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Monday, August 01, 2005

Bush on North Korea: Let the UN or China determine American policy

Despite the machismo demonstrated by President George W. Bush in his handling of Iraq War in a unilateral fashion with his close advisors berating our long time allies in Europe, Bush has shown once again he is incapable and unwilling to deal straight up with North Korea which represents a far greater threat to American security than Iraq ever has or ever will. With North Korean nuclear missiles potentially being able to reach California (this point is up for debate and speculation) the urgency exists for the United States to develop a cohesive policy towards Pyongyang, one that focuses on American security rather than the opinions of China and United Nations.

Despite this urgency, Bush refuses to continue the good work of the Clinton Administration who was able to contain North Korea with a 1994 agreement. Bush administration handpicked envoy Chris Hill has implied any number of contradictory road maps several weeks- Hill implied that the US maybe willing to trade favors with North Korea or simply see the extension of the six party talks that include China, Japan, south Korea and Russia as well as a goodwill gesture. Another statement Hill made strongly hinted that the US wanted to refer the matter to the United Nations in order to place sanctions on an already isolated North Korea. Chances of North Korea’s hard line dictatorship being concerned about UN sanctions are about as good as Rutgers beating the University of Miami in football. In other words, the Bush administration is so scared of the North Korean that they are trying to punt the issue to either the UN or the other members of the six party talks.

One thing can be determined from all these inconsistencies. The Bush administration is unwilling to take strong unilateral action against the biggest current threat to American security. After a macho attack on a helpless Iraq, Bush is clearly fearful of defending American interests with regards to North Korea. The UN and the six party talks provide a continued smokescreen for Bush’s ongoing fear of Pyongyang.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Bush's policy of appeasement toward North Korea is unconscionable. What is even worse however was John Kerry's unwillingness to attack Bush on the issue during the campaign.

In order to put more troops in Iraq, Bush pulled troops out of Korea. Well, that was the Bush spin. How did Korea and the rest of the orient see it? Kim Jong Il flexed his muscles, announced the world that he was developing nuclear weapons, then Bush pulled out the troops.

And the multi-lateral talks BS by the Bush administration is just cowardly! There is absolutely no reason that this administration can't engage North Korea in both bi-lateral and multi-lateral talks. Our national security calls for both.

Bush claims that engaging North Korea in bi-lateral talks would give North Korea credibility in the world. First, North Korea, as long as Kim Jong Il is its leaders, will never have credibility in the world. And second, Bush running away from confronting the problem does more to make North Korea look credible than engaging them.

Joe is right. Just like Reagan, Bush is a chickenhawk! Reagan invaded Grenada, because he thought knocking off a little nothing country would make him look tough, and Bush did the same with Iraq.

The fact that Bush refuses to handle the real problems with North Korea and Iran makes him look more like a chickenhawk than any controversy over his national guard service (or lack of service).

Anonymous said...

Pride of the South told a blatant lie in his comment, and therefore his entire comment has no credibility.

Pride of the South claims that Bill Clinton burned the American flag. This is a lie. Everyone should disregard Pride of the South's un-American comments. He obviously hates America when it doesn't do exactly what he wants.

Pride of the South says that Clinton dodged the draft. This is true. But so did George W. Bush. The two did the exact same thing. Bush used his dad getting him into the cushy National Guard to dodge the draft. (It's important to note that the National Guard then was nothing like it is today, where the men and women in the National Guard are truly heroes.) Bush is nothing more than a more successful Dan Quayle.

Pride of the South's comment displays the biggest problem with today's conservatives. They love American only when things are going exactly like they want. When they don't get their way, American conservatives hate America as much as al Qaeda. (Example? See Pride of the South's comment.)

Hey Pride of the South. If you really hate America as much as your comment implies, why don't you and your conservative brothers and sisters move out of the country?

Love it or leave it!

Anonymous said...

Clinton was a pot smoking peacenick. Most of those hippies that hated America in the 60s have become corporate Republicans that fleeded America in the 1990s and 2000s. How is that for irnoy. The Woodstock generation became the Enron generation.

As far as North Korea, Bush is scared shitless of Kim IL Jong. Isn't it obvious. Good post by Kartik- obviously something the GOP foot soldiers don't want to believe but is true!

Anonymous said...

I meant to say fleeced not fleeded America. I was in a hurrt to get all my thoughts out!

Anonymous said...

Jeb in 2008 said...
Clinton was a draft dodger. Do you guys actually dispute that?

10:13 AM


Tommy,

I'll repeat what I said in my earlier post.

Pride of the South says that Clinton dodged the draft. This is true. But so did George W. Bush. The two did the exact same thing.

Please read the comments before posting.

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I am the host of the Major League Soccer Talk and EPL Talk Podcasts and am frequent guest on other (world) football shows. I am also the publisher of various other websites including this one. I work in public/government relations in addition to my soccer work and have a keen interest in history, politics, aviation, travel,and the world around us.

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