China is doing its best to save lives after earthquake, unlike Myanmar

I have been first to criticize the Chinese government in the recent past. However, my heart goes out to them for there heroic effort to save lives in the aftermath of the 7.9 Earthquake. They have accepted help from Russia, Japan and other countries and have sent tens of thousands of troops on foot to help rescue survivors trapped under rubble and to clear roads and restore some services. There is limited things we can do to help them, but for one thing, we can pray for the families who are suffering.

Contrast this situation and the response by the Chinese government to that of Myanmar. Here we are a full 2 weeks after their disaster and aid still is only allowed to trickle into their country. This is not because the world has offered help. It is due to the paranoid leadership of the country. And while the world still watches, they continue to be resolute. I compare this to the atrocities of Nazi Germany when the rest of the world watched and stood by to see the Holocaust without doing a thing to stop it. The World must act through the UN to end this senseless and unnecessary catastrophe from occurring.

The Military Junta in Burma makes a big gamble delaying aid.

Here's the gamble the leaders of the Military in Burma are making. As they control the average soldier and even non commissioned officers, many of the soldiers families are going to get really sick and die without assistance. Then ask yourself how loyal do you think the soldiers will be to their leaders. My guess, not very loyal. It's one way how a Coup d'etat gets its start. And add this to the current equation, the people are still in shock and have not yet gotten from shock to anger. That is coming too. The scariest thing the Military leaders fear is to allow foreigners into their country. The fact is, that is their only hope for survival.

UPDATE: May 9, 2008

News this morning that the Military Junta of Burma has seized all the food and aid. Here is a small quote from the story:

" Myanmar's junta seized U.N. aid shipments Friday meant for a multitude of hungry and homeless survivors of last week's devastating cyclone, forcing the world body to suspend further help.

The aid included 38 tons of high-energy biscuits and arrived in Myanmar on Friday on two flights from Bangladesh and the United Arab Emirates.

"All of the food aid and equipment that we managed to get in has been confiscated," U.N. World Food Program spokesman Risley said.

"For the time being, we have no choice but to end further efforts to bring critical needed food aid into Myanmar at this time," he said."

It seems as though they may be trying to help themselves and the soldiers by seizing the aid. This action by the Military leaders will certainly deteriorate conditions in Burma, as air born disease spares no one including the Military leaders and their families. It is a sad day indeed when the world community must stop aiding innocent civilians because of the shortsightedness of a few. Surrounding countries will be affected by the disease that is spawned there and so will their more friendly allies like China.

To read the complete article click here.

Headline reads: U.S. may ask death for 9-11 suspects

According to news reports, the Pentagon is planning to charge 6 detainees at Guantanamo for the Sept. 11th terror attacks and seek the death penalty. Among those who face the death penalty is Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the suspected mastermind of the attacks. He is one of the detainees at Guantanamo who the U.S. admitted using water-boarding, which many consider torture, including the U.N. Chief of the Human Rights Commission.

The Bush Administration wants to finish what they started but many countries are going to object to giving them the death penalty, especially since they used torture (water boarding) to get the confessions. The problem is they plan to hold these trials in relative secrecy, as it will not be televised and although a few reporters will be present, as will be the lawyers, it will be a charade in my humble view. I think this is especially true given the Administration's current position on water-boarding where it claims water-boarding may be illegal now, but wasn't before. Go figure that position out. Attorney General, Mike Mukasey, has "a lot of splainin to do", as Lucy Richardo would have said.

To read the news article click here.

Headline reads "Waterboarding should be prosecuted as torture: U.N."

That's right the Bush Presidency and Administration have now been put on notice by the U.N. Human Rights Chief that waterboarding qualifies as torture. The exact quote was, "I would have no problems with describing this practice as falling under the prohibition of torture," said the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour, at a news conference in Mexico City yesterday.

I have been saying this for the past 2 years. I wrote on Nov. 26, 2005 the following with regards to Mccain's Bill to ban the use of torture and waterboarding:

"As I stated in an earlier posting, Cheney seems to be defying all logic with his attempt to stop the McCain Bill from becoming the law of the land. His lobbying efforts on this matter has shown his true colors. Maybe he is worried that eventually he will be brought up on War Crimes by the UN and he wants to prevent that by having a law that protects him. I doubt that he will ever leave this country again as a former VP, as he will be afraid they will arrest him, as well as Rumsfeld."

And yet today, we have a Senate and Congress that continue to give President Bush and especially VP Cheney, former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, a pass on this. But the UN now has taken a stance with one broad brush that it is torture, so setting into motion the possibility of countries arresting any of these officials should they be so unwise to travel abroad. You see by the U.N. making a pronouncement on this it raises the stakes as a violation of the Geneva Convention and in that domain the World Court has jurisdiction.

It sets up several moral questions for our country and several issues needing full discussion by the American people. Here are some questions to ask yourself:

Are we willing, as a nation, to allow our leaders to be tried in the World Court when they violate International laws and treaties? If we say no, that we can't allow a World Court to have jurisdiction over our leaders, then we face the argument that why should other countries be subject to the World Court? You see our leaders have been most active in bringing others to the World Court under Crimes against Humanity.

Do we as a country have the only moral authority in the world to decide what is right and what is wrong? I don't think so.

Should we be asking our Presidential candidates questions on where they stand on the use of torture and waterboarding?

Where do they stand on whether the World Court should be the final authority on Crimes against Hiumanity for all countries?

You see it is my opinion that when we fail as individual citizens to stand up and be counted on issues like this, we lose part of our rights and freedoms, one drip at a time. All those before us who have given their lives to protect the ideals of this country and protect our freedom are turning in their graves because we haven't had the courage to do the right thing and say STOP. The Republicans, who were in charge and gave blanket permission to President Bush and Vice President Cheney to do anything they wanted under the umbrella of protecting America against terrorists, have taken away many freedoms we once had. Then when the Democrats got elected with a majority in 2006, they also didn't have the courage to STOP the Administration. They used the argument they didn't have the votes. They did. They could have shut down the entire government by not passing the bills that provided the funds for the government to continue the war. They could have started impeachment proceedings on many issues like the authorization to use torture or trying to redefine the use of torture, which would fall under High Crimes and Misdemeanors. They refused to take the risk.

Even Presidential candidate John McCain, who was a former Prisoner of war and understands torture must never be condoned, caved in to this Administration when he, and Sen. John Lindsey, were opposed to the language of the bill on torture was before the Senate. They caved in and allowed the changes in language that Bush wanted and they opposed, to pass the Senate. And this was from "a man of principle" John McCain. This hero didn't stand up then and hasn't stood up since, except in his rhetoric on the use of water-boarding as torture.

I have been waiting for this day for over 2 years and I am so pleased that the Human Rights commission of the U.N. has put a stake in the ground on this and raised awareness around the world. President Bush doesn't have to worry about being arrested in a foreign country today and he won't after he leaves office, as he never traveled out of the country before he was president and most likely won't after as he will be relegated to obscurity after he leaves office. I have never been so ashamed of a president in my life. But Vice president Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and Alberto Gonzales should be worried, for they will not have peace of mind if they travel abroad again. And you know what, I'm thrilled!

About 6 months ago Rumsfeld had traveled quietly to France and when it was discovered he was in the country, some rushed to bringing papers to the Magistrate, to have him arrested while on France's soil on War Crimes? The papers were not issued and served in time and so he did not get arrested, but France's laws are quite clear and it was certainly possible he could have been arrested there.

I would be more proud if my own government had the courage to do the right thing here but they don't and won't, no matter who becomes President, and that is where we have decayed to in the past 8 years. This President and Vice President act as thjough they are above ALL laws. Sorry folks, these self proclaimed Emperors have no clothes!

To read the entire news story about the U.N. click here.