{"id":851,"date":"2009-05-28T09:28:00","date_gmt":"2009-05-28T16:28:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.harmonicminer.com\/wordpress\/2009\/05\/28\/the-nightmares-of-kim-jong-il\/"},"modified":"2009-05-28T09:04:11","modified_gmt":"2009-05-28T16:04:11","slug":"the-nightmares-of-kim-jong-il","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.harmonicminer.com\/wordpress\/2009\/05\/28\/the-nightmares-of-kim-jong-il\/","title":{"rendered":"The nightmares of Kim Jong-il"},"content":{"rendered":"

N.Korea nuclear test sparks global condemnation<\/a> (Read the whole thing for a flavor of the various national responses, all predictably outraged, of course.)<\/p>\n

North Korea’s nuclear test explosion has been met by a wave of condemnation from countries around the world, with several leaders calling for sanctions.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I’m sure that the dreams of “the great leader” are filled with great fear of “sanctions” and UN Security Council resolutions.\u00a0 Iran is watching, of course, and cannot fail to learn that no one (except, just possibly, Israel) will do anything to stop its acquisition of “the bomb.”<\/p>\n

Lions, tigers and the UN Security Council, oh my.<\/p>\n

Those who advise continued “negotiations” and advocating “pressure from China and Russia” to make North Korea behave had better deal with this:\u00a0 Japan could have a deliverable nuclear weapon in a matter of months if it thought it needed to do so as a deterrent.\u00a0 It has excellent missiles, a very sophisticated nuclear power technology, pleny of enrichable fuel, and brilliant scientists and technicians.\u00a0 South Korea and Taiwan may not be far behind.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Do we really want all of North Korea’s threatened neighbors to ramp up their own nuclear programs, because we haven’t the will to do anything about North Korea’s?<\/p>\n

China is playing a dangerous game.\u00a0 It COULD end North Korea’s program fairly quickly, if it so chose.\u00a0 But it is using North Korea as a negotiating tool against the US, and specifically Obama, who has displayed none of the strength of will that would convince China that it must end North Korea’s program.\u00a0 China exports much of North Korea’s food.\u00a0 China surely has explicit knowledge of exactly where North Korea’s program is situated, and could possibly even sabotage it without direct military action.\u00a0 China could put an end to this, but continues to use it to weaken the US hand in the area, specifically the USA’s ability to project protection for its democratic allies, Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea.\u00a0 It is in China’s interest to display a weak USA to China’s regional neighbors, a USA that is powerless to seriously affect even a pipsqueak, disfunctional power like North Korea.<\/p>\n

The underlying message from China to its neighbors:\u00a0 “The USA won’t protect you; it just talks big.\u00a0 Your only real choice is to throw in with us.\u00a0 We’re not such bad guys.\u00a0 Really.”<\/p>\n

Obama COULD make it plain to China that either China takes care of the problem, or he will.\u00a0 Obama COULD use the economic levers he has on China to pressure it.\u00a0 He probably won’t.\u00a0\u00a0 If he’s true to form for the Left (no reason to think otherwise right now) he’ll keep kicking the can down the road, hoping something will change.\u00a0 It won’t…\u00a0 except maybe for the worse.<\/p>\n

In the meantime, he continues to reduce funding for USA and allied missile defense.\u00a0 I’m sure that makes Japan and our other allies in the region feel safe.<\/p>\n

Share this:<\/h3>