- This cartoon (and the analysis that follows) over at IA may be all you need to read. Just a snippet:
Ask yourself one simple question with regard to potential progress. What on god’s green earth leads you to believe that actual, real verification can ever occur? What signal, what clue, what development of the last 2 years could lead anyone to even dream that Kim Jong Il would ever allow the verification process necessary to guarantee a complete, verifiable, and irreversible dismantling of Norknuke?
The answer is there were none. The “progress” therefore, will be all for naught and will only serve re-election campaigns, allow the kneejerk defenders of George to delude themselves, and distract attention from corruption scandals…because ultimately no matter how many baby steps occur towards the completeverifiableirreversible goal…the final step will never occur…and this is the final given.
- The Infidel has a post you definitely want to read. Here’s some of it:
What counts in these negotiations is the divide between non-proliferation versus economic benefits. Washington has formed a weak consensus, that the proliferation of WMD must be stopped, but the proximate powers are sniffing opportunities. Washington has no need for the scant jewels Pyongyang is offering, and the economies of scale peace and unification might bring. Washington is maneuvering to make the format of these talks permanent, so that the US military can draw back its heavy hand with honor in the region. But, and this is a point optimists need to burn in their brains, Pyongyang is a spoiler. There is no goal to Pyongyang’s diplomacy other than to split any coalition or major power arrayed against it. If not Washington, Pyongyang’s enemy will be Tokyo, then Beijing, and even Seoul again.
- Mike over at SEB is actually optimistic. That or stoned.
I suppose that a heady blend of desperation, fear and isolation might have a debilitating effect on one’s faith in brinksmanship.
- The Big Ho chimes in:
Sorry, folks, but whatever progress you’re hoping for ain’t gonna happen this time around. It’s just like the Pope said about North Korea: “It is as it was.”
- Read through Rebecca MacKinnon’s post on forced engagement over at NKzone.
Expectations are being raised by South Korean, Japanese, Chinese and Russian diplomats that there will be progress this time - if the U.S. and North Korea are willing to be more flexible than before. Notably, U.S. diplomats have stayed out of this expectation-rasing game. South Korean officials are hinting (unconfirmed by the U.S.) that Washington is “considering” its proposal to provide incentives to North Korea if it agrees to scrap its nuclear weapons programs.
One Comment
i’ve given up on the nKzone. it seems it is just going to be a voice of the left on nKorea. there isn’t a fair representation of views there and i don’t think there ever will be.