Activists Jailed

Norm Geras, as he often does, points us towards the hidden and the disappeared: three jailed democracy activists in Burma - Min Ko Naing, Ko Ko Gyi and Ko Htay Kywe:

All three activists are leaders of the '88 Generation Students Group,' and are in need of regular medical attention as they have each already spent 15 years in the State Peace and Development Council’s (SPDC's) notorious prisons.

Such a simple device - to name the Forgotten - serves to assure they are not; and has reminded me of the original, most worthy mission of Amnesty International who, in earlier times, encouraged and enabled us to write write letters of support to the forlorn in jails around the world; to show them - and more importantly, their jailors - that they had not been forgotten at all.

There is a petition you can sign here, to urge to UN to help obtain their release.

Or, if you're feeling particularly feisty, perhaps you'd consider staging a modest revival of an old and much-admired program? Write them yourself... the address is easy:

Min Ko Naing / Ko Ko Gyi / Ko Htay Kywe

c/o State Peace and Development Council,
Myunmar

Fascist juntas - you know their postal services work.

Five Stages of Receiving Bad News

I awoke this morning to a rather shocking epiphany, prompted by the knowledge that Former Recruit^tm gets his discharge today, and will be making his way back to the family nest. I was struck, suddenly, with the realisation that I had, like a monkey, speared myself with every one of the Five Stages of Grief over his premature departure - in order, too. Surprised me so because I never did that while, you know, actually grieving - whether firstborn, firstwife, father, anyone. I'd always kind of jumped immediately into "5. Acceptance", the final stage, with occasional mild flourishes of "2. Anger"

It leads me to wonder just how much I had subconsciously vested in his doing something, finally, that would turn him around, bring him to life? We'll see. Only sure thing now is that things will not be allowed to revert to their former state. He's welcome back, but on our terms this time. Emancipation, after all, is a two-way street.

Picture of the Day

It is a measure, I suppose, of how far things have sunk that I visit Daily Kos most days. I said, long time ago, that W could never be forgiven for making the likes of dKos or Atrios appear they were right all along. So I can't say I agree much with the Kossacks political outlook, or strategery, or whatnots, but that's not the point. The fact is, I just can't bear to read any of the mealy-mouthed Bush or GOP apologists any more.

I have to ask, being a relative newcomer: has your political class always been this depraved and corrupt in America? I realise the Framers expected it, and wrote the Constitution as a way to curb their excess - but really, have they been? Or am I just being naive and stupid, or perhaps just too impatient - will the old girl save us yet, when the time is better and the pieces perfectly set?

And your "Press" - quoted in contempt - has it always been so worthless, so frightened? So scared to say "Boo!" in case, what, Karl Rove glowers at them? Your papers - they wouldn't last ten minutes in Britain. Neither would your Government.

But then, Brits don't have a sacred Constitution to throw around. Brits don't make their kiddies swear allegiance to the Queen every morning. Brits, bless 'em, can even boo their own National Anthem at sporting events (it is a dreadful dirge, after all).

But I'm wandering again: back to Kos. Though not renowned for their humor over there, kudos where it's due for coming up with this little beauty:



Seems to say it all, doesn't it.