At 12:58 PM 1/10/2003 -0800 Gautam Mukunda wrote:
>Fourth, South Korea really is acting like a typical
>nascent democracy. .......They
>want the benefits of American protection, but total
>freedom to make their own policy unconstrained by
>American views, and so on. It's kind of ridiculous,
>but it's not exactly surprising.
In other words.... they're acting a bit like teenagers..... :)
> I do note that for all the uproar
>about _Bush's_ unilateralism, it's little noted that
>Clinton was (in this situation) far worse, committing
>the South Koreans to a possible war with North Korea
>without even mentioning the possibility to them. Bush
>is, at least, talking to the ROK.
An excellent point that aught to be printed in big bold letters somewhere
and faxed to all the knee-jerk pundits who are hammering away at Bush over
this issue.
>Sixth, I have to disagree with Dan on the extent to
>which the Bush Administration has been relying on
>bluff. I don't think they're bluffing - they are
>willing to attack if necessary, just as Clinton was,
>they just don't want to.
I'm glad to hear you say this...... I've been hinting in my discussion
with Dan that I really do think that we could attack DPRK in order to force
regime change - but that we just want to be deliberate about it, and want
to at least have the situation in Iraq resolved first so that we can at
least have the full concentration of our air power brought to bear on DPRK
In the event of such an attack.
>The seventh is that, to me, the North Korean situation
>underscores the extent to which it is vital we topple
>Saddam Hussein before he acquires nuclear weapons.
To me, that is the most amazing and mystifying aspect of the current
crisis. Virtually everyone agrees, left and right, that the United States
simply has no good options right now, since the DPRK already has nuclear
weapons, and thus can either blackmail us to their hearts content, or
alternative force us to risk nuclear war. Yet, despite this broad
consensus, there seem to be millions of people who nevertheless continue to
advocate the same policies of appeasment, negotiation, and inspections in
Iraq that left us in this picke in Korea in the first place.
Astounding, really.
JDG
P.S. You mentioned the ROK's miserable handling of the current situation.
Do you think that there is a limit to how much the ROK is willing to be
blackmailed in the current situation? Additionally, do you think that the
DPRK's withdrawal from the NPT today, without even 90 day notice, will at
all swing the ROK's policy on this crisis?
_______________________________________________________
John D. Giorgis - [EMAIL PROTECTED]
People everywhere want to say what they think; choose who will govern
them; worship as they please; educate their children -- male and female;
own property; and enjoy the benefits of their labor. These values of
freedom are right and true for every person, in every society -- and the
duty of protecting these values against their enemies is the common
calling of freedom-loving people across the globe and across the ages.
-US National Security Policy, 2002
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