Group Therapy

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Ranger Question of the Day:
How are the government -sponsored deaths in Myanmar
any different than the U.S.-sponsored killing in Iraq?
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"Crackdown Snuffs Hopes in Myanmar" . . . Why doesn't one ever read headlines like, "Crackdown Snuffs Hopes in Iraq"? At least the violence in Myanmar is an indigenous government acting against their own citizens. In Iraq, it is a foreign army of occupation imposing its will upon a foreign nation. Why is the Myanmar government criticized for silencing dissent, but the U.S. is not? Both are suppressing the actions of the citizenry of a country.

Here's a brilliant idea: Let GWB adopt the Myanmar pro-democracy movement's fighting peacock flag as his own banner, in a show of solidarity. I can think of no bird mascot more appropriate for Boy George than the preening and showy peacock (the dodo is extinct.)

Note the photo accompanying the article: the soldier is carrying a U.S.-made M-16 rifle courtesy of Colt Industries and the U.S. government. My country will criticize Myanmar for shooting on a dissenting crowd, yet it placed the rifles in their hands.

One wonders how and why U.S. tax dollars wangle such marvels of democratic achievement. The M-16 is ideal for crowd control since it has three saftey/fire modes. Safe-single-group therapy (full auto).

It is also interesting that the soldier on the left has a .303 British WWI SMLE bolt action rifle. He is probably a National Guard called up to fight domestic terrorism. Britain and the U.S. -- still a great team.