Reunification could come very soon.....
Watching the activity in the far east over the past few weeks has led me to one major conclusion. I think that we may see the reunification of the Korean Peninsula. Soon.
Kim Jong Il is sort of an interesting character. He hates America and the West, but he consumes our products. Ferrari sports cars, American television, an internet junkie (Kim, if you are reading this, please post your comments. Thanks!) and is reported to have spent $250K on cognac in 2005. Of course, this puts the image in my mind of Kim Jong Il as Tim Meadows' character, "The Ladies Man" from Saturday Night Live and the movie. Picture this, Condoleeza Rice calls him up and Kim says, "Oooh, it's a lady!" The way I see it, this is NOT too far off.
I find it especially interesting to hear former Secretary of State Madeline Albright make outrageous statements about how things were better during the eight years of the Clinton Administration. In fact, Albright said that North Korea was not enriching Uranium during the Clinton years. She said that they did during the former President Bush's administration and they are not. But not when she was there.
Madame Albright, I quote my dad when I say this. Everyone who believes that, stand on your head. Madame Albright, you are a either a fool or you have your head in the sand.
Madame Albright, I will go a step further. And you make take this as praise. I think your policy toward North Korea was second only to Neville Chamberlain's policy toward Nazi Germany in effectiveness.
Now, I am not going to praise the Bush Administration for their handing of this situation either. I think they have screwed it up as well. And the apparent inaction has me scratching my head. The Axis of Evil statement of 2003 did include North Korea. And they have gotten their attention from us finally. I think going to Iraq first made sense because they did have WMD's (as has been finally made widely public through comments in the Senate and House) and because Iraq had a strategic location. Now that we have our troops on either side of Iran, in Afghanistan and in Iraq, they were next on the list. North Korea comes last because of the same reason that existed in 1953. China!!
China will not take our side because it does not benefit them. They will not go directly against us either. Why? Because it does not benefit them. I do not trust the Chinese government. Their culture teaches them that they need to be non-committal until they find a clear benefit from taking sides. Their government also facilitates slave labor. OK, slave may be a strong term. But they have these "labor camps" where they generously provide food, shelter and recreation facilities. Why would the workers ever need to leave? So they don't let them. Technically, they might not be slaves, but we all know the difference. And it keeps the prices at Wal-Mart low.
What will happen in North Korea? It all rests on what the West and Japan is willing to risk when it comes to China. If we tell China to shut up and we will handle it, then we have to see their reaction.
Here is my guess. China does not like the status quo with North Korea either. But, it does not benefit China to act. Japan and the USA can make their move against North Korea, China expresses outrage. The US, Japan and South Korea can rebuild the North as part of a unified Korea. China then can make more money and build their power by selling goods to their new neighbor. And then they can plan their invasion for 20 years down the road.
Because the fact of the matter is, China wants to be the next empire of the world. As long as we maintain our position as a superpower here in the USA, this will not happen. However, too many here in the USA want to end that role.
And THAT is the biggest problem.
Post your thoughts.
Comments
Jay,
I don't want to see the USA give up its role as a superpower, but some of the directions you mention do concern me. Invading Iran AND North Korea? With what? The last spending increase for Iraq was 85 Billion dollars. Over the course of a lifetime (70 years), that's 7 million dollars a day. If that was DOMESTIC spending, people would rightly have a fit.
Beyond spending (which is HUGE), there's the matter of international . . . I don't know what . . . "neighborliness" or as W campaigned upon in 2000, the notion of "international humility." On the news a few years ago a White House correspondent mentioned rumors that "it might be time for a regime change" in Iran. Really? Just who the H do we think we are? We think the French are arrogant?
We are a superpower. We have super power. We need to act with as much wisdom as we can. The world's problems are not easy, and bombing those problems away isn't an answer in the short term or the long term.
Posted by: Doug | July 11, 2006 10:39 PM
Let me clarify. I never said anything about invading. I think that we needed to address North Korea sooner than we have. I agree with the moves in Iraq because they did have WMD, were the weakest of the three and the possess a strategic location. That allows us to keep tabs on Iran. Next comes North Korea, but what are we doing.
Who are we (the USA)? We are the nation that first set forth the concepts of self determination. Iran self determined to be an Islamic Republic....now a silent majority disagrees with that move and they no longer have the chance to change that direction. Oops, they screwed that up. So, the heck with them, right? Exactly, but with our presence on their borders may allow that self determination to re-bloom....hopefully before they go nuke.
North Korea has been a Stalinist nation since, um, Stalin's era. In fact, Joe Stalin himself set it up that way. Those people have never had a chance. They were under the thumbs of Japan before Stalin. And under China before that. We need to give them that chance. Not WE as in the USA, we as in the WORLD. As the only remaining SuperPower, much to the distain of the left in this country we still are a SuperPower, we need to assist in leading the way. Assist....as in let Japan and South Korea handle it? Or in other ways.
Simply put, if we are to remain a SuperPower we need to carry the big stick, not act afraid to use it, but use it when it needs to be done.
Invade? Bomb would be my choice. But that is me.
Posted by: Jay Kersting | July 12, 2006 11:03 AM