Mitt Romney and North Korea’s missile launch
Defying international warnings, North Korea attempted to launch a multi-stage rocket Thursday that potentially would be capable of carrying a nuclear payload into space.
Being North Korea, its effort proved a dismal failure, with the rocket falling apart shortly after launch. However, that doesn’t mean that its ambitions can be safely ignored or downplayed. The U.N. Security Council will be taking up the issue today, and the Obama administration has indicated that a program to deliver food aid to North Korean citizens would be abandoned in response to the provocation.
Mitt Romney, however, immediately condemned the launch attempt as a sign of failure by the Obama administration.
“Instead of approaching Pyongyang from a position of strength, President Obama sought to appease the regime with a food-aid deal that proved to be as naive as it was short-lived,” Romney said. “This incompetence from the Obama administration has emboldened the North Korean regime and undermined the security of the United States and our allies.”
Now, if you want to dissect this problem in partisan terms, we could certainly do that. We could note that the United States first detected the North Korea nuclear program way back in 1989. That would have been early in the administration of the senior President Bush, who did little or nothing in response. In fact, by the end of his term he had pulled all U.S. nuclear warheads out of the Korean Peninsula.
In 2002 — under the second President Bush — North Korea publicly admitted its nuclear program, booted international inspectors from the country and restarted nuclear facilities that had been closed as part of a deal with the Clinton administration.
In 2003, North Korea announced its withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. In 2004 it announced it had built a bomb. And in 2006, it conducted its first test of a nuclear weapon.
In other words, most of the major advances made in the North Korean nuclear program have come with Republicans in the White House. Perhaps they too should have “approached Pyongyang from a position of strength” to solve this problem?
In reality, such a partisan analysis would be deeply foolish. I am not attempting in any way to argue that North Korea’s nuclear program represents a failure of Republican policy or Republican presidents. North Korea poses an extremely difficult challenge that has befuddled presidents of both parties going all the way back to Harry Truman. When a country has nothing and wants nothing, there are very few tools available to influence its behavior.
But I will admit to being curious. He has attempted to set up a dichotomy between “strength” on one hand vs. “appeasement” on the other. But what exactly would Romney do as president?
Would he take military action and provoke what by all accounts would be an extremely bloody war in Korea? Would he try to enlist the help of, say, the Russians? You know, the country that Romney recently denounced as “our number one geopolitical foe,” earning him a rebuke from the Russian president that “now is not the mid-70s”?
Would the Chinese — whom Romney has also harshly criticized — be equally willing to help him out? I rather doubt it.
I do know that I am leery of politicians whose first instinct is to bluster about using “strength” to solve international problems that might better be approached through wisdom, patience or cooperation. Been there, done that, and it didn’t turn out so well.
Based on Romney’s public statements, under his leadership we would still have troops in Iraq, despite Iraq’s insistence that they would not allow them. We would still be plotting how to extend rather than end our presence in Afghanistan. And you may remember that after an American drone crashed in Iran last year, Romney insisted that he would have sent troops into that nation to reclaim it, regardless of the consequences.
It’s also important to note that Romney has assembled a Cheney-esque foreign-policy team that is dominated by the same group of neoconservatives that led President Bush into the miscalculated invasion of Iraq.
By his second term, a chastened Bush had learned enough to discard many of those folks and ignore the rest, but by then the damage had been done, both to this country and to his presidency. By recruiting that crowd to his team, and by his evident willingness to follow their advice, Romney shows no such learning curve.
So I’m curious, and the American people ought to be curious as well: What exactly does “approaching Pyongyang from a position of strength” really mean? How would that approach play out, and what would its consequences be? Over the next six-plus months, maybe we’ll get an answer.
– Jay Bookman
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645 comments Add your comment
stands for decibels
April 13th, 2012
3:54 pm
Seemed pretty plausible to me when I read that since it does seem like interstates are fairly straight
Sure; it did to me. And then I must have been driving through a particularly twisty stretch of,oh, maybe PA or maybe TN and thinking, “I’m pretty sure I’ve gone five miles without a straight section!” and started wondering.
They BOTH suck
April 13th, 2012
3:55 pm
josef
How are you?
Hope you are having a great week. Thanks for you input on the 10Cs and CoH
My Party has ALL the answers. Your party is full of poopyheads! (formerly That Black Guy)
April 13th, 2012
3:58 pm
Adam
April 13th, 2012
3:07 pm
Probably a true statement…considering no one watches her show or knows who she is
You guys need to make up your mind on this whole “voice of the Democrat Party” thing.
________________________________________________________________________
Are you saying that we should march in lockstep?
I thought we are supposed to think for ourselves?
Who are “You guys”
I’m an independant.
They BOTH suck
April 13th, 2012
4:01 pm
TBG
He is young……… I could be wrong but it appears it is the tried and true left /right, Dem / Repub paradidgm each time……… no matter the issue
josef
April 13th, 2012
4:03 pm
BOTH
It was a pretty good week…be glad to get that ham and cheese on white bread with mayo!
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
April 13th, 2012
4:04 pm
Jay
April 13th, 2012
3:07 pm
I see that JM’s namejacker has confessed,which is appreciated. See you Monday Ira.
I’ll take your apology now, jm.
My Party has ALL the answers. Your party is full of poopyheads! (formerly That Black Guy)
April 13th, 2012
4:05 pm
Don’t Forget
April 13th, 2012
3:21 pm
That Black Guy – you seem to mention Rachel Maddow a lot. Do you have any examples of where she was factually incorrect? Shultz and Odonnell are much less believable to me. Maddow is dam smart and I believe she generally gets her facts straight or rapidly corrects if she makes a mistake and she’s one of the few that will ask the people she interviews if they feel they’ve been treated fairly by her. I’m just wondering if there’s something about her that you know but I don’t.
__________________________________________________________________________
I think you may have me mixed up with some one else. If I watch MSNBC, it’s usually her show.
They BOTH suck
April 13th, 2012
4:07 pm
ham?????????
How far back to those Jewish roots go?
Don't Forget
April 13th, 2012
4:12 pm
Thulsa, Mick – when I toured the George Dickel distillary they said there were two things that can totally RUIN whisky. One was iron the other was coke.
Seriously, Dickel is better than Jack by far IMO so long as you get the white label. And if you really want some smooth Tennessee whisky get a bottle of Barrel Select that stuff is awesome but for gawd’s sake drink it on the rocks.
ODD OWL
April 13th, 2012
4:13 pm
What’s all the B.S. about North Korea ??? Its nothing more than posturing by Democrat and Republican politicians… We Americans pay to play in dealing with N.K… We Americans pay for their housing, health care and transportation… America has issued food stamp cards to all North Koreans… If we Americans don’t pay to play, the little Dictator will threaten to fire off a missile with a warhead on top of it… Hell, it would be cheaper for America to just reunite North and South Korea and allow them to join the Union and become the 51st state of the United States of America… Just saying !!!
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
April 13th, 2012
4:14 pm
Seriously, Dickel is better than Jack by far IMO so long as you get the white label.
I’ll second that.
My Party has ALL the answers. Your party is full of poopyheads! (formerly That Black Guy)
April 13th, 2012
4:15 pm
Adam, how old are you?
They BOTH suck
April 13th, 2012
4:15 pm
DF
I like both Dickel and Jack………
Dickel is great cold weather and football watching brown liquor
They BOTH suck
April 13th, 2012
4:18 pm
Well to be honest DF
I will also drink Jim Beam, Knob Creek, Makers………….
I could go on and on
I have my preferences, but if you are buying; I’m trying
Don't Forget
April 13th, 2012
4:19 pm
That Black Guy – maybe I did. I’ve heard her mentioned a few time lately in the same context of Rush and Hannity and I think that’s pretty crazy. I’d agree with you she’s probably the best they’ve got at least at night. I also think Morning Joe is the best political show around. They keep it civil and seem to actually respect each other even though the difference’s are big. They also have the best music going to break and break up the arguments with some pretty funny stuff.
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
April 13th, 2012
4:20 pm
They BOTH suck
Ever tried Jim Beam Rye?
Joe Hussein Mama
April 13th, 2012
4:21 pm
If you come to my house, join me down at the bar and ask for a drink without specifying what you want, then you get Gentleman Jack, straight up, out of the crystal decanter.
I’ve got plenty of other things on offer, but Gentleman Jack is the house pour.
Don't Forget
April 13th, 2012
4:27 pm
Both, if you were here I pour you one. If you get a chance to tour the distillary it’s pretty cool and the JD distillary is not far away. I’ve had the Knob Creek and Beam’s Basil Hayden is pretty dam good. I gave up the mixing with cola a number of years ago, goes down waaaay too easy and really does destroy the flavor.
They BOTH suck
April 13th, 2012
4:27 pm
Kam
I have tried several Rye’s but not Beam.
what is your opinion
They BOTH suck
April 13th, 2012
4:29 pm
Four Roses anyone?
Not too bad
They BOTH suck
April 13th, 2012
4:30 pm
DF
Every now and then, I will mix sprite, but usually on the rocks and I will keep the same rocks as I move on to the next one
Do you live in TN?
Thulsa Doom
April 13th, 2012
4:31 pm
Mick, I like crown with ginger. Makes for kind of a sweet sissy drink but I like it nonetheless
Don’t forget,
I’ll take that into account the next time I drink whiskey and do the dickel as opposed to Jack. And do it on the rocks instead of w coke.
I’m just more of a sweet rum drinker. Fine liquors will make you think a bit when you realize the difference in smoothness. For instance I never realized just how crappy jose cuervo tequila was until I drank Patron which as you probably know is just fine for slow sipping. World a difference. Of course out of cost concerns ya gotta go with the cheap stuff for margaritas and such.
The makers mark last week I really liked and I think I’ll try that again. My brother and his best friend are both Jim Beam guys.
Anybody know of a good sweet dark rum? I was at twisted taco and the barkeep just kept serving me different brands of rum- mostly several versions of Captain morgan. Pretty decent but didn’t quite sate me.
They BOTH suck
April 13th, 2012
4:32 pm
Woodruff Reserve is nice
but I usually drink when I am at my parents……..
let dad fork over the big dollars
Don't Forget
April 13th, 2012
4:32 pm
Both, for now I live in Knoxville. I’ll probably be in Asheville by the end of the year though.
They BOTH suck
April 13th, 2012
4:36 pm
TD @ 4:31… that is funny
If you like Patron, try Don Julio
as for rums, I usually do not drink it too much……. My dad will bring back both Panamanian and Nicuraguan run when he is down in Panama with my mon
The Panamanian is good, but the Nicuraguan is a smoothhhhhhhhhhhhhh criminal
Don't Forget
April 13th, 2012
4:36 pm
Thulsa, yeah Cuervo is only for mixing and that’s what I use for margarita’s. I use Patron for shots or sipping and used to get Herradura which is pretty fine as well.
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
April 13th, 2012
4:37 pm
They BOTH suck
It’s remarkably similar to Bourbon, somewhat drier, lacking the caramel notes. I bought ny first bottle of Rye not knowing what to expect.
Thulsa Doom
April 13th, 2012
4:37 pm
josef,
Thanks much for the history dissertation. I kinda figured Hammurabi was more commercial but still the basis for the first codified law and my argument was that the bible is ok for the courthouse based on a historical basis.
Also I see that you saw the helen thomas reference.Just when I thought duk got away with it in your absence.
Don't Forget
April 13th, 2012
4:37 pm
Used to know a guy from Burmuda and he brought back some dark rum from there, forget the name but he always mixed it with ginger beer. That was pretty good.
They BOTH suck
April 13th, 2012
4:38 pm
DF
Only been to Knoxville for GA – TN games…. I’m up there every other yr.
Parking lot right past Calhouns……. always a good time
They BOTH suck
April 13th, 2012
4:39 pm
TD
The “professor” is here even when he is not………………
josef doesn’t play
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
April 13th, 2012
4:41 pm
Anybody know of a good sweet dark rum?
Myer’s, hands down the best dark rum. It’s mostly good in mixed drinks. If you want a great rum for sipping straight, Mount Gay.
Thulsa Doom
April 13th, 2012
4:43 pm
“The Panamanian is good, but the Nicuraguan is a smoothhhhhhhhhhhhhh criminal”
They BOTH suck,
I think the Don Julio is one of the rums I drank along with the versions of Morgan and i liked it but I just wasn’t doing headstands over it.
Would love to have some of that Nicaraguan rum as it sounds a lot like the rum I used to drink in Guatemala. Matter of fact I wouldn’t be surprised if it was the same rum and they just brought it over from neighboring Nicaragua. Does it have a small deer’s head with antlers on it in a dark bottle?
Thulsa Doom
April 13th, 2012
4:48 pm
kamchak,
I don’t remember having Myers but I’ll try it out tomorrow night in a mixed drink. The mount gay I’ve never heard of but I just googled it and it said its the oldest rum out there. If that’s true they musta been doing something right.I’m gonna try that one straight. Thanks.
Thulsa Doom
April 13th, 2012
4:50 pm
They BOTH suck,
He’s either omniscient or he can speed read the previous week’s blogs in a nanosecond. Time for music.
They BOTH suck
April 13th, 2012
4:51 pm
TD
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:FlorDeCanaCentenario12YR-LR.jpg
Julio is a Tequila……. They might do rum as well, not sure.
My Party has ALL the answers. Your party is full of poopyheads! (formerly That Black Guy)
April 13th, 2012
4:52 pm
Thulsa Doom
April 13th, 2012
4:31 pm
Flor De Cana – Nicaraguan rum
Prichards – made in TN
My Party has ALL the answers. Your party is full of poopyheads! (formerly That Black Guy)
April 13th, 2012
4:53 pm
Doomy, also Pyrat.
I think it’s made by patron
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
April 13th, 2012
4:58 pm
Enter your comments here
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
April 13th, 2012
5:00 pm
Enter your comments here
Oops — coulda sworn I hit the refresh.
Adam
April 13th, 2012
6:20 pm
That Black Guy: Honestly I’m not sure who trotted out the idea that Rachel Maddow is somehow “the voice” of the Democratic Party. But I think it is safe to say that when I made the comment about you guys needing to decide, I wasn’t talking about you. I was already aware you were an independent.
Campaign 2012 » Tracking the Issues: North Korea No Easy Election Issue
April 13th, 2012
6:21 pm
[...] the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s Jay Bookman, responding to Romney’s statement, says there is no partisan high ground on this issue. [...]
independent thinker
April 13th, 2012
9:58 pm
Hey Willard -your Repub predecessor, Ike , realized we were in a no win situation in Korea and he turned tail and signed an armstice which is still in effect. Now what makes you Mr. draft dodger who fled to France so much more experienced than Ike and every president since? Why are our troops still there is what I want to know. With all our money from Hyundai and Kia sales , I think the South Koreans can do just fine without us However if Willard wants to play Mr. Macho with that pubescent turd who is the figurehead in North Korea to show us what a real man he is -how about sending your five sons over there to serve like Biden’s son in Iraq.
David M. Green
April 14th, 2012
1:54 pm
How bout we learn to mind our own business. We have enough problems as it is without trying to play GOD.
Slinking Toward Retirement | Mitt Romney and North Korea’s missile launch | Jay Bookman | News, Travel, Opinion and Just Odd and Funny Things...
April 14th, 2012
11:00 pm
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