MILNET Opinion
 North Korea Threatening Again

My father's generation would say, "The fruit of appeasement blossoms with ugly regularity." 

What's that mean?  Simply put, if you appease a bully, he'll just continue to whack you about the head.  North Korea has been playing this high stakes game of nuclear blackmail for decades and we, head bowed, continue to let them do it.

The problem is certainly not our hardline policy with North Korea. Our policy simply isn't hardline enough. And we certainly aren't pursuing the last decade's policy of "don't look and you won't see anything you don't like." In fact, we are seeing the fruits of the last decade's "ignore it and it will go away" policy.  The United Nations, that most efficient body of debaters has gone "fully nuclear" in their sternest response.  They are going to beat North Korea to death with a handful of mealy mouth threats that have no meaning and certainly cause great mirth in Pyongyang.  North Korea's leaders are surely rolling on the floor, tears of mirth streaming from their eyes.
 
The problem is that after decades of do nothing finger and tongue wagging, the North Koreans have once again trotted out the message that works time and time again.  "Give us what we want or we will <fill in the blank>".  Of course the stakes in nuclear blackmail are enormous and easily taken to the next step. 

Recall a few years ago when North Korea was caught with their hand in the nuclear cookie jar.  "Oh yeah, we've been secretly placing ourselves in position to refuel that reactor we said was for peaceful uses only, and oh by the way we are ready to process SOME MORE weapons grade material."  Oops. 

The crisis didn't begin back then of course, but that time period is a great indicator of how disingenuous the North Korean leadership can be.  And coming forward in time from that period is most instructional (See the MILNET Briefing,  N. Korean Crisis - Chronology of  Key North Korean Events 1994-2004).   Back then the North Koreans said, "We'll stop producing weapon's grade material if you give us what we want."  And the appeasers jumped all over it just as they did ten years ago.

Thus it was no surprise to hear midway through June of 2004 that the North Koreans have a new message for us.  "If you don't give us what we want, we'll conduct our nuclear test."

What?  We've gone from "we won't produce weapons grade material" to "we won't set off our nuke?"  Duh, we can only guess they have never stopped their nuclear development program.  Even the most intellectually challenged can figure out that  all the North Koreans have been doing is stalling for time.  And, sadly, doing so quite successfully. 

What should have been done back then  is what we should do now.  Send over a squadron of B-2s and level that freakin' plant to the ground, and tell Pyongyang that if they set off a nuke we will also sic the B-2s on their glorious leader's office building, his home, and then the homes of his sister, brother, and cousins.  Not to mention his General's, Colonels, and on down the line.  Then if they don't get the message, the North Korean people will be watching their very own capital on T.V. looking just like downtown Baghdad last year.  Shock and awe part Duex.

The problem is that we are such nice guys we forget the fact, proven time and time again, bad guys just laugh at us while we are being nice guys and then slip the knife into us just below the ribs.  When are we ever going to learn to tell the peace-niks to "go stuff it" and quit fooling around with the useless U.N.?  When are we going to stop trying to cater to the appeasers and quit playing the squeaky clean nice guy?  We are not nice guys when it comes to nuclear blackmail. All other polices have failed each and every time.  Every time!  It's time for us to be real bastards when faced with nuclear blackmail.  It's not like Pyongpang is denying their intentions. 

When G.W. said there was an axis of evil, the appeasers went ballistic.  Shrill screams of "how dare you" as if the President had created the problem his predecessor all but ignored.  As if "telling it like it is" was okay for the hippies in the 60s but suddenly unacceptable in our all too politically correct world.

The end of G.W.'s "Axis of Evil" speech should have simply named the tune. "You will dismantle that reactor and stop shipping your missiles TODAY or we will do it for you." 

But of course, pandering to the hand wringers has brought us to where we are today.  Please Mr. President, it's time to take off the kid gloves.  We gave Colin Powell the chance to do his magic with diplomacy. You and he are to be applauded for making the valiant effort.  And we're sure Colin did his best.  We doubt anyone could have done better. 

But the North Koreans are not part of the civilized world, and civilized behavior is just a sign of weakness to them.  Frankly, they are taking advantage of you and your Secretary of State.  It's time to end their blackmail, decisively and with great predjudice.  Do you have the Cajones to do it before the election?

-  Copyright ©, 2004, Michael G. Crawford

For detailed facts on the North Korean Nuclear crisis, see the MILNET Briefing, N Korean Crisis - Chronology of  Key North Korean Events 1994-2004.


Secretary Armitage Interview Transcript, On North Korea, June 29, 2004.