Posted on 02/14/2005 6:11:14 AM PST by DarkSavant
Tact needed With North Korea boasting 'nukes,' the United States must act with caution, pursue peace
North Korea is upset, and the United States needs to do something to repair our relationship with the country, regardless of who is right.
It's time for the United States to get down on its knees because, in the nuclear-weapon relationship game, you can't just make up later.
With North Korea publicly boasting on Thursday that it has "nukes," and with peace talks nonexistent, we need to give up the stubborn, tough guy act and start playing to North Korea's interests. That means first removing the bans on free fuel oil shipments to the country and, most importantly, trying to be a little more tactful.
Although it's been a while since President Bush has labeled North Korea as part of the "axis of evil," Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice recently managed to call it an "outpost of tyranny." To say the least, both were damning public relations moves on the United States' part.
Officials in Pyongyang, North Korea's capital, didn't take these statements lightly, considering their latest message seems boastful and lacks thoughtfulness about the consequences of unleashing doomsday weapons upon the United States or South Korea.
At least prior to this, during the Clinton administration, we were at the bargaining table. Korea hasn't been part of nuclear proliferation talks since early 2003 - right after sanctions were imposed.
Oh, and while playing nice with North Korea, the United States might want to at least begin some sort of peaceable discussions with Iran about its weapons capabilities.
The European Union has been making efforts to communicate with Iran, which claims not to be arming. Unfortunately, the message from the White House is a subtle reference about not ruling out any option when trying to stop Iran from acquiring weapons of mass destruction.
It's sick to think this country could be plunged into another war when there is a concerted European effort to established a nonaggression pact. All of these nuclear fears are frightening enough to evoke a Cold War atmosphere. What's more scary? The country that brags about having nukes or the one that pretends not to?
It's preposterous that Rice would downplay the significance of North Korea's threats by calling it "rhetoric." With the hopes of simply saying, "Oh, don't look over here," the Bush administration is trying to pull a fast one on the American people. Hello, nuclear weapons, city-flattening explosions, radiation-soaked wastelands, incomprehensible amount of carnage - don't be fooled.
North Korea is a country with nothing to lose. It develops nuclear weapons while its people live in poverty.
Needless to say, we're not in military position to go after North Korea or Iran. The United States can't find enough troops to station in Iraq. As it should have been before the Iraq war, negotiation is the only choice. Considering that North Korea does have weapons, and the possibility Iran might, the United States needs to be the bigger country.
Time to play "MINE IS BIGGER THAN YOURS, PUT UP OR SHUT UP!".....
"It's time for the United States to get down on its knees because, in the nuclear-weapon relationship game, you can't just make up later."
GOOD GRIEF!!!
I've lived in poverty. I wasn't starving. These people live in abject terror.......
NK needs to remember that we have lots of tact; tactical warheads, that is...
Parents, this is what you are paying for to send your kids to MSU. Simple little wussies!
And then this;
"...At least prior to this, during the Clinton administration, we were at the bargaining table"........
Yeah Maddie was dancing her flower petal dance, while underground, the North Koreans were brewing nucular weapons. Yep, that's at the bargaining table!!
North Korean people have to come to know that their country will cease to exist unless they uprise against their government, helped by the stronger countries in their neighborhood.
Too bad we don't have idiot asylums.
This explains much about the editorial..
I'm guessing here.. but..
It's less about it being Michigan
And more about being a University..
Aspiring journalists being taught and "guided" in their political thought by Liberal Professors...
Tact needed.
Tactical Nuclear Weapons needed.
There. Fixed the headline.
"It's time for the United States to get down on its knees because, in the nuclear-weapon relationship game, you can't just make up later."
Yeesh! WE got on our knees during the Clinton years and look what good that did. NK is led by a psychotic idiot. They cannot be dealt with in a rational manner as you can a stable nation, democratic or not, led by a sane man. The jerk who wrote this seems to be one of the "surrender at all costs" crowd 'cuz we don't want to make anyone mad at us.
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