Jaw, jaw is better than war, war. But then there’s the United Nations:
The United States and its allies labored Sunday to devise a concerted response to North Korea’s launch of a long-range rocket, but quickly ran into divisions over how to confront the defiant regime.
The United Nations Security Council met in a hastily-called session to consider official condemnation of the launch, but ended the meeting with no immediate action beyond a promise to continue to seek a common response in the coming days.
We had the ability to shoot down that missile. We could even, with a subtle assist, have turned it over to Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force to knock the thing down. And since the missile launch proved that North Korea could put a nuclear warhead anywhere on Japan’s Home Islands, Tokyo had a vested interest in proving their mettle. But apparently, we told them no.
The White House claims that the missile launch was a failure. We have to take the President on his word on that one, and I will. But I also say: So what? Even a failed test teaches you things — like, how not to fail in the future. A shot down missile would have taught the North Koreans only one thing: We mean business.
Instead, President Obama has taught the Dear Leader an entirely different set of lessons.
1. We have the means but not the will.
2. We will restrain our allies but not you.
3. You can rely on Russia and China at the UN to thwart even our most feeble efforts to sanction you.
4. We’re big effing idiots.
Thank you, Mr. President. It’s been a most illuminating weekend for Pyongyang and those of us paying attention here at home.
Ban-ki Moon, looks like this one is yours. Camera, ACTION!
Uh, Mr. Moon? You’ll have to come out from under that table. No, NATO can’t do this one, and it’s not really the EU’s charter either. That’s right, Mr. Moon, you’re all getting what you said for years that you wanted — a humble, cooperative America that deferentially takes its rightful place at any spot but the head of the table. You all said you wanted it, didn’t you?
An excellent analysis. I would describe our current government as “big effing fools” or “big effing wimps” rather than idiots, but that’s a matter of taste, I think. Well done, Steve.
How mamny countries threatened to shoot it down? And then none did.
Round One: North Korea.
The US had 7 Aegis-class cruisers in the area capable of handling the issue. The admiral who heads the Pacific theater sent them and stated publicly that they could shoot down the missile if Obama so ordered. Obama got mad and dressed the admiral down for being so proactive.
Simply put, Obama doesn’t give a rat’s ass if NK develops an ICBM and the fact that it failed just gives him additional cover. His move to the UN is kabuki theater at its worst.
Can we loan Israel a carrier battle group? They’re the only country with balls these days.
The Norks only have to get it right once. They just need more time, which we’ll give to them. (Same goes for Iran.)
I’d say their chances are infinitely better than the infinite monkey/typewriter/Shakespeare deal.
On the same weekend, our dumbass president announces we should lead the way in disarming nukes internationally. Talk about yer effing idiot…
GWB would have said something like this: “You shoot it up, we’ll shoot it down”. Kim Jong Il would have understood. Now he correctly understands something altogether different. It’s our damn funeral.
On the one hand, dealing with NK is pretty dicey given that they have an entire city held hostage. On the other hand, Obama is going to get a LOT of Americans killed.