October 6, 2007

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Burma and the Junta

Smart and revelatory piece on Burma’s military rule by Seth Mydans in the NYT:

Foreigners who may hope to change this government, or to deal with it, must assess its stature in the country, its belief in its mission and an insular worldview and value system that may make communication difficult.

Even if the ruling junta is removed, it is most likely to be replaced by another military government, analysts say, and even if some form of democracy is adopted, the military will still be the country’s driving force.

You can’t just rip the guts out of things, even if the guts are, er, non-optimal.

For some reason I keep thinking of the Ship of Theseus though I know it’s not exactly applicable…