Policy on North Korea

One could almost make the case to feel sorry for the Lilliputian leader of North Korea. How far he has fallen since the Clinton era, where he was treated as a brother in arms by the United States, and if he didn’t have the arms, by god, we gave them to him. Since Bush II took office, he has been relegated to a second tier enemy from a first tier friend. Largely ignored by the world, we went after those people who were harming us directly. We kept up 6 party talks with Kim allowing those in the region to do most of the heavy lifting; we were there just to give the talks respectability. Unfortunately, Kim Jong-Il just didn’t think that was enough, especially after Iran started getting news play about its uranium enrichment. It was at this time that Kim cried out, “What about me? I have big missiles and nuclear technology. Why won’t America talk to me and whisper sweet nothings like before?” Finally, Kim could take it no longer and in a fit of rage lashed out with his Tae-Dong missile, which promptly exploded in a cloud of nothingness over the water. Once again there where threats of more launches, but after the embarrassment of his first Dong missile blowing so quickly, he was unable to make anything else materialize. After the failed missile launches, the world stood up and took notice again of how creepy this guy was. Kim once again demanded to be wooed by the US in private, or he would launch again. (It is my personal view that no one told him it didn’t work.) The US refused and said, “Come on back to the table with everyone, we’ll be there.” Kim was not happy and started his serious saber rattling. All but declaring war on everyone. Meanwhile, the rest of the world continued on with their lives. America fighting the war on terror. France hiding. Hugo Chavez talking about Diablo’s and sulfur (sounds like a 70’s band). Cuban Dictator Castro dying, then living, then hugging Chavez, then dying again, then getting better. And Kim was still ignored. So last week he starts screaming about conducting a nuclear test unless America agrees to sit at the children’s table with him and talk about what we can give them. America says, “NO.” and lets Kim know that it would not be a good idea to run a test. Gets the rest of the region saying it would be a bad idea to run a test. Kim, just to let us know that he was not bluffing and is really, really an important person, went ahead with the test. It didn’t take long for the scores to start coming. 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0. Everyone agreed that though a big boom, it was not a nuclear detonation. Even France has now said it was not a nuclear detonation, and we know how hard it is to get them to commit to anything. Sorry Kim not this time. The left is screaming that failed policy by President Bush has led to this latest non-event in North Korea, which proves they are still long on breath and short on memory. Let us look at what exactly this “failed policy” has done. North Korea HAS NOT detonated a nuclear weapon. We are closer to Japan and South Korea (two allies) then we were during the Clinton years. We are closer to Russia and China (on this issue) than ever before. We have spent our money and resources where it was needed in the Middle East. North Korea HAS NOT detonated a nuclear weapon. I know I repeated that one twice, but really that is what it comes down too. Now that North Korea is still unable to “drop the bomb”, China and Russia are backing down on the language of a U(seless)N statement. Why? Not because either one fears Kim. Not because either one fears North Korea’s military might. But because they fear the refugees. Millions and millions of starving North Koreans who are staying in North Korea because it is only slightly worse than the outback of China or Russia. But further economic sanctions against them, less power from the Kim government and more failures, or God forbid, some sort of military attack and those people would be flooding the borders like Mexicans coming to America. That scares China. Which brings us to the end of this little story and here is where we are at. We are closer to the countries in the region and the scariest thing about North Korea is its homeless. Doesn’t sound like a failed policy to me!!!