From the “Those who ignore history” file

We all know the saying, don’t we? Those who ignore history are condemned to repeat it. Well apparently the government of Burma wants to test that theory out.

Don’t they have Youtube in Burma? Someone needs to show them the old videos of cops using attack dogs on unarmed blacks during the civil rights movement, and explain to them exactly how bad it looks when you open fire on Buddhist monks. (Or any other kind of monk, for that matter.) Here’s a clue, guys – you don’t come out looking like big studs when you shoot unarmed pacifists.  And are you really thinking the monks are going to cave? First of all, these guys believe that they will be reincarnated (and dying a hero has to help you on the grand karmic scale, right?) and second of all, these dudes used to SET THEMSELVES ON FIRE to protest the Vietnam War. (Well, not the actual same dudes.) So they’ve established a Clint Eastwood-esque aura of toughness… or should I have said Bruce Lee?