By Mike Ghouse
Listening to the news about upheaval in Myanmar made me saddened with our civilization, particularly, our role in the world. Respect for human life is declining; the terrorists are one side killing hundreds and the civilized nations on the other hand killing millions. This has to stop for our own good.
We still have dictatorships, monarchies, fascists, communist and theocracies around. Shouldn’t we declare a war on ignorance? Shouldn’t we spend the money on education rather than destruction? US can be a real winner for another century if we do not blow our monies on war and destruction and instead win the world by doing good in the long haul, our win sustains our influence and creates new customers for our products. Isn’t it is the right thing to do? I hope our next president would be smart. We should be supporting, encouraging and funding democracies and the education that goes with it.
What is happening in Myanmar is sad, the sparkle of goodness is that the Hindus, Muslims, Christians and others are standing by in the support of the Monks.
India’s silence is short-sighted. The GOI does not want to upset the rogue regimes who are suppressing the freedom movement of the people; they want to keep those business contracts intact. It sounds like the logical thing to do, but it is not.
One of these days, there will be a government of the people in Myanmar; at that time they would not look favorably to India and would look elsewhere. India will lose both business and on moral grounds. We have to support all freedom movements, those business extremists may lose in the short run, but in the long haul every one wins. America has made this mistake over and over again, India needs to learn this.
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Mike Ghouse is the president of the Foundation for Pluralism and he can be reached at [email protected].
Blogs: http://MikeGhouseforAmerica.Blogspot.com http://MikeGhouse.Sulekha.com