength. ...... In my travels around the world as senator and as first lady, I have met people from all walks of life. ...... we diverted vital military and financial resources from the struggle against al Qaeda and the daunting task of building a Muslim democracy in Afghanistan. ........... turning our backs on the search for peace in the Middle East. ...... refusal to participate in any international effort to deal with the tremendous challenges of climate change ........ the world's most pressing problems require unprecedented cooperation ...... American leadership is wanting, but it is still wanted. ......... threats from states, nonstate actors, and nature itself ........ The next president will be the first to inherit two wars ....... an unpredictable and dangerous situation in the Middle East that threatens Israel and could potentially bring down the global economy by disrupting oil supplies. ........ a new wave of global health epidemics. ........ a pragmatic willingness to look at the facts on the ground and make decisions based on evidence rather than ideology. ......... Leadership requires a blend of strategy, persuasion, inspiration, and motivation. It is based on respect more than fear. ...... harness our might to a set of guiding principles. ..... Use our military not as the solution to every problem but as one element in a comprehensive strategy. ........ Nor can diplomacy alone stop the perpetrators of genocide and crimes against humanity in places such as Darfur. ...... the value of simply carrying a big stick, rather than using it. .......... international institutions are tools rather than traps ...... we should bring them in line with the power realities of the twenty-first century and the basic values embodied in such documents as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights ........ Globalization is widening the gap between the haves and the have-nots within societies and between them. Today, there are more than two billion people living on less than $2 a day. ....... a vast permanent underclass ....... countries plagued by mass poverty and ruled by tiny wealthy elites ....... The war is sapping our military strength, absorbing our strategic assets, diverting attention and resources from Afghanistan, alienating our allies, and dividing our people. The war in Iraq has also stretched our military to the breaking point. ........ government ministries or ministers that hoard, steal, or waste them. ...... the two million Iraqis who have fled their country and the two million more who have been displaced internally. ......... Ongoing military innovation is essential, but the Bush administration has undermined this goal by focusing obsessively on expensive and unproven missile defense technology ......... develop a modern GI Bill of Rights ...... In the cities of Europe and Asia -- such as Hamburg and Kuala Lumpur, which were the springboards for 9/11 -- terrorist cells are preparing for future attacks. We must understand not only their methods but their motives: a rejection of modernity, women's rights, and democracy, as well as a dangerous nostalgia for a mythical past. We must develop a comprehensive strategy focusing on education, intelligence, and law enforcement to counter not only the terrorists themselves but also the larger forces fueling support for their extremism. ............ dry up recruiting opportunities for the Taliban by funding crop-substitution programs, a large-scale road-building initiative, institutions that train and prepare Afghans for honest and effective governance, and programs to enable women to play a larger role in society. ......... better intelligence and a clandestine service that is out on the street, not sitting behind desks ........ increase the number of agents and analysts proficient in Arabic and other key languages ....... building counterterrorist capacity around the world ...... strengthen police, prosecutorial, and judicial systems abroad; improve intelligence; and implement more stringent border controls, especially in developing countries. ........ help the most vulnerable and at-risk cities prepare for an attack. ....... The Bush administration has opposed talks with our adversaries, seeming to believe that we are not strong enough to defend our interests through negotiations. ......... Iran .... the country that most practices state-sponsored terrorism, and it uses its surrogates to supply explosives that kill U.S. troops in Iraq. ......... Iran has enhanced its nuclear-enrichment capabilities, armed Iraqi Shiite militias, funneled arms to Hezbollah, and subsidized Hamas, even as the government continues to hurt its own citizens by mismanaging the economy and increasing political and social repression. .......... North Korea responded to the Bush administration's effort to isolate it by accelerating its nuclear program, conducting a nuclear test, and building more nuclear weapons. ........ remove all nuclear material from the world's most vulnerable nuclear sites and effectively secure the remainder ........ Putin has thwarted a carefully crafted UN plan that would have put Kosovo on a belated path to independence, attempted to use energy as a political weapon against Russia's neighbors and beyond, and tested the United States and Europe on a range of nonproliferation and arms reduction issues. Putin has also suppressed many of the freedoms won after the fall of communism, created a new class of oligarchs, and interfered deeply in the internal affairs of former Soviet republics. ......... Putin has used Russia's energy wealth to expand the Russian economy, so that more ordinary Russians are enjoying a rising standard of living. ........ Our relationship with China will be the most important bilateral relationship in the world in this century. ......... on most global issues we have no more trusted allies than those in Europe. ......... the largest developing democracies in the region, Brazil and Mexico, and deepen economic and strategic cooperation with Argentina and Chile. ...... the interconnected threats of drug trafficking, crime, and insurgency ...... the growing ranks of democracies in Africa ........ the blatant political corruption and brutality of Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe ........ We will have to talk about the consequences of our invasion of Iraq for the Iraqi people and others in the region. We will have to talk about Guantánamo and Abu Ghraib. ........... the Education for All Act, which would provide $10 billion over a five-year period to train teachers and build schools in the developing world. ......... climate control represents a powerful economic opportunity that can be a driver of growth, jobs, and competitive advantage ........ Two-thirds of the growth in energy demand over the next 25 years will come from countries with little existing infrastructure. ...... all of Africa can provide carbon credits to the West. ........ Human rights will never truly be realized as long as a majority of the world's population is still treated as second-class citizens. ......... women have been elected heads of state in countries on nearly every continent ....... the continuing spread of trafficking in women, the ongoing use of rape as an instrument of war, the political marginalization of women, and persistent gender gaps in employment and economic opportunity. ........ 1825 .... exulted in the simple fact that America had survived and flourished ...... gloried not in American power but rather in the power of the American idea ......... Two centuries later, our economic power and military might have grown beyond anything that our forefathers could have imagined. ........ the authority not simply of a large and wealthy nation but of the American idea.

Paparazzi 'fighting' by Diana car Guardian Unlimited A paparazzi photographer was seen fighting next to the wrecked car in which Diana, Princess of Wales was dying ..... the scuffle with a passer-by broke out within minutes of the crash in the Pont de l'Alma underpass in Paris in the early hours of August 31 1997, before emergency services had even arrived. ..... saw driver Henri Paul, his lifeless head wedged into an airbag, and the Princess's lover Dodi Fayed hanging between the front and back seats of the car. ....... the conscious but horrifically injured bodyguard Trevor Rees Jones, whose jaw was hanging loose. ..... she was trapped so low in the footwell and obscured by Dodi's twisted body. ...... a photographer whom he was unable to identify, was taking pictures of the wrecked car
Myanmar's beating of monks "very bad": Dalai Lama Reuters reminded him of China's treatment of Tibetans. ...... he had expressed to U.S. President George W. Bush gratitude to First Lady Laura Bush for championing democracy in Myanmar. ...... naturally, I felt some very, very strong sort of feeling. ..... China's warning that U.S. plans to honor the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader could damage relations between Beijing and Washington. ....... Myanmar police are still raiding homes and arresting activists. ....... "The junta, they are also Buddhists, so logically they should follow Buddhist teachings: non-violence or compassion -- and beating a monk is very bad," he said.
Putin tells U.S. not to strike Iran Russia would not accept military action against Iran and he invited Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Moscow for talks. ...... and leaders of other Caspian Sea states who ruled out any strikes on Iran from their region. ..... "We should not even think of using force in this region." ...... Iran, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan at a summit of Caspian Sea states. ...... The countries also backed the rights of signatories to the Non-Proliferation Treaty -- which includes Iran -- to develop peaceful nuclear energy. ...... Russia is building Iran's first atomic power plant in the port city of Bushehr. Russia says Iran is behind in payments for the plant, causing construction delays, but Iran says it is up to date and that Moscow is bowing to Western pressure. ....... Putin had bilateral talks with Ahmadinejad and also met Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who holds ultimate authority in Iran. ........ Moscow says it sees no evidence of a military program
Family beaten as YouTube party descends into chaos gatecrashers went on the rampage at a 16th birthday party after details were posted on YouTube ....... More than 100 uninvited teenagers descended on the family house, stole whisky and champagne, smashed windows and started fighting ....... was supposed to be a small event with about 30 invited guests. However, details were posted on the Internet, attracting dozens more teenagers.
Poll: As Thompson's star fades, Clinton's on the rise CNN just after he got in last month, polling showed Thompson and Rudy Giuliani were just about tied for front-runner. ....... last month -- 46 percent to 23 percent. She now leads the Illinois senator by 30 points -- 51 percent to 21 percent. ...... A majority of Democrats favor Clinton, whereas fewer than a third of Republicans favor their front-runner, Giuliani. ...... Nearly two-thirds, or 64 percent, of those polled expect Clinton to be the Democratic nomination. That's four times more than those who expect Obama to be the nominee. ...... expect to win the election? Clinton was chosen by 45 percent. Only 16 percent expect Giuliani to get elected. ...... when the two front-runners are pitted against each other, Clinton leads Giuliani by just two percentage points, 49 percent to 47 percent, a statistical tie. ....... Giuliani gets a lot more support from moderate and independent voters than a generic Republican candidate. That's the irony, Giuliani is trying to sound more and more like a typical Republican to get the nomination. But voters don't see him as a typical Republican
GOP breaking Reagan's 11th commandment
Campaign ad spending expected to reach $3 billion
Clinton open to military action against Iran nukes Newsday she would stress diplomacy over military might to restore the world's trust in America, but would spare no option in preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. ...... Bush's handling of Iraq has squandered the respect and trust of even America's closest allies ...... a preference for cooperating over acting unilaterally, for exhausting diplomacy before making war, and for converting old adversaries into allies rather than making new enemies ......... seeking diplomatic engagement with some of America's most problematic adversaries, including Iran. ...... "We had a historic opportunity to build a broad global coalition to combat terror, increase the impact of our diplomacy, and create a world with more partners and fewer adversaries," Clinton wrote. "But we lost that opportunity by refusing to let the UN inspectors finish their work in Iraq and rushing to war instead."
Clinton Details Foreign Policy Agenda New York Times “You cannot be a leader if no one else is following.” ........ her philosophy and approach reflect the Democratic mainstream ...... Use both hard power and soft power; talk to your enemies and strengthen alliances with your friends; deal with systemic destabilizing issues such as poverty and disease; elevate pragmatism over ideology; use international institutions such as the United Nations as tools for progress; make the military a part of comprehensive solutions, not as the solution itself; and encourage the spread of “our values” and the rule of law. ......... committed to building a world we want, rather than simply defending against a world we fear ...... “We must learn once again to draw on all aspects of American power, to inspire and attract as much as to coerce.” ....... Senator Clinton, who is seeking to become the first female commander-in-chief, also sprinkles some tough talk and hawkish positions into the mix, lest anyone doubt that she is tough enough for the job. ...... “As president, I will never hesitate to use force to protect Americans or to defend our territory and our vital interests. We cannot negotiate with individual terrorists; they must be hunted down and captured or killed” ..... false choices: force versus diplomacy, unilateralism versus multilateralism, hard power versus soft ...... an ideologically blinkered vision of the world that denies the United States the tools and the flexibility it needs to lead and succeed ....... replace our military force with an intensive diplomatic initiative in the region ....... will convene a regional stabilization group composed of key allies, other global powers, and all the states bordering Iraq ....... achieving a stable Iraq that provides incentives for Iran, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Turkey to stay out of the civil war ....... consistent U.S. involvement can lower the level of violence ....... If they think they can carry out another 9/11, I have no doubt that they will try. ......... if Iran is in fact willing to end its nuclear weapons program, renounce sponsorship of terrorism, support Middle East peace, and play a constructive role in stabilizing Iraq, the United States should be prepared to offer Iran a carefully calibrated package of incentives. ...... substantially and verifiably reduces the U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals ...... seek Senate approval of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty by 2009 ....... supplement the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. Establishing an international fuel bank that guaranteed secure access to nuclear fuel at reasonable prices ....... HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria ....... an “e-8” international forum modeled on the G-8 ..... world’s major carbon-emitting nations