Yesterday in the Washington Post, Bill Kristol expressed frustration that the U.S. didn’t do more to help Burma.

What about using our national power to help the Burmese people against their tyrannical rulers? Burma’s regime lost what little legitimacy it had with its bloody crackdown. Parts of the ruling elite must be nervous. Couldn’t we give at least some of Burma’s generals and soldiers reason to doubt the wisdom of slaughtering political opponents? Couldn’t we turn our intelligence-gathering capabilities on Burma to monitor, document and publicize what is happening? Couldn’t we tell the generals who are ordering and the soldiers who are carrying out this crackdown that they are being watched, that their names are being recorded — and that the day will come when there will be plenty of evidence to hold them personally accountable for their deeds?

I believe that day comes for us all, Bill, but let me address your questions anyway and explain why we didn't do more to help Burma. Click here for more.

(guest blogged by Bill W.)

Back in August actor Jim Carrey posted on YouTube a "Call to Action on Burma and Aung San Suu Kyi" that received several hundred thousand views. Since that time the demonstrations and the junta's vicious attacks on the peaceful demonstrators have gained lots of attention worldwide, but very little thus far in the way of any real international action to reign in the oppressive government's crackdown as the arrests continue of those who took part in the pro-democracy demonstrations. Now Jim Carrey has posted a video response asking for our help:

Jim Carrey: "A couple of weeks ago I sent you a message about a hero of mine named Aung San Suu Kyi, a brave lady in Burma who won the Nobel Peace Prize and who has often been compared to Gandhi or Nelson Mandela. After she won 82% of the Parliamentary seats in her country, she was denied the right to govern, and held under house arrest by a military regime that has burned over 3,000 villages, forced million from their homes, raped and tortured thousands, and recruited more child soldiers than any other country in the world. That message got a lot of attention because a lot of you watched it. Now I'd like to ask you to use that power again, by sending your very own email to this address: Inquiries@un.org urging the UN Secretary Ban Ki-moon to coordinate a strong response by the United nations Security Council to the situation in Burma. ..."

You can sign an online petition to the UN here: Call to Action: UN Must Act