The headlines are stark: dozens dead in a rebel blast in a village nominally free of junta control. Myanmar, once a British colonial possession, is tearing itself apart. But before we mourn, we must ask ourselves: what cycles of history are repeating?
The fall of empire, the rise of factionalism, the hollowing of national identity. Britain, too, suffers a similar rot. Our streets riot over identity politics.
Our political class debates trifles while the nation’s soul erodes. Myanmar’s tragedy is not just theirs. It is a warning to all who forget that order, however imperfect, is preferable to the chaotic bloodletting of liberation without responsibility.
The rebels are not heroes. The junta is not legitimate. But we, who watch from afar, must not mistake our own situation for stability.
We are in decline. The question is whether we will stop fighting over scraps long enough to restore a common sense of purpose, or follow Myanmar into the abyss.
