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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 26-Jul-2013
26-Jul-13 World View -- Egypt prepares for massive showdown on Friday

Web Log - July, 2013

26-Jul-13 World View -- Egypt prepares for massive showdown on Friday

Burma Buddhists attempt to justify genocial attacks on Muslims

This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com

Japan considers pre-emptive military strike capability
Burma Buddhists attempt to justify genocidal attacks on Muslims
Egypt prepares for massive showdown on Friday
North and South Korea fail to agree on opening Kaesong

Japan considers pre-emptive military strike capability

Shinzo Abe wants you! (Reuters)

Shinzo Abe wants you! (Reuters)

With the reelection of the hawkish Shinzo Abe as prime minister, Japan is considering moving further away from its post-WW II pacificism. The Defense Ministry is likely to call in the report for consideration of acquiring the ability to make a pre-emptive strike when an enemy attack is imminent, and creating a Marines force to protect remote islands such as those at the core of a dispute with China. Although it would take years to implement a pre-emptive strike force, mere discussion of this change in policy is certain to inflame China's nationalism. In the meantime, near-confrontations between China and Japan around the disputed East China Sea islands occur on an almost daily basis. Reuters and AP

Burma Buddhists attempt to justify genocidal attacks on Muslims

The genocidal attacks by Buddhists on Muslims in Burma (Myanmar) in the last year have been an enormous embarrassment to many Buddhists because it's a clear violation of the Buddhist principles of non-violence. (See "5-Apr-13 World View -- Meiktila, Burma, violence has echoes of Kristallnacht".)

Buddhist monks in Burma, who have been leading the genocidal attacks on Muslims, have been justifying their actions on an exception to the Buddhist teaching on `ahimsa’, or non-violence, which is one of the religion’s five fundamental precepts.

The exception is that violent acts are permitted when they are acts of self-defense, committed with "pure intentions."

In the case of Burma, the monks rationalize their violent acts based on fear that the country is being overtaken by Muslims, even though the country has a 90% Buddhist majority among its 60 million people, and the Muslims are about 5% of the population, many of whom are both disenfranchised and stateless.

According to one Buddhist scholar:

"We are deeply ashamed by the appalling treatment of Muslims now occurring in some Buddhist countries.
Theravada Buddhists, and particularly their leaders, are betraying the Buddhist value of non-violence, let alone kindness and compassion."

From the point of view of Generational Dynamics, Buddhists are no different from any other religious group. During generational Awakening eras (like America in the 1960s), they'll proclaim love and peace and so forth. But in generational Crisis eras, like today, they'll become increasingly nationalistic, increasingly willing to put their nationalism and ideology above individual rights, and increasingly willing to use techniques from torture to genocide against real or imagined enemies.

From the point of view of Generational Dynamics, what's clear in this case is that Buddhists and Muslims are headed for a major genocidal war in Southeast Asia, and this will be a major component of the coming Clash of Civilizations World War. IRIN (U.N.)

Egypt prepares for massive showdown on Friday

It's Friday again, the day that Egyptians pour out of mosques after midday prayers to go shopping or to attend mass demonstrations. The Muslim Brotherhood has been holding mass pro-Morsi demonstrations every Friday since president Mohamed Morsi was deposed in a coup on July 3. And the Army has issued a call for anti-Morsi demonstrators to come out on Friday to give the military a mandate to crack down on "violence and terrorism." However, the Army and Mohamed Morsi's camp have each been moving to defuse tensions. The Army insisted that it was not targeting Morsi's backers in calling for a mass rally against "terrorism and violence." And the fugitive leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, Mohamed Badie, urged Egyptians to peacefully make a "stand for freedom and legitimacy, and against the bloody coup." On the other hand, Egypt's army gave the Muslim Brotherhood until Saturday afternoon to sign up to political reconciliation, and threatened to use tougher tactics against the group. AFP

North and South Korea fail to agree on opening Kaesong

Early in June, The North Koreans proposed holding talks on reopening the Kaesong Industrial Complex. North Korea's child dictator Kim Jong-un had shut down the complex in April when he threw his temper tantrum, threatening to shoot missiles at Japan, South Korea, and America. On Thursday, talks between North and South Korea broke down without agreement. The South has been asking for the North to guarantee it won't block operations due to non-economic reasons and called on the North to accept responsibility for the current situation. The North countered that work must begin immediately, and that it cannot take sole responsibility for the current impasse. The breakdown raises the possibility that the Kaesong Industrial Complex will never reopen. Yonhap (Seoul) and Xinhua

(Comments: For reader comments, questions and discussion, see the 26-Jul-13 World View -- Egypt prepares for massive showdown on Friday thread of the Generational Dynamics forum. Comments may be posted anonymously.) (26-Jul-2013) Permanent Link
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