SKIRMISHER

Put yourself in Kim Jong Il’s platform shoes, says Japan Times, and you will understand that Monday morning’s “successful” nuclear test is something like a “cry for help” — North Korea’s own little way of asking the world to give it more food and stuff.

Kim would probably relinquish his nuclear weapons if he were offered enough food and oil aid, an end to trade embargoes, and a firm U.S. promise not to try to overthrow him. None of that would cost very much, and the U.S. is not going to attack him anyway. Nor has Kim any intention of attacking anybody, especially with nuclear weapons: He would have no hope of surviving the instant and crushing retaliation by American nuclear weapons. So it’s just a question of persuading him to stop the nonsense.

But what about the principle of the thing? Won’t other countries be tempted to follow North Korea’s example if we don’t punish it for developing nuclear weapons? You know, like we did when Israel, India and Pakistan developed theirs.

I’m not sure, though, about the royal “we” the Japan Times reporter used at the tail-end of this piece. But I’m letting the question hang, for obviously embarrassing possible answers.

via JAPAN TIMES

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