The U.S. military ordered its navy ships away from the coast of Myanmar on Wednesday, after the country’s ruling junta refused to give them permission to help survivors of the cyclone that devastated the country more than a month ago.
Admiral Timothy Keating, the top U.S. commander in the Pacific, ordered the Essex and its accompanying vessels to leave the Myanmar area after what he said were 15 separate attempts to obtain authorization to help relief efforts.
State media in Myanmar reported that the country feared an invasion by U.S. forces interested in seizing its oil deposits.
There’s paranoid. And then there’s really paranoid!
I believe it’s time for a period of isolationism. We need to draw in our support to only those established nations that are truly in step with our ideals as a nation. To those nations we will only get involved if asked and only if it benefits our best interest. Our wounds are gaping and we are bleeding young lives and money. We need to take care of ourselves first and foremost.
What would make anyone think we might invade a sovereign nation for their oil?
#1. I almost totally agree with you Monster dude, except for the ideals part. I dont think we know what that means anymore.
Yet somehow this will be twisted in the news to blame Bush and America. I can see it now
“Bush leaves Burmese to die! Death to America (and Israel)!”
As it should Shit help your actual people before you go helping strangers. Monster’s lawyer is on to something
Do they think we need their permission to take their oil? If we wanted to invade there is precious little they could do about it.
>>What would make anyone think we might
>>invade a sovereign nation for their oil?
Well, that’s a question that doesn’t need answering.
However I don’t think even a dummy as dumb as Dumbya would bother with that. Myanmar produces around 170,000 barrels of “oil equivalent” per day, of which 90% is accounted for by gas. Wouldn’t even pay for the shotgun shells for Cheney’s next hunting trip. Chump change.
The real criminals here are the military junta. Hey, all you can do is offer to help, and if they don’t want help, fuck ’em.
One hesitates to inform a friend that he has become unpopular. And avoids him entirely when he grows up and becomes a hitman. Don’t take it personally, we all have fond memories of what America, was.
#7 – Mister Mustard,
Twice in one day? I get to use figure one twice in one day??!!?
Unfortunate though, since the people who are going to see figure one most clearly are not the ones in power.
We have other worries. Russia is rearming at an alarming rate, and nationalism there is rampant. They actually have an economic system now that supports it. Winning the cold war may have done them a great favor. Look at Japan and Germany several decades after a hot war. That damn missile system and expanding NATO is pissing papa Putin off. Foreign policy has gotten a bit harder. Invade another sovereign state without Russian approval will be dicey.
>>Same thing chavez did in 99.
Chavez? Whoozat? Oh, You mean Kuzco!?
#8 edwinrogers
You presume too much – America has always been a shining star compared to much of the world. Most Americans are decent, generous, hardworking people that deserve better than what they are getting from a corrupt media, their self-absorbed politicians and a world that can only dream of such freedoms.
If they are guilty of anything it is being too generous toward an unappreciative world.
#7, Mustard,
Hey, all you can do is offer to help, and if they don’t want help, fuck ‘em.
Ya, I remember right after Katrina hit several countries offered help but were turned down by the US Government.
As I two Greek Cruise ships were declined and the Government ended up paying 250 million to Carnival Cruise lines.
British and German packaged MREs from their military stores couldn’t be distributed because it had to be quarantined first. They weren’t certified as BSE free even though American troops regularly ate them in Afghanistan.
German planes carrying food were denied landing rights.
Russian medical aid was declined outright.
Over $850 million in cash and oil was donated by other countries, as of May 2007 only $40 million was spent. Much of the donated oil products were sold for cash.
Tons of donated medical supplies and medicines were left unused in the heat until they spoiled and had to be destroyed.
Cuba offered over 1,500 doctors and 25 tons of medical supplies right after the storm passed. But that too was declined.
Even as TVs showed countless people still on rooftops, the US Government turned down offers for search and rescue personnel.
Over 2/3s of offers from Canada, Britain, and Israel were turned down.
Yup. They might be after the oil.
Not sure what your point is, Mr. Shit. ??
Mister Mustard said,
“Not sure what your point is, Mr. Shit. ??”
Could it be that the U.S government also turned down outside help during and after Katrina and then did an absolutely crappy job of helping its own people?
Any similarities to the actions of the Junta actions???
Did ytou know rotting corpses give off methane? a bio-fuel?
they are sitting on a goldmine!!!
who need oil when you have 100,00o dead?
#14–Catshit==I only saw a few of those things reported. Put it all together as you have ((and you missed a few like the volunteers and supplies offered by individuals and States)) and more than “difficulty in coordinating the effort” really is called into play.
I hope it is nothing more than general and complete incompetency, but greed is always suspect.
I hope before they sailed away they flashed them an “AMF.”
#15, Mustard,
Not sure what your point is, Mr. Shit. ??
Well my wife claims it is the way I part my hair. If I wore a hat, so she says, people would never notice my point.
Anyway, I think Steve in #16 answered well.
#17, pedro
#15 don’t you know that cuban [sic] doctors is an oximoron [sic]?
No I didn’t. IF, I was ever in a circumstance such as Katrina, and needed medical attention, I guarantee I wouldn’t care what color, age, sex, religion, height / weight, sexual orientation or politics the physician was.
#19, Bobbo,
Most of the list came from the Washington Post and Wikipedia.
I wasn’t after the domestic ineptitude. Since this is about international disaster relief, I tried to keep it in that vein.
***
I apologize for the terrible grammar and miscues in post #14. I was rushed trying to do a couple of other things and edit the post at the same time.
#22 – It’s oxy moran.
Witch doctors will probably be about as useful as praying.
>>Any similarities to the actions of the
>>Junta actions???
Oh, I get it now, Mr. Shit. If you’re arguing that Dumbya and his puppentmasters are every bit as bad as the military junta of Myanmar, you’ll get no dispute from me.
This Junta must be hanged to death for what they are doing to their own nation. This is a disgrace! where is the UN?! where is the International Court of Justice?!
Hypocrites. All of them.
#24, Mustard,
It’s either that or my hair style
8)
Yeah Chavez is an evil dictator, which is why he charges Venezuelans 12 cents a gallon for gasoline. So how much do you pay at the pump?