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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: JohnM who wrote (63394)	12/29/2002 3:23:07 PM
From: Hawkmoon	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 281500

As for what should be done now, it's not at all clear. Sure it is John.. You just don't wish to see it... N. Korea is ruled by a megalo-maniac, Kim Jong Il, who was was a spoiled brat of a child and now perceives himself to be heir of the divine rigth to rule that his father, Kim Il Sung claimed.. His tantrums as a child were legend, and continue into his present rule: "Let us also not forget that Kim Jong-il habitually reacts to not getting what he wants, by very publicly throwing temper tantrums and slapping would-be friends in the face. On more than one occasion, Kim has proven himself capable of insulting foreign heads of state who have extended gestures of goodwill, thereby perhaps damaging the dignitaries' statures in their own countries. South Korean President Kim Dae-jung, for one, is still smarting from such treatment." etaiwannews.com Heck.. Carter went over there, stepping in an usurping Clinton's foreign policy toward NK.. Step in it big time and left us with this failure of an agreement where we've been giving them food and oil in exchange for their surreptiously continuing to develop nuclear weapons... How many parents would permit their children to extort them in such a manner?? "Give me some money mom and dad, or I'm going to attack you while you're sleeping"... "Don't yell at me Mom & Dad, or I'll kill you" Seems to me to be a "no-brainer" as to the general course of US policy.. We cannot be held hostage to, or reinforce, the rantings and ravings of Kim Jong Il. And China, which has a certain interest in seeing US FP in the region weakened. But they certainly have little interest in seeing an uncontrollable Kim Jong Il blackmailing not only the US, but them... Thus, China is really the key here... The US should present a strong posture and not cave in. Jong will escalate to the point where China will lock his heels and tell him to stand down... Jong has backed himself into a political corner and continues to ratchet up the tension... He cannot, in the eyes of his followers, be seen as backing down (since he's divine).. But neither can the US, after learning of the blatant lies by Jong, permit him to get away with not suffering some repercussions for his deceit. As for the South Koreans, the young folks are enthralled with this idea of reunification now... But few of them have pondered how this will be paid for.. As students, and not taxpayers, they don't think about the increased taxes that will be required to bring the North up to economic par with the South.. But the older S. Koreans understand the cost.. and thus are much more reluctant to proceed. Hawk