[Non-Sequitur]

I have to disagree. Your position is that if the West just leaves Iran and North Korea alone that they will behave magnificently and never bother anybody again in the civilized world.

No my question is how empty threats and idle warnings on the part of the President have accomplished anything?

[TomB]

No my question is how empty threats and idle warnings on the part of the President have accomplished anything?

No, you responded to this statement:

The first lesson came when Affleck had the gall to suggest that Iran and North Korea “became more evil after” President Bush made his Axis of Evil speech during the 2002 State of the Union address (emphasis mine)...

With this:

Well they did, let's be honest about it.

You asserted that Iran and NK "became more evil" after the AoE speech. That is categorically wrong not to mention silly in the extreme.

Wether Bush did anything to prevent Iran and NK from pushing ahead with the nuclear program they had been developing for a decade at least, is a completely separate issue.

The fact of the matter is that they would have done exactly as they have done wether or not Bush uttered the phrase "axis of evil".

[American in Singapore]

No my question is how empty threats and idle warnings on the part of the President have accomplished anything?

Yeah, if nothing comes of the threats and warnings then I agree with you. I hope the jury is still out, but then it could be baseless optimism: I thought Condi would be tough and yet she is kissing Palestinian butt and hassling Israel ;-(