Thanks for sharing. It would be interesting to know how common the Bojonegoro experience is and how it could be made even more common. In future as open data becomes the norm.
Iam interested in comparative peace building research. At this stage I am doing a conferenfe paper on how Denpasar indexed by the Maarif Institute as one of islamic city after yogyakarta and bandung. As we know that Bali had experience several bombings and the politic of identity as a tiny minority of hindus among muslim can be questioned. However, the indicators made by Maarif Institute can be a starting point to discuss for a comparative peace building research.
I am an alumni of the ANU (demography) for my Master of Arts and I had my PhD in sociology from Newcastle university. I wish to get some feed back on my interest. Thank you
Kurlintzik’s thesis is confused. The CIA has – from its’ foundation as OSS sucessor, ALWAYS had two wings : 1, the analytical, 2) the operational. Best coverage of this remains the book Air America. Is Kurlintzik – who I briefly met in Bangkok, years ago – adding anything new ? The Dulles brothers confused their own personal interest, with US national interest -eg. Guatamala 1954. They made an even worse self-interested mess re. Vietnam, and Laos. Ridiculous that Laos was a threat to Thailand, for ideological – or even strategic – reasons. The ONLY way that will EVER be so, is by ETHNIC, REGIONAL identity politics, and uprising by Isaarn to re-join their Lao phi-nong: which the Chinese-based Communist Party of Thailand was FUNDAMENTALLY flawed at.
Thanks for this. Interesting. The CIA might have been “a fairly regular, run-of-the-mill intelligence agency,” but its predecessor, OSS, was anything but. Setting up – or trying to – e.g. foreign insurgencies was a part of the Torch operation and as Thailand types will know, OSS worked closely with the Seri Thai (Wild Bill Donovan, who set up OSS, was US Ambassador to Thailand in 1953-54). Bay of Pigs was not quite run of the mill, under a CIA run by former OSS man Allen Dulles.
I understand that super-sensitive people love to label everything, like ‘ad hominem’ etc. etc and feel hurt. I lived without electricity until I am like 18. That aside, we’re talking about hydropower, a RENEWABLE energy. For solar, make the sun shines at nights and cloudy days. Even in California, a research by UCLA concludes renewable energy can be relied on for at most 80% of total energy, and that includes hydropower and biomass at the core.
I’m not saying no to solar and wind. But the utopia in which electricity can be generated without ‘touching the environment’ stands against the second law of thermodynamics. EVEN IF the sun shines at nights and solar panels can provide 100% reliable electricity, their rare-earths have to be mined in heavily contaminated soil of China, acidifying vast land areas. http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20150402-the-worst-place-on-earth
And to be reminded that we’re not talking about coal vs renewables; we are talking about hydro vs living in the dark. Unfortunately, many feel-good, guilt-ridden people in world’s most developed countries wish Burmese to sit in the dark rather than using even one of the cleanest forms of energy.
‘…These countries need infrastructures – electricity, clean water, sewerage systems, transport systems, highways etc…’ Investment bankers, global corporations, predatory capitalists and their captive governments. I pray that Myanmar does not follow this path.
Luke a great story. May you be a scholar-in-residence of drinking at microbreweries for the rest of your life. Beats being an academic and you will be appreciated by everyone: well almost everyone!
A touch of a too much credit to the Wirathu gang which is in fact more deeply rooted and virulent in lower Burma than in Mandalay. Although the monks of Gene Sharp’s education camps at the border regions since 1990’s are well organised and vocal and effective, this was a precise military style execution for maximal “Beat the chicken to scare the monkey” effect. There is only one organization that can do so in Burma.
As for Buddhist/ Muslim all out war everyone has been toting or rooting or hoping for, the success in that direction in Burma since 2011 initiation of that effort has been minimal. And indeed not likely to escalate unless there is worsening economic situation in the country.
In 1972, while in Vietnam and Taiwan as a USAF freight handler , Air America, the CIA Air force attempted to recruit me. Air Americas flew gray, unmarked, mostly cargo aircraft, around Asia. The kind of stuff in the movie of that name was for real, and I wanted no part of the combat situations I would have been in. I hope I can talk about this by now.
You lived amongst the poor for many years?
I am the poor for many years!
Have you kept your shoes in your second hand schoolbag to save them from wear & tear bcos you have to walk 5 miles to school? I did. Did you have to bend your toes to wear your shoes bcos the effort made to save them also mean they don’t fit your growing feet?. I had to. So please..
Third world govts are not rich enough to indulge in tree hugging activities… These countries need infrastructures – electricity, clean water, sewerage systems, transport systems, highways etc. Of course, when those things are in place, bleeding hearts liberals & bwana do gooders will need to find themselves again.
Myanmar is beginning a new chapter, which is why it has the chance to dream of a better future. Australia is a first world nation far in advance of Myanmar, but in common with other Western countries its political system is dysfunctional. The fossil fuel usage is because vested interests completely control government policy. It is therefore easier to imagine change for the better in Myanmar than it is in Australia.
As for the ‘ad hominem’ comments, my days are spent aiding the poorest in society and I have lived amongst them for many years, not merely for a few weeks like George Orwell. So in the past I have indeed survived for long periods without electricity, have you?
Thank you for the positive response..tho I remain very cautios when concluding whether Indonesia has finally ‘made it’. Some regions might have, but there are still too many local governments without any willingness to open up.
The US couldn’t care less about Australia, its just another UK style lapdog, except with minerals.
Prime Minister Turnbull, ‘I make Australia’s case frankly, powerfully, forthrightly and hopefully persuasively when I deal with other leaders’…’hello, hello, are you still there?’
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Technology and transformed governance in Indonesia
Thanks for sharing. It would be interesting to know how common the Bojonegoro experience is and how it could be made even more common. In future as open data becomes the norm.
Optimism and despair in Myanmar
Is she in POWER ?
Or merely in office ?
Comparative peacebuilding conference series calls for abstracts
Thanks… am interested on comparative peace building research
Comparative peacebuilding conference series calls for abstracts
Dear the new mandala committe,
Iam interested in comparative peace building research. At this stage I am doing a conferenfe paper on how Denpasar indexed by the Maarif Institute as one of islamic city after yogyakarta and bandung. As we know that Bali had experience several bombings and the politic of identity as a tiny minority of hindus among muslim can be questioned. However, the indicators made by Maarif Institute can be a starting point to discuss for a comparative peace building research.
I am an alumni of the ANU (demography) for my Master of Arts and I had my PhD in sociology from Newcastle university. I wish to get some feed back on my interest. Thank you
A great place to have a war
Kurlintzik’s thesis is confused. The CIA has – from its’ foundation as OSS sucessor, ALWAYS had two wings : 1, the analytical, 2) the operational. Best coverage of this remains the book Air America. Is Kurlintzik – who I briefly met in Bangkok, years ago – adding anything new ? The Dulles brothers confused their own personal interest, with US national interest -eg. Guatamala 1954. They made an even worse self-interested mess re. Vietnam, and Laos. Ridiculous that Laos was a threat to Thailand, for ideological – or even strategic – reasons. The ONLY way that will EVER be so, is by ETHNIC, REGIONAL identity politics, and uprising by Isaarn to re-join their Lao phi-nong: which the Chinese-based Communist Party of Thailand was FUNDAMENTALLY flawed at.
Of Whigs and dams
I meant wave power rather than tidal power, and the correct link for Myitsone is:
https://www.internationalrivers.org/campaigns/irrawaddy-myitsone-dam-0
Of Whigs and dams
In my opinion, large dams are bogus:
https://www.internationalrivers.org/
My preference is for safe, subcritical thorium reactors:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/ambroseevans_pritchard/8393984/Safe-nuclear-does-exist-and-China-is-leading-the-way-with-thorium.html
I am also strongly in favour of tidal power.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islay_LIMPET
A great place to have a war
Thanks for this. Interesting. The CIA might have been “a fairly regular, run-of-the-mill intelligence agency,” but its predecessor, OSS, was anything but. Setting up – or trying to – e.g. foreign insurgencies was a part of the Torch operation and as Thailand types will know, OSS worked closely with the Seri Thai (Wild Bill Donovan, who set up OSS, was US Ambassador to Thailand in 1953-54). Bay of Pigs was not quite run of the mill, under a CIA run by former OSS man Allen Dulles.
Of Whigs and dams
I understand that super-sensitive people love to label everything, like ‘ad hominem’ etc. etc and feel hurt. I lived without electricity until I am like 18. That aside, we’re talking about hydropower, a RENEWABLE energy. For solar, make the sun shines at nights and cloudy days. Even in California, a research by UCLA concludes renewable energy can be relied on for at most 80% of total energy, and that includes hydropower and biomass at the core.
I’m not saying no to solar and wind. But the utopia in which electricity can be generated without ‘touching the environment’ stands against the second law of thermodynamics. EVEN IF the sun shines at nights and solar panels can provide 100% reliable electricity, their rare-earths have to be mined in heavily contaminated soil of China, acidifying vast land areas. http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20150402-the-worst-place-on-earth
And to be reminded that we’re not talking about coal vs renewables; we are talking about hydro vs living in the dark. Unfortunately, many feel-good, guilt-ridden people in world’s most developed countries wish Burmese to sit in the dark rather than using even one of the cleanest forms of energy.
Of Whigs and dams
‘…These countries need infrastructures – electricity, clean water, sewerage systems, transport systems, highways etc…’ Investment bankers, global corporations, predatory capitalists and their captive governments. I pray that Myanmar does not follow this path.
Brewing anew in Burma
Luke a great story. May you be a scholar-in-residence of drinking at microbreweries for the rest of your life. Beats being an academic and you will be appreciated by everyone: well almost everyone!
A personal tribute to U Ko Ni
A touch of a too much credit to the Wirathu gang which is in fact more deeply rooted and virulent in lower Burma than in Mandalay. Although the monks of Gene Sharp’s education camps at the border regions since 1990’s are well organised and vocal and effective, this was a precise military style execution for maximal “Beat the chicken to scare the monkey” effect. There is only one organization that can do so in Burma.
As for Buddhist/ Muslim all out war everyone has been toting or rooting or hoping for, the success in that direction in Burma since 2011 initiation of that effort has been minimal. And indeed not likely to escalate unless there is worsening economic situation in the country.
Mixing religion and commerce: The Monk for a Month Program in Fang, Chiang Mai
Hi Barry, this is Jenny once from Merimbula. Would you recommend the program. Did you ordain again ? and disrobe to return to Australia ?
A great place to have a war
In 1972, while in Vietnam and Taiwan as a USAF freight handler , Air America, the CIA Air force attempted to recruit me. Air Americas flew gray, unmarked, mostly cargo aircraft, around Asia. The kind of stuff in the movie of that name was for real, and I wanted no part of the combat situations I would have been in. I hope I can talk about this by now.
Of Whigs and dams
You lived amongst the poor for many years?
I am the poor for many years!
Have you kept your shoes in your second hand schoolbag to save them from wear & tear bcos you have to walk 5 miles to school? I did. Did you have to bend your toes to wear your shoes bcos the effort made to save them also mean they don’t fit your growing feet?. I had to. So please..
Third world govts are not rich enough to indulge in tree hugging activities… These countries need infrastructures – electricity, clean water, sewerage systems, transport systems, highways etc. Of course, when those things are in place, bleeding hearts liberals & bwana do gooders will need to find themselves again.
Brewing anew in Burma
If they can equal the quality of Beer Lao, then I look forward to beign a customer
Of Whigs and dams
Myanmar is beginning a new chapter, which is why it has the chance to dream of a better future. Australia is a first world nation far in advance of Myanmar, but in common with other Western countries its political system is dysfunctional. The fossil fuel usage is because vested interests completely control government policy. It is therefore easier to imagine change for the better in Myanmar than it is in Australia.
As for the ‘ad hominem’ comments, my days are spent aiding the poorest in society and I have lived amongst them for many years, not merely for a few weeks like George Orwell. So in the past I have indeed survived for long periods without electricity, have you?
Technology and transformed governance in Indonesia
Thank you for the positive response..tho I remain very cautios when concluding whether Indonesia has finally ‘made it’. Some regions might have, but there are still too many local governments without any willingness to open up.
Saving street kids in Duterte’s Philippines
If i had a million dollars to spare, how could it best be spent to jelp street kids
US vs them
The US couldn’t care less about Australia, its just another UK style lapdog, except with minerals.
Prime Minister Turnbull, ‘I make Australia’s case frankly, powerfully, forthrightly and hopefully persuasively when I deal with other leaders’…’hello, hello, are you still there?’