Tricycle | Awake in the World

In a way global capitalism made this happen, if the protests in Burma were initially ignited by fuel oil prices -- coupled with the common human need for democracy? I don't think Bush and co. can claim much credit, but the U.S.'s longstanding support of global capitalism in all its brutal Walmart-enriching power certainly played a role. Is this a preview for Cuba or North Korea? Those countries are semi-insulated from the world marketplace, but so is Myanmar, and the internet and all our increased interconnections are bringing down walls. Could this be a preview for China twenty five years down the road? I think it was Orwell who wrote that if the people want to be free, they can simply do so, like a horse shaking off fleas. Or was it Jack London?... Ah, oil! More »

More on the so-called saffron revolution (even though Burmese monks' robes look more like red.) Violence continues in the streets; the UK Telegraph reports on how Buddhism permeates Burmese life (and thus the people empower the monks); an editorial in the Bangkok Post wonders what Buddhists outside Burma can do. There are videos all over YouTube and the web if you want a glimpse of what is happening. More »

The government has begun fighting back. Two monks and a civilian reported killed. Clubs, tear gas, shots into the crowd, and hundreds of arrests. Update: More, worse. More »

There's so much on these Burma protests and I can't add much new information or insight, so here are some links: Buddhists fear ‘white head’ monks will give junta excuse for violence - 'White head' is slang for new monks whose newly shaven heads are still white, or more specifically, undercover policemen posing as monks. Bush Announces Tighter Sanctions on Myanmar - Cheney had to point it out on the map and tell W it's "not far from China." British PM Calls for Harder EU Stance on Burma and the best headline of all, from the LA Times: The Buddhism Bomb (which could blow More »

Things are really happening in Burma. More »

Ruth King, author of the excellent new book Healing Rage, will be speaking at the New York Insight Meditation Center this Friday, September 28 (7–9:30pm, fee: $20) and Saturday, September 29 (10am–5pm, $40.) Register online for the Friday or Saturday session. Also, check out Ask the Next President -- You can submit questions and rate other people's questions, then the "winning" questions will be sent to our fine presidential aspirants. More »

Did you know that Ayn Rand was Buddhist? (Or that Alan Greenspan was an Objectivist? Yeesh.) Rand’s idea of “the virtue of selfishness,” Ms. Moore said, “is a harsh phrase for the Buddhist idea that you have to take care of yourself.” Ms. Moore is "Darla Moore, vice president of the private investment firm Rainwater Inc." People keep buying Ayn Rand's books and, according to this article, she keeps winning the hearts and minds of CEO's and corporate climbers to this day. More »

Monks in Burma are continuing to stir the pot. Now they're demanding an apology from the junta running the country for continued violence during the democratic protests, and demanding the release of political prisoners, including the most famous, Aung San Suu Kyi. The junta generally treads lightly around the monks in this very Buddhist country (despite violence against demonstrating monks last week, which lead to the monks' taking hostages for a day,) but have cut off phone service in their opposition's headquarters. More »

Just saw a great documentary on PBS, The Camden 28, about activism, Vietnam, and the draft, all against the sad backdrop of Camden, New Jersey, where some of the worst race riots in American history took place in the summer of 1971. (Also interesting stuff about the Catholic Left.) The draft really did a lot to mobilize anti-war feeling. Government jackbootism was much more blatant in that era -- now we have subtler means of control, and the current conflicts are designed to be more palatable and easier to bear / ignore for the American people as a whole. More »