Axis Of Evildoers
So North Korea has now test-fired as many as six missiles, according to various reports. One was a long-range Taepodong 2 that failed shortly after launch. During the past few weeks, President Bush repeatedly used strong language to warn North Korea that a test of the Taepodong was unacceptable and would have serious consequences.
One point this administration and its defenders are fond of making is that the U.S. showed weakness to its enemies when it cut and ran after Mogadishu, didn't respond to the bombings of the barracks in Beirut or our embassies in Africa, and did nothing after the USS Cole. The invasion of Iraq was, among other things, supposed to establish that the U.S. had a tough new policy of enforcing consequences and that our bark was no longer worse than our bite.
North Korea defied President Bush's explicit warnings and conducted the test. Hopefully sanity prevails, but Bush has made his own bed on this one. What about those consequences, Mr. President?
Late update: We chide. Details here.
One point this administration and its defenders are fond of making is that the U.S. showed weakness to its enemies when it cut and ran after Mogadishu, didn't respond to the bombings of the barracks in Beirut or our embassies in Africa, and did nothing after the USS Cole. The invasion of Iraq was, among other things, supposed to establish that the U.S. had a tough new policy of enforcing consequences and that our bark was no longer worse than our bite.
North Korea defied President Bush's explicit warnings and conducted the test. Hopefully sanity prevails, but Bush has made his own bed on this one. What about those consequences, Mr. President?
Late update: We chide. Details here.
posted by The Cunning Realist at Tuesday, July 04, 2006
9 Comments:
Not many out today on the net. I spent the day with my extended family and my brother had Fox News on the TV. His response to North Korea, "Nuke Em". Yeah, way to go. That's a great idea. (snark).
Oh well, at least I know there are Republicans somewhere with a little sense, so I came over here top see what CR has to say.
I'm just too discouraged today. We sent the shuttle off when I was wondering if it was safe. However, it did make for great 4th of July TV.
Which do you think it will be this fall, Iran or N. Korea? My niece said he surely wouldn't do anything stupid, but I doubt that. Who is going to try and stop him?
". . . Bush has made his own bed on this one."
I agree with your tone of frustration but not with your conclusion. Unfortunately, he's made our bed as well.
I hope everyone has a wonderful Independence Day.
'George Bush' and 'consequences' should never be in the same sentence. In both action and rhetoric he has used double speak and outright lies designed to stir emotion, even ask the right question, yet followed through with the vigor of a wet noodle. There has been allot of speculation over at Andrew Sullivan about just this, personally I think it is his moral fundamentalism. 'I am a man of God, God is good, and therefore I am good, even when I am not.' GWB may force some sort of retaliation, but that's a 50-50 subjective chance. It will surely not be result of principal or a follow through on the ‘promise of consequence.’
Remember a little known book called "The Mouse That Roared"?
Oil in North Korea? Nope? OK, then, Kim Jong-Il will be a problem for "future administrations" to solve.
Hell, with that A.Q. Kahn thing, probably a dozen other nations have nukes that we don't know about yet. North Korea isn't exceptional. Yawn. The Bush Administration seems to be interested in two things and two things only: (1) controlling domestic politics/i.e., accumulating personal and party power; and (2) oil geopolitics.
With #2, they probably tell themselves that they are doing America a favor and guarding the security of our children by wresting control of the world's most valuable, and dwindling, natural resource (from those who technically own it). However, as oil-men through and through, they are utterly blind to the idea that it might be better to change the established geo/energy system rather than hoard oil while the world goes down in flames around us.
Hence... wake us up when Kim Jong-Il strikes a gusher. There's no big voting block of ex-pat North Koreans to worry about, the majority probably vote Republican anyway. End of story, for the Bush Administration, until Kim Jong-Il ratchets up the stakes even more.
The only country that could possibly have any effect on North Korea is China. Unfortunately, China does not owe much to us. On the contraty, we owe lots of money to China.
Korea shot off some missiles. BFD. Their actions are obviously defensive, driven by Bush's behavior. Look- we faced down the Soviet Union, a real enemy, using nuclear deterrence. Did we forget about that one? If NK used a nuke offensively, we would destroy their country, end of story. Are we afraid that he's going to sell the whole system to "terrorists"? Forget it. Missiles and nukes have signatures. It would be obvious where it came from. Again, we flatten them. Kim may be a freak, but he's not an idiot. The solution to this non-problem is simple. Unfortunately, the simple solution doesn't keep half our country terrified and docile.
He is already selling his stuff all over the place.
Where did you find it? Interesting read »
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