Maung Yit – How to face Depression, which way, US or Burma

 

The first advice was targeting to all American “Big Spenders”, “waste not and want not”. Save yourself from spending sprees. Save also energy and resources such as gas, electricity, water and petrol too. And be prepared for it.

 

The second one to be “transparent” is while receiving bailouts and financial assistance from the authority, the persons, the organizations themselves had to be honest and open hearted and open minded to everyone welcoming for inspection and suggestion of their spending and their practice.

 

The last one was to “share the burden” of the community and the country. It had urged its countrymen to hold hands with one another to walk out of this storm altogether. Its own people were found too independent when taking its own responsibility of his or her own failure and success. However it was now the time to share the burden of others, share one piece of bite to neighbor from own meal. It was better to cut hours and wages than totally losing a job and to save jobs of others from the neighborhood and the community.

 

 The new President had reintroduced the word “volunteer” to his own people. To serve the community voluntarily and not expecting any compensation in return would make a difference that what Obama had urged to his citizens.

 

Some scholars and experts might say that this is not enough. But from my point of view, the very own President who was elected by his own people with their very own votes where these votes were encouraged to make it happened by his very own bidding – “vote to change” so this leader had made himself proud and proper to give such kind of advice to his own people.

 

As usual, from the political frontier, at the economic forums, congress, senates, government bodies, international levels and so on from those perspectives and from such high fliers classes, they would be talking and discussing in their own languages where normal people would not be able to understand their buzz words of their complexity but the audience shall be enjoying the interpretation and translation from the TV and newspapers of the main stream media networks of the progress and process.

 

In coincidence, Burma from the other side of the world, also asked United Nations that to be able to get out of the failed state situation with bad economy and bad political instability, the UN should lift economic sanction, financial sanctions and visa restrictions imposed upon the Burmese military regime.

 

It was the same and the very government that “sanctioned” the humanitarian aid and relief flowing into Burma when it was hit hard by Cyclone Nargis back in May 2008 when million over people were left helpless. It was the same and the very government that ordered to crack down viciously to the monks and the people who were marching on the streets chanting Metta sutra to resolve instability of the country peacefully back in the month of September 2007. It was the same and the very government that sentenced 60 years of imprisonments to innocent Burmese people for helping and rescuing Burmese victims from disaster and hunger. Therefore, when such inconsiderate and ignorant Burmese junta was requesting relief from sanctions, it might cause the confusion among the people suffering from world economic downturns which example to follows to relief themselves from the depression.

 

From my point of view, I would like to give the same three advices to Burmese Tamadaw that Obama gave to its own people. First, is to “save”. Please save the bullets, harsh prison sentences and oppression onto your own people. Secondly, please be “transparent”. Don’t hide your wrongs and injustice with excuses and cover-ups. Listen to what others might suggest. Third, be willing to “share” the country ‘s power with all Burmese community with different backgrounds and ideas. By putting aside the prejudices, the nation could reconcile for better future.

 

In United States, all their citizens and their people, they regarded themselves one and for all under one nation and under one flag. Even though they were differ in republican or democrat in party affiliation, in race, in color, they were embracing each and everyone in the same shoes or in the same boat under this economic downturn of the century. They under one country’s flag, they were friends not enemy.