Fox News on NK

[hikarugenji.livejournal.com]

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2011/12/19/its-shame-kims-death-wont-be-moment-democratic-opportunity-for-north-korea/

I've been seeing columns like this from right-wing sources since Obama took office, but I never really understand them. Whiton criticizes food aid and diplomacy towards North Korea, but doesn't really say what should be done other than a vague reference to "criticizing" China and "siding with the North Korean people." It's clear from the column that Whiton is not taking an isolationist viewpoint that we should just keep our hands off the whole situation, but he doesn't give any concrete ideas for what to do.

My guess is that he may not have any. Yelling at China's not going to do anything, nor is setting up Radio Free North Korea or something like that. War is basically out of the question, particularly now. But maybe these kind of people actually do want a war -- probably they realize that a war against NK, much less China, is not feasible, but they wish that it were, and so they can't bring themselves to side with a more diplomatic strategy.

So what can be done?

Comments

[meus-ovatio.livejournal.com]

War fixes everything. When Burma hit the news, what was the solution? Invade them, obviously. North Korea? War it is. Libya? War! Iraq? War! Afghanistan? War! Lebanon? War!

One can only be a fool to not see the record of absolute and unmitigated success of war for every contingency.

[the-rukh.livejournal.com]

Sure seems to have solved Blackwater's invenstor's problems.

[a-new-machine.livejournal.com]

You mean Xe? Er, Academi?

[sandwichwarrior.livejournal.com]

I think it's stupid to help prop-up a regime that has repeatedly emphasised it's enimity towards us and our allied but I don't really see what this has to do with Obama seeing as he's simply continuing the policies of Bush and Clinton.

If we were really concerned about the plight of the North Korean people we'd be Air-dropping MRE's and bags of rice on Korean towns from C-130s not giving them to NK government to feed their own troops or be handed out as bribes.

[meus-ovatio.livejournal.com]

Naw, air-dropping supplies into unsecured zones was disproven in Africa... the military would still just get them and use them however they wanted.

[sandwichwarrior.livejournal.com]

And others would say that it was proven in Bosnia.

In either case I don't see why we should make it easy for them by giving them the shit directly. Make 'em work for it.

That or we could just, you know, deny aid to Norh Korea.

[abomvubuso.livejournal.com]

The NK government and military has a complete control over its territory, so anything you drop there would be instantly seized by them. The situation in Bosnia was a bit different.

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

I think if the choice is propping it up v. a massive artillery bombardment of Seoul that will at a minimum ensure heavy civilian casualties *and* the biggest, bloodiest war in US history since the first round of the Korean War, letting them keep on creaking in the rickety wagon is better than kicking it in when that screws everyone else, too.

[the-rukh.livejournal.com]

Same reason healthcare and budget issues are all Obama's fault even though legislation should be purely the realm of congress. Much easier to sit on your duff and criticize people who are actually trying to do something then to actually do something yourself.

[whoasksfinds.livejournal.com]

reminds me of 2002 through 2006.

[the-rukh.livejournal.com]

of course it does.

End the stupid, that's all

[korean-guy-01.livejournal.com]

Food aid & "diplomacy" haven't gotten us anything in the past. Stupid things should be ended because they're stupid, not continued for the sake of doing something. An alternative is not needed, in this case.

[l555l.livejournal.com]

[oportet.livejournal.com]

Point a few satellites at them, throw in a handful of spies/contacts, and leave them alone until anything that can be interpreted as a hostile act towards us occurs.

Seriously, that solution half-ass appeases every opinion anyone can have on foreign policy towards another nation - anti-war, pro-war, pro-spying, pro-leaving-them-the-fuck-alone, pro-wasting-our-money.

It's a gift-basket - you probably only like one thing out of it, but maybe the others will grow on you.

[abomvubuso.livejournal.com]

I think the moment is ripe for increased diplomatic pressure. Kim Jong-ul and his entourage could (temporarily) turn out to be a tad more susceptible to the carrot-and-stick tactic, and those who care about interventionism shouldn't miss the opportunity. It's one of those circumstances when soft power has a real potential to do a much better job than muscle-flexing.

[malasadas.livejournal.com]

I think people are legitimately concerned about what kinds of death gesture a North Korean regime would hurl at South Korea. 25 million people live in the Seoul metropolitan area -- 10 million in the city itself. While the hype that North Korea could "flatten Seoul" in short order is oversold (http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/military/news/north-korea-and-flattening-seoul), they sure as spit could kill a bunch of people and cause extensive damage before our air capability could take out most of their artillery and rocket launchers.

They'd likely only do it as a final "fuck you" to the world, however, so that's probably why people are keeping the trickle of aid going in to push that off as long as possible.

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

Yes, people like this that think the complete destruction of Seoul is worth liberating North Korea have pretty clearly lost contact with the world of actual human beings. On the other hand the neo-cons blamed everyone but themselves for their disastrous occupation of Iraq, so eh....