Well, Wretchard, you can always wear red this Saturday

The Belmont Club's redoubtable author has allowed his strong stand against the Left and global government to cloud his judgment about Burma. A few days ago Wretchard received a letter from a Burmese who excoriated Japan for their two-faced defense of human rights:

"Summary executions, forced labor, forced relocation, forced conscription of child soldiers and many other atrocities [in Burma]. But Japanese government has been indifferent in their policy of engaging with the military junta and supporting them."

The rest of the letter's tone was somewhat irritating, I'll grant, but Wretchard's response was to inform the writer that "no one is going to save you" and that "you are alone," to quote Winston Churchill at him and lecture him about standing up and being a man.

Wretchard topped it off by intoning, "I have no strength of my own to give you and will only say this: may the Lord Jesus Christ and the Lord Buddha guide you."

The Churchill quote is from Winnie's speech to his nation in October 1940: "... many mistakes and disappointments will surely be our lot; death and sorrow will be our companions on the journey, hardship our garment, constancy and valor our only shield."

Churchill goes on to say, "No one can predict or even imagine how this terrible war against German and Nazi aggression will run its course."

As we know, the aggression against Britain ran its course when the United States stepped in to help, and let's not forget the contribution of Russia.

And speaking of getting help against aggression, I seem to recall that the American Revolution was on the ropes until the French stepped in.

Wretchard is right to be cynical about Brussels and the UN's effort to help Burma. But it's not a matter of expecting an international body to turn the tide in Burma. It is a matter of each nation that aided Burma's tyrants rethinking their policy.

It is not only India and China that aided and abetted the regime. Indonesia and Australia provided the junta with counterinsurgency training, even knowing that the regime would use the knowledge to ruthlessly suppress civilian protests.

Israel provided the junta with weapons, even knowing that the regime planned to turn the weapons against the Burmese people.

Malaysia and Japan aided the regime; EU countries traded with the regime and kept silent about its atrocities.

Even the US government looked the other way in 2002 and 2003, when Burma's junta used a US lobbying firm to improve its image.

And let's not forget all the assistance that the World Bank, IMF, and UNDP provided the regime -- and the many nations these organizations represent.

Clearly Burma's military rulers have not stood alone against their own people. They got plenty of help from the outside world.

So it is now a matter of nations showing the rulers that they stand alone unless they open a peaceful dialogue with their citizens. Everyone outside Burma can pitch in with this effort, in any way we can -- even if only by staying informed about what's going on in Burma and passing along news.

No one is asking Wretchard to bear arms in Burma's defense but strength comes in many forms, including tenacity.

If you can do nothing else, wear a red or yellow headband or scrounge a bit of those colors to wear this Saturday at noon. By this means you give support to a global day of action to show Burma's rulers that the crisis they precipitated has not been forgotten outside Burma:

"Our friends, families and spiritual leaders are in jail cells today at risk of torture. The UN Security Council must act now to end the crackdown and must keep focused on this crisis until we know the people of Burma are safe. The international community must not desert them now,' said Ko Aung, a Burmese refugee.

Protests are expected across the world at noon local time. They have already been scheduled in key locations including: Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, India, Ireland, France, New Zealand, South Korea, Thailand, the UK and the US. In the UK, the protest is being organized by 25 organizations including Burma Campaign UK, Amnesty International and the TUC.

Around the world, campaigners will wear red headbands in solidarity with the monks under arrest and tie these onto government buildings, religious shrines or key landmarks to signify the thousands of lives currently hanging in the balance.