This North Korea thing is very bad for shrub.

[charlyvi]

To put it in it's simplest terms:

Shrub invaded Iraq, a country with no nukes, no serious resistance (at the time we invaded), and fucked it up royally. We are losing the Iraqi war through his utter ineptness. Therefore, how can anyone seriously think this administration can take on a country with nukes and a better than average standing army? Shrub has been hoisted on his own "axis of evil" petard.

[unblock]

1. these people aren't interested in peace. peace is bad for business.

nothing like things like invasions and terrorism and a nice little nuclear arms race to boost business for the weapons industry...

[BlueEyedSon]

3. "In chaos there are more opportunities for excess profit."

-BlueEyedSon '03

[AndyA]

2. I think you're right. Bush's pants have been pulled down, and the

whole world can see he has holes in his underwear.

Where are the troops going to come from to go after North Korea, if he chooses to do so? This is really bad timing, right before the elections, too. War is not popular with Americans, especially after the fiasco in Iraq.

We're stretched to the limit, there's no money, and the big idiot in the White House went after the wrong country, one that was not a threat to us, ignoring the bigger threats: North Korea and Iran.

And chimpy won't even talk to them. How does he expect to reach an understanding if he won't even communicate? We have a bad President in George Bush.

[charlyvi]

9. This administration has the strange idea that all countries

should bow down in obedience to us, based on our big ass army and stock of nukes. It's strictly cold war thinking. What good did the size of our army do us in Iraq? When people are willing to blow themselves up for a cause it doesn't matter how big a force you send against them--they will win in the end. Yet diplomacy and mutual respect, the avenues that might help bring the world together, is abhorred by these bozos. It's scary.

[BlueEyedSon]

4. "No one could have anticipated NK's desire & ability to obtain a nuke"

And why wouldn't Bushco say this?

It worked like a charm about 9/11, Katrina, Iraq, etc....

[charlyvi]

6. I don't think it will work with NK BlueEyedSon

Since NK has been telling us for five years they were going to do it. The whole world knows they were gearing up sin the "axis of evil" speech. And why not? Nukes seem to be the only things that shrub understands.

[BlueEyedSon]

7. it was a sarcastic dig at the brazenness of the admin and the gullibility

of the press & the public

[charlyvi]

10. Sorry.

I'm old and not too bright sometimes.

[BlueEyedSon]

12. No worries, me too!

:hi:

[gratuitous]

5. A total failure of Bush's bellicose approach

Clinton used a mixture of carrots and sticks to keep North Korea non-nuclear. Bush figured that the only thing other people understand is force or threats of force, and junked any pretense of rewarding North Korea for good behavior. With no incentive to do the right thing, North Korea re-opened its reactor works in 2003, the one they had closed in 1994 under the Clinton framework. Bush, busy with other considerations in 2003, had to fold when Kim called his bluff.

And now North Korea has apparently tested a nuclear device. There is no way to spin this, pin this, or blame the enemy within this. Now that Bush has an elementary school named for him, the North Koreans should probably name their nuclear reactor for him as well.

[charlyvi]

8. Agreed. His "poke a stick at it and see what happens"

approach to foreign policy is going to get us all killed. I think people are starting to realize this. I think everyone but the hardcore neocon base is scared to death that George W. Bush is the one in charge--his track record is abysmal!

[trof]

11. Especially since it's part of the "Not-Clinton" mindset.

His admin came in bound and determined not to continue any of Clinton's policies.
His is the avowed "Not-Clinton" administration.
That's also why they shelved the Hart-Rudman terrorism/national security study commissioned by Clinton.
"Vice-president Cheney will do his OWN study."

[maxsolomon]

13. it will take China to contain the threat at this point

why they have tolerated Kim & his dad for 50 years is beyond me. especially in the last 30 years.

but it is clearly beyond the abilities of this government to reign Kim in. obviously.

if ever there was a people who needed liberation, its the NKs. NK is not cool.

[charlyvi]

15. Agreed.

They will need to fix this mess in spite of bush.

[slackmaster]

14. Will it significantly hurt his chances of being re-elected?

:dunce: