A huge dose of “interesting times” for us this morning. We’ve got reports out of China that inflation is galloping ahead at a much faster rate than expected; reports here at home indicate that fourth quarter growth will be flat or negative; a run on the banks in Ireland as the Irish show how entirely unwilling they are to tax themselves to pay off stupid banks; and to top it all off, China’s cat’s paw – North Korea – fires off artillery at South Korea…as part of either internal North Korean insanity or, more likely in my view, a means of distracting everyone from what is happening in China.
And what is our government doing? Well, our Senate Majority Leader is determined to have a vote on the Dream Act…that vital piece of the global puzzle. Once we pass that, all will be well…
UPDATE: Victor Davis Hanson on the Korean issue
…Dismissing the idea that past global problems might transcend George W. Bush, this administration operated as if a charismatic world citizen, with reset magic, could win over the globe to a U.N.-sponsored utopia. These false assumptions intrigued the curious abroad — why would Obama seek to advance such absurd notions about global problems having originated with U.S. belligerence circa 2001–2009 and being resolved by U.S. empathy in 2009–2010? Apparently, as we are now learning, North Korea wants to find out the answer.
In general, listlessness and misdirection in Washington always ripples out to the world abroad within a year or two. Sanctimonious Carterism had confirmed the image of a paralytic America by 1979, which may be why that year saw the Chinese in Vietnam, the Russians in Afghanistan, Communists on the rise in Central America, hostages in Teheran, the end of the Shah, and the rise of an emboldened radical Islam…
There is that question – supposing North Korea keeps it up, does anyone think that Obama will ok a violent response to the attacks?
Ultimately, the Korea problem stems from an unwillingness to resolve a problem. We went in to Korea without much forethought in 1950 – it was a spur of the moment decision by Truman after a long string of announcements which made everyone think we weren’t too interested in the fate of South Korea. The fighting was immediately brutal and costly and there came a desire to get out – until MacArthur’s master stroke at Inchon chased the North Koreans almost all the way to the Yalu. But then the Chinese came in – because we indicated we wouldn’t allow Chiang’s anti-communist forces to attack communist China, thus freeing up the Chinese forces necessary to attack us – and once that became a brutal slog, the desire to get out once again became paramount.
And so, we got out – with the war half fought. Fast forward 60 years, and here we are…with the half fought war still hanging over us. Once in, you must go all the way in – the war must be fought to a conclusion. Right now, we should steel ourselves to a complete abandonment of South Korea, or a determination to press the North Koreans to destruction. Any middle course chosen will just leave the problem hanging, and likely cause even worse problems in the future.
Destroying North Korea, by the way, won’t necessarily require military action – they are in a bad way up there. But we must cease the kabuki dance of negotiations and calls for North Korea to join the global family of nations. They are run by lunatics and have no place in the world – and a campaign of propaganda and destabilization might raise rebellion in NK as the army and security forces realize the game is up.
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