Should we intervene in Burma?
Ivo Daalder, one of the advocates of a "league of democracies", has already called for international pressure to be applied against the junta. George Packer is willing to contemplate armed intervention, if necessary:
Forcing the regime to let the rest of the world save its people would have a devastating effect on morale. Burma’s leaders are so isolated and irrational that they actually believe their own propaganda about being the only group that can hold the country together. It’s possible that the junta would collapse out of sheer humiliation...
If the fear of Baghdad and Falluja is what keeps foreign powers from saving huge numbers of Burmese from their own government’s callousness, that will be one more tragic consequence of the Iraq war. On the other hand, if it’s going to be done, it should be done quickly. I know all the arguments why we shouldn’t. But there are at least a million counter-arguments why we should. [Photo: Buddhist monks pray for victims of Cyclone Nargis outside UN headquarters in New York. Credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images]
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Alf Tupper
May 16th, 2008 1:37pmAll the talk these days is of the rise of the Asian superpowers. Well surely along with that, must come obligations on the world stage.
The timing is dreadful I know for China, what with the dreadful earthquake; but surely India with all its new-found wealth and power, is ideally placed to step in and help Burma?
Ian C
May 16th, 2008 2:42pmIt is this sort of knock on effect of the initial failure in Iraq that was so bone of Rumsfeld and Bush. But realistically it is only the USA that could jsut float its aid into the Burmese deltas having todl the Junta that that is all they are doing. Neither they nor the Chinese could get upset - and Bush would leap in the world's ectimation. It is this sort of thing that will change the world, not arguing about it in some air conditioned block of flats in New York.