Comments on: New Unification Minister criticizes U.S. unilateralism, call for direct U.S.-DPRK talks

By: usinkorea

usinkorea — Thu, 16 Nov 2006 09:08:46 +0000

Origami,

Define what would have been a sucess (and I mean define one that had a remote possibility to suceed in our real world)?

It is easy to point a finger at what NK has been doing then point it to the US (or even South Korea) and say, “Why didn’t you stop this? You are a failure!”

The media and politicians do it all the time.

But, we rarely see tacked onto that the same person outlining a plan that could have worked.

And looking at where we are now, I’d say the Bush crew policy has worked — unless someone can tell me of a plan that would have accomplished more and something concrete.

I might not have said Bush’s policy was a sucess a year and a half ago - though I would have challenged anyone to offer a better method rather than a simple conclusion.

But now, it is clear China has moved much closer to the US and has been putting more effective pressure on North Korea.

And NK has at least agreed to return to the talks.

And I can see no alternative ideas that would have forced or convinced NK to do any of the key provisions needed for the US to do what NK wants. I can see nothing that would have led to NK getting rid of its nuke material or handing over the bombs or handing over the missiles or opening up their society.

Above all, the US has avoided strengthening a regime that has proven time and time again it will never open itself up to the world and become like other nations but does prefer to remain closed and see what it can wring out of the international community through brinkmanship.

That is not a failure.

By: Robert Koehler

Robert Koehler — Thu, 16 Nov 2006 04:07:22 +0000

However, I am very uncomfortable with the new ‘pink borders’ at Marmot’s Hole.

Hit control F5.

By: Origami

Origami — Thu, 16 Nov 2006 03:55:46 +0000

I’m not too sure if it makes all that much of a difference one way or another. Bush’s policy regarding N. Korea is an abject failure.

However, I am very uncomfortable with the new ‘pink borders’ at Marmot’s Hole.

By: Left Flank - Post details: The APEC Photo-Op

Left Flank - Post details: The APEC Photo-Op — Thu, 16 Nov 2006 03:21:49 +0000

[...] The ROK Unification Minister Lee Jae-joung, who isn’t Rep, Lantos, said this, according to TMH’s Robert Koehler. [...]

By: OneFreeKorea » Two Cheers for Tom Lantos

OneFreeKorea » Two Cheers for Tom Lantos — Thu, 16 Nov 2006 00:47:51 +0000

[...] But Lantos, a co-sponsor of the North Korean Human Rights Act and the ADVANCE Democracy Act, quacks like a classically liberal Scoop Jackson Democrat. He is the single individual most responsible for getting all of the House Dems to either vote in favor of the NKHRA, or at least not vote against it. As a direct consequence, the bill passed unanimously. If the Tom Lantos policy would back its velvet glove with an iron fist, I really don’t care if we talk bilaterally (read: stab South Korea and China in the back; it’s not as if they don’t do the same to us at every opportunity, defy two U.N. resolutions, and then have the balls to call us unilateralists). As long as bilateral talks don’t turn into a euphemism for America paying up while everyone else squirms away, they’d be fine. Unfortunately, I’m not sure even Tom Lantos could prevent bilateral talks from becoming just that. Would the Lantos policy mean that we forget human rights? Had identical words come from the insufferable, sonorous maw of John Feckless Kerry, I’d say yes. From Tom Lantos, I think not. [...]

By: usinkorea

usinkorea — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 17:17:12 +0000

Did you see where the new UN head isn’t going to watch the vote on NK. So much for one of the Koreans of power cutting against the Roh crew grain — a day after he says South Korea should push the North on rights more, he announces he doesn’t care enough about it to be on the floor for the vote.

But —- now that I think about it —– it is what an ally would do. (An ally of North Korea, that is….)

By: thegoodbubba

thegoodbubba — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 17:10:32 +0000

This feels like the appropriate thread to mentioned something I just heard. So I am watching the congressional hearings relating to North Korea that are on CSPAN at this very moment. In the last two minutes I have heard a democratic congressmen called pyongyang, nonpyong and a republican call kim jong il, kim young il. While I don’t expect conressmen to know all of the details of the situation, I would expect they could get the simple things correct.

By: Wedge

Wedge — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 15:23:31 +0000

Prezactly. They aren’t an ally any more. Troops outta here tomorrow.

By: shakuhachi

shakuhachi — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 15:20:47 +0000

Does anyone else here think that compared to 2 or 3 years ago, South Korean foreign policy rhetoric has completely flown off the rails? You expect this kind of talk from China, Cuba, or one of the axis of evil countries, but not from a nominal ally.

By: ZZOOzzoo

ZZOOzzoo — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 15:13:23 +0000

@dogbertt: I think it’s unfair to generalize the entire Korean “genome” just because the ****ing administration constantly comes up with those wacky and disturbing comments.

I, for one, am deeply embarrassed that these idiotic commies are representing my country. :/

Remember, the administration has an approval rating of around 10 percent; hardly anyone in Korea approves of the way the government handles foreign relations and everything else.

When the conservative and (relatively) rational GNP takes over the Blue House next year, I’m sure most of the commie madness in South Korea will disappear.