Comments on: A Question for the Day http://themoderatevoice.com/15416/a-question-for-the-day/ An Internet hub for moderates, centrists, and independents, with domestic and international news, analysis, original reporting, and popular features from the left, center, and right Mon, 23 Nov 2009 02:26:04 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: pacatrue http://themoderatevoice.com/15416/a-question-for-the-day/comment-page-1/#comment-100355 pacatrue Wed, 03 Oct 2007 06:57:03 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/places/asia/burma/15416/a-question-for-the-day/#comment-100355 A closer parallel would be the velvet revolution or orange one in Eastern Europe. Native dictatorial regimes being brought down by a mass refusal to participate any longer. I agree with an earlier post by Clarissa that one key to a real change is to give faces to the everyday soldiers who carry out the beatings and murder of monks. When they are too ashamed to visit their family because everyone knows them as killers of holy men, perhaps the junta's power will weaken. A closer parallel would be the velvet revolution or orange one in Eastern Europe. Native dictatorial regimes being brought down by a mass refusal to participate any longer. I agree with an earlier post by Clarissa that one key to a real change is to give faces to the everyday soldiers who carry out the beatings and murder of monks. When they are too ashamed to visit their family because everyone knows them as killers of holy men, perhaps the junta’s power will weaken.

]]> By: Sam http://themoderatevoice.com/15416/a-question-for-the-day/comment-page-1/#comment-100283 Sam Tue, 02 Oct 2007 19:16:39 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/places/asia/burma/15416/a-question-for-the-day/#comment-100283 "I’m hard-pressed to disagree with Marks, though his argument makes me wonder, more than ever, exactly what it was that made Gandhi’s unarmed resistance so remarkably powerful and effective." Whats been said above is true, but keep in mind that the Indians outnumbered the british 3000 to 1. Gandhi's real acheivement was not in "Freeing" the Indians, but in preventing the mass slaughter of the 100,000 or so British that were there. This same situation doesn't exist in Burma. “I’m hard-pressed to disagree with Marks, though his argument makes me wonder, more than ever, exactly what it was that made Gandhi’s unarmed resistance so remarkably powerful and effective.”

Whats been said above is true, but keep in mind that the Indians outnumbered the british 3000 to 1. Gandhi’s real acheivement was not in “Freeing” the Indians, but in preventing the mass slaughter of the 100,000 or so British that were there. This same situation doesn’t exist in Burma.

]]> By: George Sorwell http://themoderatevoice.com/15416/a-question-for-the-day/comment-page-1/#comment-100270 George Sorwell Tue, 02 Oct 2007 17:54:28 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/places/asia/burma/15416/a-question-for-the-day/#comment-100270 Despite being imperialists, the British were empiricists, not just ideologists. Gandhi was, over a long period of time, able to show them where they did not live up to their own ideals. Despite being imperialists, the British were empiricists, not just ideologists.

Gandhi was, over a long period of time, able to show them where they did not live up to their own ideals.

]]> By: Idiosyncrat http://themoderatevoice.com/15416/a-question-for-the-day/comment-page-1/#comment-100258 Idiosyncrat Tue, 02 Oct 2007 16:05:34 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/places/asia/burma/15416/a-question-for-the-day/#comment-100258 Pete, Gandhi's success was just as much a function of the British being British and the historical time frame in which he found himself. This is not to minimize his non-violent accomplishments, but I fear there will be no such luck with the Myanmar junta. Pete, Gandhi’s success was just as much a function of the British being British and the historical time frame in which he found himself. This is not to minimize his non-violent accomplishments, but I fear there will be no such luck with the Myanmar junta.

]]> By: mikkel http://themoderatevoice.com/15416/a-question-for-the-day/comment-page-1/#comment-100249 mikkel Tue, 02 Oct 2007 14:43:59 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/places/asia/burma/15416/a-question-for-the-day/#comment-100249 Well to be fair to Gandhi, his vision was more about peace for mankind and didn't guarantee that it would work to save any particular individual, group or country. Also in practice it was about nearly continuous unarmed resistance for decades eventually involving hundreds of thousands of people. It also didn't hurt that Britain wanted good production out of India and their primary concern was getting them to work. If they were just interested in domination and slaughtered everyone who knows what would have happened. Well to be fair to Gandhi, his vision was more about peace for mankind and didn’t guarantee that it would work to save any particular individual, group or country.

Also in practice it was about nearly continuous unarmed resistance for decades eventually involving hundreds of thousands of people.

It also didn’t hurt that Britain wanted good production out of India and their primary concern was getting them to work. If they were just interested in domination and slaughtered everyone who knows what would have happened.

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