This picture makes me so proud to be an American. In contrast to the cowboy diplomacy of the Reagan/Bush II eras, Obama and Bush I have taken the wise course of patience in Burma. “Mission Accomplished” indeed!
There is a subtext here that you may be missing. The Mao doctrine was and still is China’s version of cowboy diplomacy. Lacking the US’ military force, the Chinese Reagan came up with a very different strategy. In effect, that China uses their resources to support any foreign government as long as that support is in China’s interest. Communist, fascist, murderous, … nothing matters other than China’s benefit. The newspeak for this policy is “non-intervention.”
non-intervention worked in Burma. China supported the ruling military thuggery and was greatly rewarded for that support. Myanmar let China dam a river … granting all the electricity to China. Myanmar let China build a naval base …. China’s only base on the all important Indian Ocean!
Myanmar has now cancelled the electricity deal, it looks as if Aung San Suu Kyi will come to power. I will watch to see if China gets to keep its nukes in the waters off of Burma.
This time Pogo is wrong. WE saw the enemy and it was not us!