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Friday, May 16, 2008

Here’s an Idea…

posted by on May 16 at 10:38 AM

…what do you say we invade Burma?

RSS icon Comments

1

Why go all the way to Burma when Myanmar is so much closer?

Posted by Spoogie | May 16, 2008 10:44 AM
2

Great idea. Whose army are we going to use? We no longer have a functional one.

Posted by Fnarf | May 16, 2008 10:48 AM
3

Take some foam...

Take a blade...

Suit up for war...

Then invade!

BURMA-SHAVE

Posted by Jubilation T. Cornball | May 16, 2008 10:48 AM
4

we will never invade Myanmar because:

1. we aren't scared of communists anymore
2. they don't have oil

Posted by Gordon Werner | May 16, 2008 10:51 AM
5

Major European powers actually proposed this a few days ago (France and Germany being the main backers).

Posted by Gabriel | May 16, 2008 10:53 AM
6

Did you ever see an invasion you didn't like?

Posted by daniel | May 16, 2008 10:54 AM
7

"A brief, decisive international effort!" Yes! What could go wrong?

Sullivan. Tool.

Posted by elenchos | May 16, 2008 10:56 AM
8

I've got a better idea: stop listening to Andrew Sullivan, just like everybody else has.

Posted by whatevernevermind | May 16, 2008 10:59 AM
9

Hmmm, how about we focus on "nation building" within our own borders for a while. I'd even settle for just mass transit building.

Posted by Westside forever | May 16, 2008 11:00 AM
10

my guy reaction is to oppose invasions, but just like i felt in the case of bosnia hercegovinia, i think sometimes u have to step in. theyre letting their people die. un workers on the ground and doctors withoutborders volunteers from france are not given access to some areas, and some fear the death toll is higher than a hundred thousand.

this can be a world response. europe has the troop availability. hell, france and belgium had no problem helping the rwandan genocidiares escape, they should step in and stop this form of genocide.

if done, it should not be a troop invasion but rather a UN takeover of a country who is not interested in saving their population. i think i heard on NPR the other day that the UN charter allows it, but the political will is not there and NATO is not the right body to carry this out.

something should be done, obviously condeming the junta isnt doing jack shit.

Posted by SeMe | May 16, 2008 11:01 AM
11

ooops, clearly i meant, my gut reaction. im not sure what my guy reaction would be.

Posted by SeMe | May 16, 2008 11:02 AM
12

What usay dsay.
your insta-have, savaged sam.

Posted by danielbennettkieneker | May 16, 2008 11:06 AM
13

Your guy reaction is to kick ass when presented the opportunity.

Posted by Foggen | May 16, 2008 11:06 AM
14

Whatever dsays...
your insta-havus savaged samslays...

Posted by danielbennettkieneker | May 16, 2008 11:08 AM
15

Whatever dsays...
your insta-havus savaged samslays...

Posted by danielbennettkieneker | May 16, 2008 11:09 AM
16

i'm with you dan, let's do it.

Posted by cochise. | May 16, 2008 11:19 AM
17

If you come out in support of it, Dan, I will spam SLOG with excerpts from the editorial you write about it for the next several decades.

Posted by tsm | May 16, 2008 11:24 AM
18

#2, we don't need an army. We just need American flags. The people of Burma will greet us with flowers. Many other countries will want to be with us when that evil regime is removed from power. We can pay for the reconstruction with Burmese oil reven... er, whoops.

Nevermind.

Posted by w7ngman | May 16, 2008 11:29 AM
19

does anyone (outside the stranger staff) give even half a shit about what sullivan has to say? he was wrong about iraq and wrong about bush. the only things he writes of any interest are repudiations of his previous positions, and even those have only a "hah, what a fuckwit" quality that wears thin fast, considering he cheered on the worst foreign policy decision in US history and he's not even a citizen.

Posted by brett | May 16, 2008 11:32 AM
20

i'm with savage, let's get it on.

Posted by j-zeezer | May 16, 2008 11:33 AM
21

@3...

You sir, are a god.

Posted by Bellevue Ave | May 16, 2008 11:38 AM
22

Hmmm. One small problem with this scenario. The country formerly known as Burma is propped up by and profits the country formerly known as the Peoples Republic of China (now known as the bank of the us government because it holds over 1 trillion in us assets). China also has a permanent seat on the security council. It also manufactures many of the products that Americans buy. This amount of clout makes such suggestions of invasion seem unlikely.

Still since the junta and its leadership live in a conveniently isolated private city, if international agreement did open the possibility of yet another attempt at regime change, at least the leadership might be easier to find.

But really, a three front war? I don't think the US could stage an invasion if it wanted to. Now China on the other hand, could likely just tell the junta to pack up and leave. Where is the diplomacy?


Posted by LMSW | May 16, 2008 11:39 AM
23

While Dan did link to an approving entry by Sullivan, the idea itself is George Packer's. Packer is a smart, thoughtful guy, who has written more intelligently about Iraq than anyone. This isn't wacko testosterone overdose talking; it's an interesting idea.

Unfortunately, Iraq has taken the US out of the international game, at least for another decade. We're not capable of invading anybody -- or even defending ourselves -- without a military draft.

Posted by Fnarf | May 16, 2008 11:43 AM
24

I was in Burma/Myanmar for a month about 5 years ago, just after the US invaded Iraq. I was seriously amazed at the number of people I met who asked me whether they thought the US might want to invade Burma. They were really enthused by the idea at the time.

Posted by Katy | May 16, 2008 11:46 AM
25

@21 -- Well, gee...thanks! In that case, I'm gonna go up to the top of the Volunteer Park water tower and hurl some lightning bolts at gays in the bushes.

Posted by Jubilation T. Cornball | May 16, 2008 11:48 AM
26

It would make our Chinese overlords very angry and they might cut off our allowance.

Posted by inkweary | May 16, 2008 12:02 PM
27

@2 said what I would say.

Even if @26 is most insightful ...

Posted by Will in Seattle | May 16, 2008 12:09 PM
28

(oh, and Burma does have gas and mineral wealth ...)

Posted by Will in Seattle | May 16, 2008 12:11 PM
29

And we already have the invasion song: "On the Road to Mandalay" but I cannot imagine US troops feasting on flying fishes. Burma is a brassy example of why the military should never be allowed to take over any country.

Posted by IF U NU SUZIE... | May 16, 2008 12:53 PM
30

They don't got tairrists. They ain't got no dubya-M.D. They don't got no oyil.

Posted by K | May 16, 2008 1:15 PM
31

@25,

Don't hit Mr. Poe!

Posted by keshmeshi | May 16, 2008 1:24 PM
32

I'm sure we would be greeted as liberators.

Posted by Mahtli69 | May 16, 2008 1:47 PM
33

OK Dan, suit up, strap on your rifle and have a blast you posturing pussy.

Posted by Jay | May 16, 2008 3:11 PM
34

Just sear him a little bit.

Posted by NapoleonXIV | May 16, 2008 3:34 PM
35

"The War on Iraq will make it clear to our friends and enemies
in the Middle East (and elsewhere) that we mean business: Free your people, reform your societies,
liberalize, and democratize... or we're going to come over there, remove you from power, free your
people, and reform your societies for ourselves." --Dan savage, 2002

Posted by Savageman | May 16, 2008 3:45 PM
36

@34 -- Ever seen a lightning bolt give a Brazilian. Run out to the park right now...

Posted by Jubilation T. Cornball | May 16, 2008 3:46 PM
37

Fry Poe and you may have the makings of a good beer-chicken recipie.

Posted by NapoleonXIV | May 16, 2008 3:57 PM
38

35: Wow, I never saw that. Love the naked imperialism on display there.

Posted by Jay | May 16, 2008 4:13 PM
39

@3

Bless you, my son.

Posted by CP | May 16, 2008 5:23 PM
40

@39 -- Anytime, pal...anytime at all.

Posted by Jubilation T. Cornball | May 16, 2008 6:01 PM
41

@37 --

Deep-Fried Poe with Cod

Ingredients

1 Mr. Poe (shaved, powdered and slathered with Kiehl’s crème de corps)
50 gallons frying oil (preferably peanut)
6 doz. eggs
1 lb flour

Instructions

1. Heat oil to lightly smoking
2. Crack eggs into large bowl and mix
3. Roll slathered Mr. Poe in flour and add egg mixture
4. Create gloppy mess all over Mr. Poe
5. Throw Mr. Poe in boiling oil and cook till coating is golden brown
6. Remove from heat and set friend Mr. Poe on paper towels
7. Go to Pike Street Friend Fish and get fried cod, bring it home and throw on friend Mr. Poe
8. Serve immediately
9. Serves one Slog Happy crowd

* NOTE: Gratuitous mention of Pike Street Fried Fish solely to gain favor with Stranger staffers heavily invested in same

Posted by Jubilation T. Cornball | May 16, 2008 6:08 PM
42

* Something weird happened between Word and posting here -- it turned "fried" into "friend" -- sorry about that. But I guess it works both ways :-)

Posted by Jubilation T. Cornball | May 16, 2008 6:10 PM
43

You compose your Slog comments in WORD? I think the word you were looking for is "freak".

Posted by Fnarf | May 17, 2008 12:29 AM
44

Invade Burma? With what army? In case you hadn't noticed, the current war is already destroying our army's capacity to defend us from real threats to our national security.

We have a small, all-volunteer army. We don't have the resources to intervene in every human-rights crisis around the globe. Besides, what proof is there that we would do any good? We tried to intervene in Somalia to ensure the delivery of food aid, and look what good that did -- 18 Rangers and thousands of Somalis dead, and for what?

If you haven't already, you should read Aidan Hartley's description of watching the U.S. military escort a convoy of aid trucks to a famine-stricken village in Somalia. The convoy arrived unmolested, they distributed food to the villagers, and a half hour after the military left, the militiamen came out of hiding and stole all the food.

Besides, as someone else pointed out, this is likely to get us involved in a war with China. Remember what happened last time we got involved in a Southeast Asian war, in a country our government knew hardly anything about, fightin an enemy who was receiving aid from China? Yeah, that worked out brilliantly. We definitely need to do Vietnam again.

Posted by Lydia | May 17, 2008 2:44 PM
45

Actually, North Vietnam was receiving overwhelmingly Soviet aid - the Khmer Rouge were the Chinese proxy in the region, which is why Vietnam went to war with China following unification, and why they later went to war with KR-controlled Cambodia.

Posted by christopher | May 18, 2008 12:45 PM

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