Let Us Not Be Morally Indifferent:

[MMAung@xxxxxxx]

Let Us Not Be Morally Indifferent

	The twentieth century witnessed the rise and fall of the utopian regimes and
traditional rules.  In a comparative study of political systems by Magstadt,
the author explored the nature of the emergence of totalitarian and
authoritarian governments around the world.  Ideological extremism, religious
fundamentalism and racism bred totalitarian regimes in Russia, Romania,
Germany, N. Korea, China . . .   However, the authoritarian regimes which take
the lesser form of totalitarianism appear to be the majority among the world
governments.  The common characteristics between the totalitarian and
authoritarian governments are that they are non-democratic and come into power
by using all violent means known to humans such as military coups and bloody
revolutions.  Therefore, both types of these regimes brutally suppress all
oppositions who question legitimacy of their stay in power.			

	Some totalitarian governments attempted to establish utopian states such as
"Proletariat or Classless State" in Russia, "Puritan State" in Romania,
"Racially-pure Aryan State or A Thousand-year Third Reich" in Germany.
Encouraged by their followers who got blinded by personality-cult, the
dictators of the said perceived utopias "needed only a little time to do a lot
of damage" to the lives of their people.  Through their massive use of
propaganda and violence, these leaders instill unthinkable doctrines into the
minds of their people and enforce them.  Their messages to the people about
the "solutions" for building "perfect states" are clear, unambiguous and
deterministic: to get rid of all non-proletariat classes, to exterminate all
Jews . . .   They transform their societies: not only their ways of life but
also their ways of thinking.  In this process, history recorded the deaths of
thousands of innocents in Russia under Joseph Stalin leadership.  The mothers
of Romania would still remember Nicolae Ceausescu's decrees in agony for the
irretrievable loss of their infants to his official transfusion of blood with
AIDS. The images of their loved ones being driven into the Auschwitz gas-
chamber under Hitler's command will still haunts thousands of Jews the world
over.  All such horrible crimes against humanity were conducted in the name of
building "perfect societies" or the utopias.

	Unlike the totalitarian regimes, the authoritarian governments focus all
their efforts to remain in power other than committing to a particular
ideological doctrine.  They loudly clamor "Stability, Law and Order,
Sovereignty, Patriotism" in their propaganda.  As long as people do not
criticize or challenge the legitimacy of their stay in power, the
authoritarian regimes would allow them to do any activities.  By holding fake
elections which do not allow the people to select their own leaders but
rectify the present ruling regimes, they would consolidate their power.
However, these regimes will resort to all means once used by the totalitarian
regimes against the people and organizations who pose potential threats to
their illegitimate seizure of the state-power.  Just like the totalitarian
regimes, they would set up quasi social organizations which are equivalent  to
that of Hitler's Stormtrooper (SS), Mao's Red Guards to quash the opposition.
Most authoritarian regimes relied on their pocket armies and are determined to
remain in power by using good or crooked means and at any cost.  As Magstadt
put, they "sell the idea that the rulers have a right to rule without
consulting the people. Having the right to rule does not mean the same thing
as ruling rightly, of course.  And unfortunately, dictators and tyrants have
too often used their "rights" to commit serious wrongs."

	The countries are going back and forth between democracy, authoritarianism
and totalitarianism.  Studying these political systems definitely enrich our
political knowledge and useful because, now a day,  we are dealing with more
authoritarian juntas than democratic governments.  In our times, one can
observe the changing political systems in many countries. For instance,
compare Iran and Iraq, both have similar history and of same religion.  As the
country's economic crises deepen due to the UN sanctions, Saddam Hussein's
regime began to soften its stance and show the sign that it would allow
political freedom with opposition parties and a free press.  Meanwhile, the
Iran Islamic Republic's supreme leader Ayatollah Khomeini has tightened his
grip on the people's life by promulgating innumerable moral, cultural and
political rules. In Asia, the people of  Indonesia now see the dawn of freedom
while the people in Burma, my country, are facing the intensified suppression
of their birth rights by the illegitimate military junta. The psychological,
physical sufferings of people in such nations are imminent.  In conclusion,
while they maintain their democratic political systems,  it becomes
unavoidable moral responsibility for the people of the free and open societies
to help their fellow human beings under totalitarian and authoritarian regimes
all over the world end their sufferings.  Knowing how severe these people are
suffering under such regimes is different from taking effective measures for
ending their sufferings.  Therefore, it is high time for all free people of
the world to review their traditional ways of being morally indifferent to the
plight of the people and nations beyond their national boundaries since we
believe all humans are equal.