North Korea might launch a missile that many South Korea newspapers say might well be a satellite yet the US responds hysterically by saying they might shoot it down.
Can North Korea save the day and change the subject for the Bush administration?
North Korea, starved for attention and with its own fish to fry domestically and in its own region, may or may not be preparing some rocket for launch, and it may or may not be attempting to use its missile as a bargaining chip or a PR stunt, and it may just be attempting to put its own satellite into space. What should crystal clear though in a world of risks and balances is that North Korea’s missile, even if it exists, is hardly a threat to us.
North Korea is a sovereign country. They have the complete right to launch missiles in their own country. The US does it all the time. Sounds like Bush wants to strut his macho stuff again in another failing attempt to get his poll numbers up. But really, it’s not just Bush, the US has been meddling in other countries for decades, imperialism is an ugly thing indeed.
North Korea may be a souvereign country, but it did try to assassinate (and partially succeeded) the South Korean cabinet and has been heavily involved in the drug trade. Its regime is rather like Bush and loves attention, and will do bad things to get it. Just because Bush doesn’t like it does not mean that Kim Jong Il is George Washington in a Mao suit. He’s a genuinely bad guy, and the North Korean army is paranoid and xenophobic, a great combination for northeastern Asia. My guess is that the North Koreans can only kill 10-20 million people, but they might be crazy enough to do it. While Bush hasn’t handled them particularly well, they’re a slippery bunch to handle, and genuinely bad actors. They ain’t worthy of any sympathy, except for the people who have to suffer under the regime.
By your own definition Bush is a bad guy, he has authorised assasinations, supported despots, set up puppet regimes in other countries and been responsible for the deaths of thousands in the coutries of South America, Iraq and else where. Who is going to sort him out? What macho state is going to bring down his missiles? We play the state game when we compare one state with another and come up with the good guys and the bad guys. Put your hand on your heart and say which is the good state.Which state hasn’t been responsible for countless deaths, oppression and invasions with the working class taking the knocks. Instead of pointing to your opinion of a bad state why not admit that the state sytstem is the real problem and until the working class of the world unite and organise themselves into community based societies working in federation with all other communities we will have state violence and imperialism.
Joe, calling people crazy is the imperialists game. Kim Jong Il is crazy, Saddam was crazy, Castro is crazy, Milosevic is crazy. That’s the bullshit way they suck people into supporting their wars; don’t fall for it. Kim Jong Il is evidently somewhat eccentric, but crazy? Sorry, there’s no evidence he acts anything but rationally.
As for attempts to assassinate South Korean leaders, that was a long time ago. Since that time, the U.S. has probably invaded a half dozen countries. With the exception of the Korean War, more than 50 years ago (and the origins of that are disputed – see I.F. Stone’s The Secret History of the Korean War), North Korea hasn’t invaded anybody.
Their test firing a missile to improve their country’s defense IS their sovereign right. Any U.S. action against that, including shooting down the missile or even imposing sanctions, is an act of war.
North Korea Missile Crises – Looking for attention!…
It seems North Korea is Jealous that Iran is getting on the international attention and NK wants a piece….
The general philosphy is “Our state good guy, our state’s friends, good guys, our stste’s enemies bad guy, crazy despot maniac and all his friends are worse.”
I have to tell you guys that I don’t see much difference from your viewpoints and the viewpoints of the Bushes. The Bushies can’t see anything wrong with America or anything right with the rest of the world, and you can’t see anything right with America or wrong with any country that opposes US power. The analysis is the same; it’s just where you start that’s different. I confess to being astonished that anyone taking any kind of look at all at North Korea would find much to admire there. But, as the cliche goes, I guess that’s what makes America a great country.