17.12.2006
Brokeback Mountain and Burma
_ By JORDBUR (Just ORDinary BURmese)
Today JordBur watched the movie Brokeback Mountain. It is about two whisky drinking, gun carrying, macho sheep boys (shepherds) in their twenties babysitting herds on the range falling in love each other, leading separate lives to conform with society.
A good movie and streams of weird thoughts flow into his head. No!! Don't get wrong thoughts. Jordbur is a man, a real man with a beer tummy. He is a happy man but not that happy enough, articulate but not articulate enough to be in Mommies' camp.
First thing got into his mind is about correlation between homosexuality, human rights and liberalism. Back in 1988 mass protests in Burma, he saw a group of hair stylist ladies with big Adam's apple were participating in protests for democracy. He was stunned and even thought it was a disgrace or to the noble fight for democracy and human rights.
Time flies fast, Burmese Tatmadaw had been really busy laying foundation for scientific democratic Burma for nearly two decades, no one knows how long will it takes. JordBur also become well read, wise man, at least he thinks he is, who could hide his emotions and could easily pass as easy going chap who would tolerate gay men or women as long as they don’t target his sons or nieces.
He thinks those chaps can live or behave as chics as long as it is between consented adults. If they dont cross the line seducing young innocent boys then let them wear whatever they want or cut whatever they have. But being a true Burmese man, JordBur never had a problem with Tom boy ladies though but he better stops before this essay becomes too nasty.
The second thought came into his mind is about herds, shepherds and cowboys and a democratic society. Although it is never wrong to aim for, but hard to achieve an ideal democracy, where every citizen with ability and integrity can aim for highest office with voting rights exercised by free citizens.
In JORDBUR's narrow and skeptical eyes, nine out of ten of democratic countries are more or less still infected or inherited with Plutocracy (the rule of rich), Oligarchy (ruled by a group of men, race or profession), Meritocracy (ruled by scholars and smarties), etc.. He worries that since most of citizens were behaving like herds and they may be occupied with grinding and finding grasses.
Moving field after field, finally they are being led into slaughter house by shepherd dogs and cowboys. Dictators are cowboys and shepherds are his henchmen. So a free democratic society should more be alike a group of free wild horses roaming in prairies glass lands knowing where to go next where greener grasses and cleaner water are. There will be some stallions acting as Shepherds to scout horses, guiding right fields, drive away foxes (enemies of Burmese citizens), or even sacrificing their lives fighting back lions or bears (external elements trying to manipulate Burma). JORBUR thinks a democratic society needs loyal and able leaders who never forgets that they are in office to serve his citizens and not to rule them by force, competent and confident public servants who knows whose rice they are eating, sincere NGOs who are not headed or operated with staffs and bosses who cannot get a real job outside, and responsible journalists who know and dare to report real news and opinions for their people.
Sleepy JORBUR wished Burma will not be headed to slaughter house; a poor country, a basket case whose citizens do not have access to good education, health care, job opportunities, who are regularly exploited by every con men, who become cruel and insensitive to suffering of other people after living too long in dog-eat-dog world.
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