Apologies to Keith Olbermann for the headline, but the people who regularly top his list -- Bill-O, Ann Coulter, etc. -- can't compare to this hideous thug: Than Shwe, the leading dictator of Burma, who is now starving his own people to death:
Welcome to the world of General Than Shwe - nicknamed, in muted whispers, the 'Bulldog'. Alliances in the tight circle surrounding him are oiled by money, influence and business opportunities, including arms and heroin dealing, and defined by paranoia, self-enrichment and astrology.
Than Shwe, 74, in power since 1992, is famed in Burma for his megalomania. The junta's bunker capital, Naypyidaw - 'The King's Place' - was built on the advice of his astrologer. A common rumour - exiles and dissidents paint the picture of a mad despot - is that the superstitious Than Shwe believes he is a Buddha. He commissioned a Buddha statue, whose face is uncannily like his own, which stands in Rangoon's most sacred pagoda, Shwedagon, where opposition activists go to venerate Aung San Suu Kyi.
But it was last year's extravagant wedding of Than Shwe's daughter that offered his subjects a rare glimpse inside this secretive world. A video was leaked onto the internet, showing a well-fed Thandar Shwe, perspiring under the weight of diamond-encrusted necklaces and hairbands and swathed in yards of silk as plump junta members sat on gold-trimmed chairs in front of a five-tiered wedding cake and champagne. For the Burmese, who struggle to find basic foodstuffs, the lavishness of the scene seemed surreal.
Until now, the thing that Than Shwe had going in his favor that few people outside Burma were paying attention. Unfortunately it's taken the tragic death of tens of thousands of his subjects, but that's not true anymore. In the wake of Saturday's deadly cyclone, Than Shwe and his thug regime are not only blocking more foreign aid workers -- including America, which already had relief ships in the region on a training exercise -- but even went so far as to hijack the first shipment that reached the country.
Now, some are wondering if Burma's military junta can survive. Undoubtedly, regime change would be a good thing -- except that the price is unspeakable.
UPDATE: Adding here the video of the lavish wedding he threw his daughter while the Burmese people suffer in poverty and repression:
Posted by Will Bunch @ 1:40 PM
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40 comments
Less votes you have to fudge, or hide. Fewer elections to fix. If BushCo could figure out how to make it happen here, they would......Funny how Burma never popped up in our 8 year zeal to bring "regime change", end "tyranny", bring "freedom to the world"......Guess your country needs to have oil to qualify for saving by the US.
Well the Bush Admin. is very concerned about Burma/Myanmar.. that's why they've put their top person on the case.... Laura Bush.
With the exception of the heroin dealing (and I'm not so sure about that) it sounds like your typical republican admin. He'd fit right in with Chimpy and Darth Vader.
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No one there looks very happy, while I am sure there will be many similarities to the Bush wedding this weekend, (Is is Jenna or Not-Jenna who is getting married.) one thing is for sure there will be a look more cheer. Jack Daniels and his pal Johnny Walker will take care of that.
xi jah - We need psychiatric help!! This from someone that supports the monkey admin. On what statements do you take exception?
Politburo, what you see in Burma is what you get when you have YOUR type of government in charge.
But his uniform is pretty neat and those medals look kinda cool. Serious bling. Will doesn't like him because his shirt is ironed.
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I wonder what he awarded himself all those decorations for? Must be a heck of a soldier.
Domenic oh I see the light.. wtf do you know what I think, anyway?
Okay, bat, you're off the hook.
You basically make it easy to see with your rants, Politburo. You're against freedom and all for government. What you see is what you get when people don't have the oppurtunity to make their own decisions.
While feeling that "we have to do SOMETHING" might make YOU feel better, unfortunately you're just wasting your time and money. Now there's a pathological statement from someone who really is in need of psychiatric help. We have no guarantees that our aide will reach the intended targets, so, ..... oh well, it sure is raining hard today here, isn't it? What's another hundred thousand or so non-Americans? What does that matter? If they didn't want to suffer, they shouldn't have been born in another country anyway. What a prescient genius b.at(ch) is. Except, of course, that because of the pressure applied, the government of Burma decided to allow an American plane load of supplies in today. Maybe not all of the supplies will get through - but it's highly likely that some folks suffering might be significantly alleviated. Sloboat may not post at Attytood anymore, but we have nonetheless found a poster who reaches a new level of scummytood.
So we had no freedom under the Clinton Administration? and by your comments Dom, does that make you pro choice and for gay marriage/civil unions? To go further, isn't our govt acting against the peoples interests by keeping troops in Iraq? Or were you one of the ones claiming whats right isnt always popular.
Okay well, the rest of us will be over here in reality while you play in the sandbox.
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It didn't take a genius to figure out those unfortunate people weren't going to get the aid sent there. True. What it took was someone sick enough to be indifferent to the suffering of millions. Here you go, b.at(ch) U.N. agency to resume shipments on Saturday; U.S. gets OK to send plane .......But I have to say, the beach ball analogy was pure genius. Beach ball. LOL!!
I wonder if we'll see the pictures of the lavish wedding in Texas this week, while thousands of americans languish in squalid, decrepid conditions. One man's president is another man's despot.
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We should change our Rules , so we can "Take OUT" heads of State
I've chosen to take a pass and will try to find something that might actually make a difference. Yeah, because sending supplies to millions of people displaced by a storm is certainly not worthy of your concern. BTW, are you available to head FEMA in the next Republican administration? You seem to be well qualified. Beach ball!!! LOL!
RG, the great thing about living in this country is that you can be as gay as you want and abort as many babies as you want. Isn't that what liberals think?? Fighting Al Queda in Iraq isn't popular with you, but it is the right thing to do.
RG, the great thing about living in this country is that you can be as gay as you want .... ....... Good thing that we've still got "conservatives" around like Dom - who will never forfeit the true American value that being gay should be illegal.
The situation in the delta region of Myanmar is another New Orleans so the people there are going to need help--those that are still alive, tonight's television showed the bodies washing up along the shores--to need help for a LONG time. People around the world are trying to provide aid and it is beginning to get through. Meanwhile, all the ruling generals seem to care about is the referendum tomorrow that they think will give them some legitimacy, not recognizing that they are losing any chance for legitimacy by their refusal to permit NGOs and the UN to help rescue their people.
Xi Jah you really think they need psychiatric help. Welcome to the left wing of the democratic party. Nice wonderful people aren't they.
Ahh, the left-wing has spoken. More conspiracy theories, more name-calling and more of nothing done. Pres. Clinton did nothing for Burma either. If it was easy, it would have been solved long ago.
Let's invade and get it over with, let's see how much oil does Burma/Myanmar have? Well, they have proved developed reserves of 1.7 billion barrels of oil (about 25% of what Exxon has)and lots of natural gas. They look good, let's go.
Oh, yeah, 4-2.
Typical spoiled Americans. Instead of empathizing with these poor people, you screech about how bad you have it here.
The only difficulties most of you have is filling your SUV is taking away from eating out every night. You people really need help.
I think Mugabee can give him a run for the title of Worst. Mr. M is positioning himself to overturn an election thru intimidation, violence and sheer theft. All the while his country gets poorer and poorer and AIDS runs rampant. Few countries want to assist him because all the aid gets stolen. While Burma's situation is horrible right now, Mr. M has been driving his toward horrible for ages.
if the UN was worth the building it resides in they would do something to immediately depose this regime. This is not a job for the US. the UN was made for things like this. I'm against the US involving itself in the affairs of foreign countries unless they pose a direct and immediate threat to our national security. Iraq certainly did not, and neither does burma. therefore its none of our business, but the United Abomination needs to prove the world that it is worth something. this regime is a million times worse than Saddam at his very worst
More people will read about the "Worst Person in the World" reference to Olbermann on this blog than will watch the man's program.
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Hey Wire, you know citizens who are being denied health care? I don't believe you. I think you're lying. I think you have no idea what you're talking about. I also think you're hopelessly uninformed. Election fraud? Can you be more specific? 100,000 Iraqis dead? Are you serious? And, no kidding, do you really watch Olbermann?
Worst person in the world...whoever was responsible for making the decision to change to this new format on Philly.com. Or it could have been General Than Shwe.
Poor Myanmar... I Have driven by San Su Kyi House in Yangon her front yard are nice not oppulent. The country is so Poor reminds me of a British version of French Haiti.. The saddest Part is How the Junta abuse the Karen Tribe of People I wonder if it is because they are catholic? The Corruption is the worse I have seen it anywhere..in the entire world!Worse than Indonesia I wonder who is helping them out side the Catholic Parishes inside this Country! Where is Asean?? pray for All The People..and the Junta may find mercy!
The Myanmar government represents the extreme endpoint of the very same path bush and his gang of thugs are leading us down. The mentality is identical; the degree and the means are different - for now.
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Two of McCains aides resigned over the weekend because they were members of a firm, DCI, who lobbied ON BEHALF of Myanmar's military junta. What a maverick!
Dear LJL: RE: "Less votes you have to fudge, or hide. Fewer elections to fix. If BushCo could figure out how to make it happen here, they would..." Actually, normal Americans are more concerned that such things will happen under an Obama Administration. Look no further than how Philadelphia fared under the Goode and Street administrations. These are simply miniature copies of what lies ahead should Obama win the election.
Now, to speak to the issue at hand, Will's statement that "this hideous thug: Than Shwe, the leading dictator of Burma, who is now starving his own people to death" is too simplistic. Whatever his demerits as a leader are, it is quite a stretch to claim he is starving his own people to death. What Will does not know (and what lefties will never understand) is that Burmese culture prides itself on individual self-reliance. I submit that the actions of Gen. Shwe are more the reflection of this sentiment coupled with national pride, that is, Myanmar will pull itself up by its own bootstraps, than with thuggishness. But I guess in the left's view of the world, any government (by definition) that does not seek to interfere in all aspects of everyone's lives (for their own benefit, of course) is thuggish and murderous.
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Will Bunch, a senior writer at the Philadelphia Daily News, blogs about his obsessions, including national and local politics and world affairs, the media, pop music, the Philadelphia Phillies, soccer and other sports, not necessarily in that order.
Will Bunch, a senior writer at the Philadelphia Daily News, blogs about his obsessions, including national and local politics and world affairs, the media, pop music, the Philadelphia Phillies, soccer and other sports, not necessarily in that order.
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