A stunning report from ABC News?

[tw]

And yes, this was posted by ABC News. From ABC News of 9 Oct 2006:

North Korea and Politics 101
The phone call came late at night in Asia, but the recipient, who was playing a game of mahjong at the time, took it anyway.

"Kim, it's George. I'm sorry to wake you, but I need help badly."

"That's OK, George. Tell me, what's wrong?"

"You can't imagine the trouble my party is in with the elections only 28 days away. We've got a real disaster in Iraq hanging over our necks with all these books now saying we lied and bungled almost every step of the way; voters still remember the Katrina debacle and my ham-handed attempt to make people think everything was OK ('Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job'); then, there's the Harriet Myers nomination disaster and our contacts with the rip-off-artist Jack Abramoff; and now congressman Mark Foley gets 'outed' as a menace to young boys even though our guys on Capitol Hill tried to cover it up — and the exposure of the 'cover-up' just added to the problem. So, Kim, I could use all the help you can give me."

"Anything for you, my friend, but what do you suggest?"

"You know how you've been threatening to test an atomic bomb? Well, do it now. I can then play my patented hole card and stand up to you as defender of America and freedom. After all, you're one of the Axis of Evil, and I'll accuse the Democrats of being soft on you and unable to defend against you while we Republicans will stand tall and tough for flag and country!"

"OK, George. My people say we aren't quite ready yet, but I'll give 'em a big dose of persuasion that will make your 'water boarding' seem child's play and they'll come around. Stay tuned."

BOOM

[piercehawkeye45]

OMG! I called it! I knew that someone would think that Bush called NK to tell them to test some nuclear bombs to boost polls and support. I'm not a Bush supporter by ANY means but the 9/11 conspiracy was pretty pathetic and now this. I hope this was some sort of joke.

[morethanpretty]

Originally Posted by piercehawkeye45

OMG! I called it! I knew that someone would think that Bush called NK to tell them to test some nuclear bombs to boost polls and support. I'm not a Bush supporter by ANY means but the 9/11 conspiracy was pretty pathetic and now this. I hope this was some sort of joke.

Now, of course, that phone call is fantasy. But let us examine the idea that this North Korean test will help the president and by extension his party change the subject back to homeland security.

It was in January of 2002 that the president spoke these words: "North Korea is a regime arming with missiles and weapons of mass destruction, while starving its citizens. … I will not wait on events, while dangers gather. I will not stand by, as peril draws closer and closer. The United States of America will not permit the world's most dangerous regimes to threaten us with the world's most destructive weapons. "

[piercehawkeye45]

Eh, I skim through posts but if we do attack North Korea I'm sure that if we do attack NK someone will make a conspiracy that Bush had something to do with it.

[NSFW]

If we are lucky, China will knock over North Korea just to stop NK's saber-rattling from deterring investment in the region at further. Nobody wants to invest in new factories and such, right next to a country that that is taunting the rest of the world for a nuclear smackdown. China however needs all the investment it can get, and has an army that could mow through in NK with relatively little trouble.

[Spexxvet]

It's very funny that NK blames the Bush doctrine on their weapons escalation. "We need these weapons because we fear a pre-emptive attack from the US". Priceless.

[9th Engineer]

I think Kim's on some really strong drugs here, lets look at this:
-Bush says we will pre-emptively attack countries arming themselves with WMD's.
-Kim thinks getting WMD's will prevent a pre-emptive assault on Korea

The whole statement is posturing and a load of BS

[Happy Monkey]

Well, there's a step between those:

-Bush pre-emptively attacks a country that isn't arming itself with WMDs, and ignores those that are.

[barefoot serpent]

Old Korean Proverb: he who wags dog ends up with fleas.

[tw]

Everywhere that problems did not exist are now major problems only after George Jr proclaimed them. Iraq, Iran, and N Korea are all now major problems. Iraq was a threat to no one when American invaded. Iran was busy debating a more open and reformed society. North Korea was solved in the Jimmy Carter agreement when America subverted the entire agreement. In each case, the axis of evil speech is a center point of that world wide subversion.

Meanwhile, where a problem did exist - Afghanistan - George Jr instead let bin Laden go free AND now has all but encouraged the Taliban to return. Afghanistan has all the tenor and gist of Vietnam. Another victory for pre-emption and the Cheney Doctrine? Yes.

The ABC News report essentially mocks those in America who still foolishly promote the 'big dic' philosophy. Unfortunately, the 'not so funny part' is how much this joke (the president) has cost the rest of us.

[Shawnee123]

Originally Posted by barefoot serpent

Old Korean Proverb: he who wags dog ends up with fleas.

Amen, barefoot!

[Elspode]

Kim is just throwing tantrums until someone tosses him a big pile of money to stop.

[morethanpretty]

I think that America should stay out of the issue and let China, Japan and South Korea, the countries that are actually closely affected by NK, handle the situation. Most other countries resent us because are gov. is too nosy and "holier than thou"

[Urbane Guerrilla]

Oh, it's priceless all right. And typical of the offensive behavior of the nondemocracies.

So when do we devour this North Korean Society for the Preservation of Stalinism's Features and Failures and set about making the survivors rich? And better lit at night.

[tw]

Originally Posted by morethanpretty

I think that America should stay out of the issue and let China, Japan and South Korea, the countries that are actually closely affected by NK, handle the situation.

Not possible. We have (don't remember a current number) maybe 10,000 troops in-country.

When Jimmy Carter solved this problem (and earned a Nobel Peace Prize for doing it), America was then highly regarded by all nations. This current NK problem was aggravated by Congressional extremists who stopped America's participation in that solution and who then declared intent to invade (Pearl Harbor) North Korea. The 'axis of evil' speech. Following that speech was a worldwide sigh of disgust as the world moved into confrontational mode - as advocated by 'Project for New American Century'.

Why does North Korea want bilateral talks? Because multi-lateral talks failed after the United States - single handedly - undermined an entire peace settlement that NK so wanted and so needed. Even South Koreans in poll after poll regard the US as the most significant threat to peace. And they are correct.

We are there and committed. No way around that fact. Repeatedly stifling negotiation (as Condi Rice wants) can only mean war. Stifling negotiation is what a 'big dic' mentality approves - as even Gen Curtis LeMay wanted during the cold war to make that cold war hot.

Anything that advocates no negotiations - as George Jr does every day - will eventually mean war. War is desirable to those who advocate pre-emption. It is the Cheney doctrine of final solutions now. No wonder these 'big dic' mentalities so advocate an 'axis of evil' concept.