06.08.09
Upping the ante
The two Current TV journalists have been sentenced to twelve years of hard labor.
This current juncture in the ongoing North Korean situation makes a particular aspect of it more obvious than ever: it’s a spiral, not a cycle. At various times over the last twenty years or so, after a crisis mode has subsided and the latest mechanism for “moving forward” (Agreed Framework, Six-Way Talks) is being implemented, pundits of such stripes as libertarianism or realpolitik appeal to the public’s tendency toward complacency with such arguments as other world hot spots being of more pressing importance, or our assured ability to get China to see that it must apply more pressure on Kim, or The NorKor nuke program not really being combat-ready.
Then comes along another crisis mode and the conversation’s tone returns to that of “no good options.” That is to say, hand-wringing.It’s time for us all to notice that with each return to a crisis mode, the stakes go higher. There is an upward – or downward, if you wish – spiral toward even less room to maneuver.
Think about the extent to which the momentum in the volley of taunts from NK to the West has increased just this year.
North Korea was never a back-burner issue. It’s a classic illustration of the truism that problems – real problems – interruptions of life’s wonderfully playful pace – indications of real danger – don’t go away by themselves.
Mr.Dings said,
June 8, 2009 at 11:59 pm
Agreed. I think you are largely preachin’ to the choir here though.
Too bad your boys of preemption are all gone. And have been gone since the election debacle of ‘06.
Mr.Dings said,
June 9, 2009 at 12:18 am
We might have to eventually pre-empt but hopefully some lessons have been learned over the past 8 years about the “costs” of doing that.