BRAVO BUSH!!

I did not vote for George Bush...I thought Gore won that elections..I despise him for what is going on in Iraq..but I find myself in the same corner with him on the issue of Burma. He is using many of the "tools" of economic persuasion that he could have used on Saddam Hussein.. on Burma now to free that country. Classical conservatives would have no part in the active "promotion" of democracy abroad..and certainly not the use of "business" and money..the source of all power in tyrannical regimes...to wage an economic war. George Bush by making it difficult for American companies to do business there through a series of taxation and regulatory laws, and freezing of accounts, is doing exactly what I have always advocated would work..target the junta and the ruling elite IN THEIR POCKET BOOKS AND ALTER THEIR LUXURIOUS LIFESTYLES...This more than anything will ALTER THEIR BEHAVIOR...Why should all the Burmese citizens suffer when "targeted" strikes on family pocket books would do the trick? I can hear "private property" rights advocates, howling not to mix politics and economics together...can you imagineif the banks and businessmen did the same thing about Hitler and his thugs?? We would have been spared the devastation of WWII...like it or not, as the famous military tactician Claus Van Clausvitz wrote, "the outcome of wars will depend on the integrated use of social, political, and economic strategies"..It is also possible as Sun Tzu wrote in the "The Art of War"...to "wage war without war"...Bravo George Bush..if he succeeds in this..it will be a real feather in his cap..and well it should be. bookbagwarrior, United States of America

Laura Bush and the Bush Clan Rolladex

I appreciate Laura Bush's denunciation of the atrocities going on in Burma. I just read a student leader just now died from the interrogation and many more are being rounded up. If I were in Laura Bush's shoes, I would access and use HER FAMILY'S FORMIDABLE ROLLADEX OF WORLD LEADERS AND BILLIONAIRE CONTRIBUTORS and make a private and personal appeal to them to USE THEIR MONEY AND INFLUENCE, to pressure the junta. Calling for the junta to stop merely begs the question.."or else what" impose sanctions? What do they care..that only impoverisheS the people but not the generals individually. Laura Bush is in a unique position to make those personal phone calls and for the calls to be picked and or returned personally by these money men. They must know many people from their decades in public office fund raising, who have the connections to the right people who can make this happen..who can talk to the banks in Singapore to freeze these generals private accounts and to ask their CEO contributors and friends to hold monies going to the generals in escrow..there are many things that can be done behind the scenes...and I would like to think that they are...but can't help wondering how many more will die before it works..but how many more if we don't act.. bookbagwarrior, United States of America

DAVID AND GOLIAITH: STRATEGIC STRIKE AT A DISTANCE

David and Goliath...that is what comes to mind when I think of this battle...we are David...and the Burmese junta, Chinese, India's, Singapore, Thai, UK, US corporations still doing business with this monk killing machine, is Goliath. At first glance, a little boy with a sling shot would have no possible way to take down a giant warrior. How did David do it? TARGETED STRIKE people. He did it by going for Goliath's vulnerability, his eye. He did not try to take him down by "wrestling him" down, man to man combat, etc. He was taken down FROM A DISTANCE, with a SMALL STONE TARGETED AND REACHING THE RIGHT PLACE.....people people people...let's use our outage beyond this wringing of hands, and moaning and shrieking of our outrage. LET'S DO A CONSOLIDATION OF RESOURCES AND A TARGETED STRIKE ON THE SOURCE OF THIS JUNTA'S POWER...ITS MONEY LINE.Call an online SUMMIT of all organizations, individuals, IGOs, NGOs, INGOs, concerned about this issue. Decide on focusing all assets and resources, from all allied organizations on this one issue for a moment instead of all going in different directions doing many things less successfully. 1. Strike at the biggest supporter, be that China. 2. If the target is China, choose the biggest way to hurt them....be it the Olympics or targeting the biggest corporation doing business with them. 3. Focus all ads and demonstrations on that one target. Make this one hit successful...and WATCH GOLIATH COME TUMBLING DOWN... bookbagwarrior, United States of America

INCENTIVIZING THE JUNTA

Okay people...let's put ourselves in the shoes of the generals...what will incentivize them? What I know is that they will be slow to GIVE UP POWER, or slower to SHARE POWER if they think that it will mean sharing the fate of Saddam Hussein and his party in Iraq. This is what makes your enemy fight to the death..when you give him no option to survive...in an altered role...but survive nevertheless. It is important that whoever takes power does not think democracy means taking the levers of power just for themselves or their party. They have to be subject to checks and balances like any power in a democracy....and give room for the military junta to retain their political power and compete in free and open elections.Any notion of a vengeful takeover will retard this process and harden the stand of the military junta. The junta has to be convinced that it will not mean their "total annihilation" just their transformation...like having to accept transparency, accountability, participatory democracy "where the weakest and most vulnerable have a say on issues that directly affect them and how resources are allocated and developed"-(Stephen Welch and Caroline Kennedy)

bookbagwarrior, United States of America

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HIT THEM WHERE IT HURTS: LUCRATIVE CONTRACTS

Okay people...those of you who are wondering what else you can do...and are feeling helpless about this situation..there is one concrete thing..India just announced that it will ink the $100 million dollar Kaladan transport project despite opposition to the junta's treatment of the monks..Did they get any concession on Suu Kyi in exchange for this? Is this why there is now a "liaison" assigned to her? I hope so because if I were Indian, I would be furious about this and would get on the phones right away to this company and organize marches around this company...It's all about the companies still supporting this regime people..it's not about "states" and governments, and inter-governmental organizations, all of which are held captive by "special" financial interest.......states are powerless in this matter..the people of the world have to rise and go to the source of the power of this junta...the corporations...in 2 minutes there is a call in protest to Chevron mentioned on this link..I urge everyone who wants to do something that will really be felt to participate and call the CEO and ask for the "escrowing" of royalties that go to the general...while we're at it ...who the CEO of this Kaladan project is...and call him as well... bookbagwarrior, United States of America

TAKING ACTION

Okay people..an update on the world wide Chevron call in..I just called the 1 925 842 3232 headquarters number and asked for CEO David O'Reilly. I was asked who I was and what I was calling about. I told them I was calling about the world wide protest on the Burmese crisis and would like to "appeal" to Mr. O' Reilly for help. He put me on hold and then came back to give me this email address set up for this purpose comment@chevron.com...to make sure I was not being given the run around...I asked for a manager, supervisor etc and asked if the CEO was aware of this world wide protest today and the world's outrage...he said "oh yes"...so let's continue to flood his phone lines on this and email...THEY ARE LISTENING... bookbagwarrior, United States of America

CAPITALISM WITH CONSCIENCE

Here is what I wrote to the CEO of Chevron..and plan to use with other CEOs.. Dear David O'Reilly We are appealing to your conscience and everything right that you hold dear, to intercede on behalf of the Burmese people and use some of your power to pressure the junta to stop the killings, free the rightful leader Suu Kyi and restore democracy. You can do this by escrowing the monies that go to line the pockets of these generals and used to brutally suppress its own people. Governments and Inter-Governmental Organizations are powerless here...money talks and we would like you to use its language with eloquence on the generals for the good of all.. bookbagwarrior, United States of America