The Passing of Korea and Nuclear Power

"The Passing of Korea" by Homer B. Hulbert, an English missionary to Korea in the early 20th century, I recommend as a must read for the western mind to understand the culture and history of Korea and its current geopolitical situation. Witnessing the beginning of the Japanese occupation of Korea, beginning in 1905 after Japan defeated the Russians in a strategic battle for the peninsula, Hulbert concluded the Korea he knew would be complete subjugated and rebuilt in Japan's image.
Hulbert failed to learn however from his own observations. Korea had faced similar circumstances throughout its history and survived. Much of Korea's history was spent in offering tribute to China, whether it be Korean paper, highly valued, or women to serve as wives to Chinese husbands (this doesn't seem to be a new problem for China). China itself has often occupied Korea, and with its current leadership views Korea as its own territory, as it does Tibet, Taiwan and much of South East Asia.
In relation to North Korea, does China not have the ability to build nuclear power plants? In fact the United States, South Korea and even Russia are all offering to help North Korea meet its energy needs by building nuclear power plants, but not China. Currently it is reported that China is supplying North Korea with power, and many manufacturing plants in North Korea are limited to producing products exclusively for China. Technically, North Korea is producing power equivalent to its demand. This leaves nothing for development and most of the power is coming from plants along the Yalu River, bordering China.
Though North Korea has the fourth largest army, in the world it would be no match against China, considering China is in the best position to supply or deny North Korea of food. An army exists on its stomach. The impending annexation of North Korea will ultimately lead to the Chinese demand to reunify the peninsula, absorbing the South as it has Hong Kong and seeks to absorb Taiwan. In fact the United States, though it defends Taiwan, it does not recognize Taiwan as an independent nation nor is it a member of the United Nations as an independent nation.
One of the obstacles to allowing North Korea nuclear power plants was the possibility they may produce nuclear weapons. North Korea has removed that obstacle. One thing learned from Homer Hulbert's book is that Korea has historically displayed the art of playing surrounding powers against each other to their advantage. Yes, North Korea has only its own interests in mind, but there is a much larger picture besides the possibility of North Korea supplying nuclear weapons to terrorists, or an invasion of the South. It is a mistake to push North Korea into a corner with only China to turn to. Relations, especially those with the South should not be cut off.

WAR

In last nights episode of CBS's "60 Minutes", a human interest story on the genocide in Sudan, correspondent Scott Pelley compared the 'death villages' of Darfur with the death camps of nazi Germany. Unfortunately, the evidence is not as convincing, as the killing is done within the course of a day and the Muslim militia, the Janjaweed, and government troops move on, yet evidence exists. Pointing out the amusement of the UN Sudanese delegation, when President Bush, speaking before the UN called the actions of the Sudanese government "genocide", I could hear the Sudanese answer to the accusations before they spoke; it's war and this is what happens in war.
Yes there is a war, occurring in Darfur. And yes, in WWII the RAF practiced the tactic of carpet bombing population centers to break the will of the people to fight, as were the Germans. The difference is that the allied forces were fighting an enemy that sought to destroy them and their lifestyle. An enemy that dehumanized and slaughtered others who didn't share their views. In the case of Sudan, populations are being attacked because of their ethnic background or religion. Not an exact comparison, but yes, the Sudanese government closely resembles the actions of nazi Germany.
It is time to call for an end of the Sudanese government if they will not allow Darfur to be occupied by a proposed 20,000 man UN force. And maybe even if they do.
The latest response from Sudan was to expel the UN special envoy Jan Pronk for web logging reports of Sudanese military failures. There are also reports that the Sudanese soldiers are refusing to fight.
Any leader of a nation that can turn to war so easily and without justification, needs to be made an example of. War should always be a last resort. Darfur, and the Southern regions of Sudan where similar oppression has occurred, should be taken away from the Sudanese Muslim government, and only to avoid a larger war that may occur if the UN tries to remove the standing government. It is time to end the insanity of a world where we accept that a government represents, or has the right to rule a people, they seek to destroy.
As far as using war as an excuse, stupid is as stupid does; the Sudanese government has blamed the Jews.

Now We Care

For decades the Kim dynasty in North Korea has been murdering, experimenting on and starving their citizens to death and that was OK. We can't challenge their sovereignty. But now that they have nuclear weapons, they better give them up or that's it.

We could have took out Sadam in the first Iraq War, but it wasn't until 911, an attack on us, that we finally decided a government butchering its people might pass on WMD's to terrorists intent on attacking the United States.
In the Vietnam war an invasion of North Vietnam could have saved millions of lives in South East Asia. Yes our death toll might have doubled or worse, but are tens of thousands of American lives more valuable than millions of Asian lives?
In fact there would be no North Korea if the United States and UN forces had done their job over fifty years ago. The reason wasn't lack of will, at least on the commanders part, for they knew the million man Chinese volunteers had been depleted. Even with the Chinese there, Ridgeway was sure they could retake the entire peninsula. The politicians on the other hand saw battles as a bargaining chip rather than a strategy to defeat the enemy. To bargain with whom; murderous thugs, given the undeserved dignity of representatives of a nation and people.
The fact is the leaders of the communist world and other oppressive governments are equivalent to Charles Manson and Timothy McVey. Yes forget Hitler and Stalin. It is time to stop associating such criminals with the rights of representing anyone. Just as we had no hesitation in apprehending and executing McVey, there should be no hesitation in capturing and bringing to justice other criminals, whether they head governments or represent the United Nations itself. And it is only the United States that can lead this charge.

Why is the United States having problems grasping this concept and puts its own self interest first. Well it is human nature, but lets also look at the principles the United States was founded on; Christianity. God predestined everything, the poor will always be with us, the evil doers will be thrown into an eternal lake of fire on the last day, haha to them, and there will be no peace until Christ comes again floating out of the sky. Poof, you don't even have to look for Him, and its all over. As the Christian right seems to be playing a larger and larger role in politics they could use a little cause and effect scrutiny of their ideology.

Sure maybe diplomacy is the best option. We can offer these thugs the most luxurious prison facilities you could imagine if it would save the oppressed quicker or prevent a war, but we must demand the atrocities stop, in our media, in the public squares and in our churches. And for those who give up on world peace, yes, you Christians, its time to stop looking up at the sky and take a look at what's going on around you.

Cowboy Politics.

Like the country bumpkin with the winning hand sitting at a stacked table in a wild west saloon, the Republican Party is throwing everything in. With media giants and special interest groups palming the winning cards to the Democrats in plane site, being out gunned, this hick seed has few options. First he could protest, call the crooks out, and certainly end up dead. Or the townsfolk, watching everything unfold, usually moved to action by a lone cowboy, stand up and drive out the gang of trouble makers.
Sound too simplistic? Media bias and deception, voter fraud, lack of any agenda and political corruption are piled high in the Democratic camp. Where as the Republicans weed out their bad seed the Democrats don't even recognize the problem. The townsfolk have had enough.
Some may wonder why even the Republicans are predicting the loss of power? To put the Republican cause at a disadvantage and drive them out to the polls on election day, perhaps. When they continue to gain seats it can only be called one thing, a mandate from the people. Sure, they'll be a few stand alone Democrats (or Independents) to win big, but overall the Democrats will continue the downward slide. And with those R.I.N.O.s (Republicans in name only) we can't stop hearing about; why do we need Democrats? As it stands the Republican voters have every reason to come out strong and the Democrats have very few, unless they're planning to vote Republican.
Yes, I am officially predicting Republican victory in this next election. And no, I don't think this is happen stance but a brilliant straterized strategery. To anyone who may read this and think I'm just an idiot in the mold of G.W., all I can say is...

Yeeeee Haaaaaa!

Real Pipe Dreams. Or Ending the Nightmare?

One characteristic of Koreans is fierce independence, not individuality, but a quality that has let them keep their identity as a people as invaders swept over and occupied their nation for centuries upon centuries. Kim Jung Il has no apparent successor, and do not believe that China has kept his regime in power, and nation afloat, without strings attached. In reality China is posed to completely annex North Korea upon the end of little Kim's reign (life). What could stop this annexation. Perhaps nuclear weapons? Something China is beginning to realize.
Maybe it is not time for the United States to meet with North Korea one on one, but maybe it is time to exclude China and Russia from the formula. Russia's alliances are still in question and the printing presses North Korea is using to counterfeit our currency came from Iran via Russia (originally a gift from the US to the Shah of Iran).
What the United States (South Korea and Japan) has to offer is independence from China and its imperialist goals. What North Korea has to offer is the liberation of their people, opening to the South and allowing the UN to care for and monitor their country.