What if Karl Rove Wrote the New York Times?

I hope to write a more extensive analysis of the situation I've been experiencing here in Myanmar once I leave the country. But this morning at breakfast I came across the local English language newspaper, The New Light of Myanmar. It mostly extols the beauty, virtue and joys of all things Burmese and contains page after page of grief from everywhere else in the world-- from multi-car pile-ups in America, earthquakes in Russia and Indonesia, floods in Sri Lanka, trade deficits in South Korea, to a bus accident in Bolivia and a shooting in a Birmingham pub.

When the government of Myanmar hired some Bush-connected lobbyists to spruce up their image in Washington, DC, they apparently decided against having them help out with the New Light. The back page of the paper this morning is a little heavy-handed, even for the Bushies. It features some interesting points it asks all Burmese to keep in mind:

* Skyful liars attempting to destroy nation

* BBC lying

* VOA deceiving

* RFA settling up hostilities

* Beware! Don't be bought by those ill-wishers

* Oppose those relying on external elements, acting as stooges, building negative views

* Oppose those trying to jeopardize stability of the State and progress of the nation

* Oppose foreign nations interfering in internal affairs of the State

* Crush all internal and external; elements as the common enemy