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Satellite Images Used to Monitor Burmese Junta
BurmesePython writes "Human rights groups are using high-resolution satellites images to reveal the activities of Burma's junta as it gets tough with pro-democracy protesters. Apparently 'it should be easy to spot groups of monks because of their distinctive maroon robes'. Like previous efforts to use satellites to monitor the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, the hope is it will prod the UN and other international actors into putting pressure on the Burmese rulers."
/sets up soap box
... Which is WHY the world needs a new stateless naval and military/policing force made of individuals released from their nations' "sovereignty" so that these uniformed volunteers cannot be commanded to invade some country at the behest of their own home countries.
//steps down from soap box...
OK, FINALLY, a Slashdot topic to which I can bluntly state (some of) my political stance:
Basically, the maritime police force *I* envision would "deprecate all power-projecting nations' flag-waving navies into nothing more than own-shore coastal patrol units", thereby neutering/spaying or restraining other nations.
I assume the US, Japan, and South Korea, as well as the UK, Australia and some others wont' like it, but tough. 200 years from now we have to have arrived at improvement, and I see one way, one potential way.
Suppose Chinas growing wealth is diverted to funding the construction of STATELESS (read: non-nation-owned) policing ships that pack enough punch to SINK ANY US or other vessel that DARES to sink a stateless, multi-nationally-crewed policing vessel, and then after 25 years of service, these ships are turned over to the last captains home nation. If such an entity could gain favor, it would put the US Coast Guard in charge of US border security and have the USN and similar navies looking toward (but not forward to) retirement or deprecation.
The idea is that NO EXISTING warships are eligible to be in this program. Only new, monk or rabbi or priest-blessed/etc ships constructed for the SOLE PURPOSED of being maritime police to reduce the legitimacy of claims standing-navy nations now have and use as excuses to deliver a punch to people they don't like.
Moreover, such an entity/organization would stand a better chance at demolishing regimes of massive, global waste and redundancy.
Primary missions of the entity would be:
- rescue at-sea storm victims
- rescue victims of piracy or terrorism at sea or near sea
- rescue land-based earthquake/tsunami/flood victims
- use fresh-water over-production capacity of these ships to deliver potable water to lessen water wars
- locate, apprehend and bring to justice any seafaring scofflaws/criminals
- force the surfacing of submarines lurking along coasts where they don't belong, collecting datum, and distributing that tracking data globally to ensure the obsolescence of bad-ass-wannabe subs
- other missions as arrived upon that don't involve: sinking ships, killing crews en-masse, waving national flags, propping up corrupt regimes...
And, these ships I design won't carry nukes, nor will they carry any intercontinental weaponry, just only what it takes to take out retribution against incursion faction ships of nations that can't seem to get it in their heads that if the coast is not theirs, they shouldn't be prowling or lurking or setting down lying in wait.
Humanity needs to move forward. Sure, a lot of national pride might be globally blunted, but humanity deserves better. And, if anything, it *MIGHT* help reduce terrorism aimed at specific countries.
Previously: "Linux... Toward the Sunrise..." Now: "Linux... Toward the-- No, now, part of Every Sunrise"
The rationale goes back to preventing another World War I. At the turn of the century, most nations in Europe made alliances with each other that if one of them were attacked, their ally would step in to defend them. They grouped themselves into the Entente Powers and the Central Powers. Now, if governments were the only actors, and if these alliances were public knowledge, this might have resulted in a tense, but stable environment. What actually happened was a terrorist group from Serbia (the Black Hand Society) assassinated the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary. Both sides reacted disproportionately, Austria-Hungary declared war, most of Europe honored their treaty obligations, and millions died.
The League of Nations, the predecessor to the UN (and ineffective even in comparison to the UN) was the response to the perceived causes of World War I.
But you see that is not the problem with the UN but with the nation state system. Who gets to decide which country is a good citizen (USA in your opinion? Most people on this planet would disagree) and which one is a "rights-abusing monster"?
Here are the alternatives for ya, feel free to add your own:
1. A nation state is supreme, there are no meaningful international bodies: this creates a "might is right" situation that existed for most of the history, resulting in hell of a lot of killing. A situation that UN was created to correct in the first place.
2. There is a body above the nation state that has power to tell the nation state what to do (aka World Government): Listen Burma you better clean up your act or we will invade! OR Listen USA, we the UN have decided that your death penalty and gun laws are barbaric and we order you to change them!
3. An international forum where the sovereign states, good and bad, can come together and work on things in a peaceful way. Perhaps occasionally get the interests of sufficient number of them aligned to the point of doing something useful. This is pretty much what we have today. Not perfect, but what's your alternative?
Negative moral value of force outweighs the positive value of good intentions.
Burma was a British colony. Let the Brits and the Commonwealth take care of the problem by themselves for once. I look forward to watching Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe thugs forces liberating Rangoon under the Union Jack.
"The average reporter we talk to is 27 years old......They literally know nothing." - Ben Rhodes
If there's one thing bad 70's TV taught me, it's that a pissed off Buddhist monk is NOT to be trifled with. The Burmese military doesn't know what it's in for.
God invented whiskey so the Irish would not rule the world.
I think you underestimate the brutality of this regime.
most of the heroin that comes into Australia is Burmese origin. The Karen rebels try to interrupt the supply, so as to weaken the Juntas trade, but the Junta retalliate by kidnapping Karen children and have them walk in front of the soldiers as human minesweepers.
"Laugh while you can a-monkey boy!" - Dr Emilio Lizardo