Max Boot, snapping pencils in frustration at CFR, sticks one in the President’s back over the Six Party Joint Statement:
One suspects that if George W. Bush were not in the White House, he would be condemning the accord with North Korea announced on Monday.
[snip]
The real risk inherent in the agreement is that it will extend an economic lifeline to the world’s most despicable regime, a regime that, since the early 1990s, has presided over the deaths of at least 2 million of its own citizens in an unnecessary famine. A large percentage of the population remains malnourished. And more than 150,000 political prisoners — including entire families — suffer in slave labor camps. Meanwhile, the man responsible for all this misery, Kim, lives the life of Nero. Even as his people are reduced to eating tree bark, this pompadoured popinjay guzzles oceans of vintage cognac and wine, gorges himself on multi-course banquets of sushi and caviar and enjoys the services of multiple concubines.
I think Bootsy veered into his own fantasies near the end, but never mind … I am just glad he stopped before mentioning that Nixon mask in The Ice Storm.
Nick Eberstadt piles on in the (subscription only) Wall Street Journal, calling the Joint Statement “a diplomatic triumph” for North Korea that represents “a multilateral broadening, and political deepening, of the gains from the Clinton-era ‘Agreed Framework’.”
There will be more where these came from.
If he thinks this is bad, wait until he sees the inevitable bad bahvior and tantrum-throwing that will come during execution. Has the adminstration made an internal decision to gut out opposition to this deal, or are they just hoping implementation will take so long they’ll be out of office before they have to preside over a messy, if necessary, result?
The Richard Nixon mask is so over. We have seen the future, and it is Dr. Rice!
http://www.buycostumes.com/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=17351&PCatID=promos&ccatid=promopoliticalmasks
I suspect the use of the word popinjay was because he kept hearing Galloway call Hitchens one.
It means “vain” and “talkative.”
Kim is neither, publicly. For worst dressed dictator, he gets my vote.
seems to me that both sides are not willing to bite the bullet and do what needs to be done to secure a long term deal.
The DPRK is loath to give up its weapons (if it has them) and its nuclear technology whilst by the same token the US seems reluctant to do what is necessary to integrate the DPRK into the political and economic structure of north-east Asia.
Don’t forget that as far as BMD is concerned the DPRK has been presented as the threat. Is this playing a background role somehow?