Where is Georgia????

"Look at Burma, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand. One country is clearly far in the lead, not just economically but by almost any standard. I attribute this to the fact that Thailand was never colonized, and never suffered under a Communist government."

When was Burma under a Communist government? I thought they were became independent at the same time as India and Pakistan, and then there was a coup and there's been a military dictatorship ever since. Doesn't Burma really need comparison with India and Pakistan in that case?

"....When was Burma under a Communist government? I thought they were became independent at the same time as India and Pakistan, and then there was a coup and there's been a military dictatorship ever since. ...?

Yes, a Military-Socialist dictatorship with Socialist leanings. They still use classical socialist rhetoric in the banners you see all over Rangoon (in English for some odd reason).

Just because there is a military government doesn't mean they are de-facto fascists and right wingers. Frankly, from my point of view, there's no damn difference other than rhetoric between a facist and a communist. They all destroy personal freedom and make citizens slaves of the State. And eventually a lot of them become mass murderers. Stalin and Mao killed just as many, if not more, people than Hitler.

"Stalin and Mao killed just as many, if not more, people than Hitler."

I think I read once that Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of Christian Science, killed more people than Hitler too.

...Baltics or Balkns does make a diffference, but same problem....

BALTICS?!?

Ay! Caramba!

I'm going to pop a blood vessel pretty soon! :umn:

When was Burma under a Communist government? I thought they were became independent at the same time as India and Pakistan, and then there was a coup and there's been a military dictatorship ever since. Doesn't Burma really need comparison with India and Pakistan in that case?

Interestingly this month's Atlantic magazine does a retrospective on Burma and it's available online. The Burmese generals just keep on inflicting damage on their people - and their greatest fan is, as we know from reading That Book, HMTK himself

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/195802/burma

"Stalin and Mao killed just as many, if not more, people than Hitler."

I think I read once that Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of Christian Science, killed more people than Hitler too.

Well, you were reading someone stupid, then. Damn the Americans as you like, but we do tend to notice when 12 people go missing, much less 12 million.

If you want some REAL religious fun, go and study the Millerites. They are, in my opinion, THE textbook case of how religious faith survives the most obvious disproofs. Other examples (among several million) would be the Catholic reaction to the realization that Pseudo-Dionysius was in fact pseudo, the Mormon reaction to the absolute proof that Joseph Smith was an arrant liar, and today's Communists who wander around saying stuff like: "I really hate it when they describe the USSR as...you know..gulags..and...you know oppression...That was when the USSR wasn't even socialist." (For the information of all, the Terror began with Lenin on Day One, and the USSR was never "socialist.")

...Baltics or Balkns does make a diffference, but same problem....

BALTICS?!?

Ay! Caramba!

I'm going to pop a blood vessel pretty soon! :umn:

I sympathize with your frustration. You really must come up to Chiang Mai and explain it all to me!! :-)

OK!!! Baltics to the left -- oops, West -- of the Black Sea!!! Caucasian Mountains to the RIGHT! (Oops, East).

East-West challenged Henry. (My older brother is Left-Right challenged). The word "challenged" here is Newspeak for DUMB.

Frankly, from my point of view, there's no damn difference other than rhetoric between a facist and a communist. They all destroy personal freedom and make citizens slaves of the State. And eventually a lot of them become mass murderers. Stalin and Mao killed just as many, if not more, people than Hitler.

Remind me of this while I am working on my magnum opus: Slavedrivers: A History of the Twentieth Century.

The people who try to point out tiny little differences between the SLAVEDRIVERS are pathetic.

"Damn the Americans as you like"

I AM an American.