North Korea

While Bush yammers about development of nuclear weapons by Iraq (based on the word of Chalabi, someone KNOWN to be unreliable) and Iran, North Korea has largely been ignored since they actually showed they COULD detonate a nuke. The lesson Bush taught the world is better be ready to detonate before you talk because he's too scared to challenge you if you really have nukes.

Deals have been made and broken by N. Korea over and over. Recently, though, Bush out of the blue sends Bill Richardson, governor of New Mexico, four-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee and candidate for President, to N. Korea supposedly to negotiate the return of the remains of US soldiers who died in the Korean War.

Well, Richardson succeeded in negotiating the return of the soldiers' remains, but what really made news was the fact that he ALSO seems to have negotiated some progress in the stalemate with N. Korea over their nuclear program. The deal that was apparently reached was some money N. Korea wants would be unfrozen in exchange for the return of UN inspectors.

Now it seems like maybe, just maybe, more was negotiated. There are reports on BBC News that N. Korea may be shutting down its controversial reactor:

Interestingly, Democrats are already starting to take over the job of President. Bush can't get anything done when it comes to North Korea. But in no time, Bill Richardson goes over there and negotiates a deal.

For those who only knows Richardson as a governor, keep in mind that he has diplomatic credentials: he has been US Ambassador to the UN under Clinton (back when we actually were respected in the world) and has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize four times for his diplomatic efforts.

So, when Bush sent him to negotiate with North Korea it was an almost unprecedented event in the Bush administration: a good idea. Richardson was supposedly going to negotiate the return of the remains of a US serviceman. Honestly that always sounded a bit odd. The fanfare was too much for that. Turns out he was negotiating getting inspectors back in. From KOBTV in New Mexico:

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson’s visit to North Korea appears to be yielding unexpected fruit.

Richardson, part of a bipartisan delegation dispatched to North Korea to return remains of U.S. MIAs, appears to have secured a concession from the communist state on its developing nuclear weapons program.

No...despite what it seems, we have not become the Bill Richardson blog. But each of us in our own way have started to take notice of the man. Edwards and Richardson seem the best of the candidates...except for the money issue.

Bill Richardson has great diplomatic experience and his skills as a negotiator have gotten him nominated for the Nobel Peace prize some four times. So this is a guy who should be used when there is a delicate diplomatic situation (and when our BEST diplomat, Nobel Prize WINNER Jimmy Carter, is unavailable).

And our usually dense President appears to have noticed that Richardson is a diplomatic resource worth using. Bill Richardson has been tapped by Bush to lead a delegation to North Korea to negotiate the return of the remains of missing US servicemen.

Best of luck Bill!

A poll conducted by BBC in 27 countries shows that Bush's idea of an "Axis of Evil" may get some international support. Problem is, according to world opinion, the US is part of that Axis of Evil...or perhaps Axis of Destabilization:

According to a poll made for the BBC, carried out in 27 countries, 56% of those interviewed see in Israel, the United States, Iran and North Korea, "the countries with the most harmful influence on the world". (Guysen.Isra×›l.News)

Checking out the BBC website, shows that Israel, Iran and the US are viewed as having a "mostly negative influence" on the world by more than 50% of people polled. North Korea does slightly better with 48% of people polled seeing them as having a "mostly negative influence." So the US is slightly better than Iran and slightly worse than North Korea in its influence on the world, it seems. Great job, Bush! The world, which loved us under Clinton/Gore now see us as about as much a threat to the world as Iran and North Korea thanks to Bush/Cheney.

Looking at it from the other end, Canada, EU collectively, and Japan top the list as having a "mostly positive influence" according to more than half of people taking the poll. It is interesting that Japan does so well given how much China, Taiwan and the Koreas hate them. Isreal's low rating is not surprising given their unpopularity in the Muslim world and the negative view of their war with Lebanon.

The organization Reporters Without Borders has come up with its 2005 rankings of nations based on freedom of the press.

Our Founding Fathers would not be pleased.

At the top of the list are Finland, Iceland, Ireland and the Netherlands, all tying for #1 in Freedom of the Press. I am surprised by Ireland, I have to admit, though for no particular reason that I can think of. Finland, Iceland and the Netherlands are no suprise whatsoever.

What fascinates me are the others in the top 10. Norway and Switzerland are up there, no big surprise, as is Portugal. But the biggest surprise among the top ten are the number of former Soviet Bloc nations: Czech Republic, Estonia, Slovakia, Hungary, Latvia (one of my ancestral homes!), and Slovenia. Bravo to these nations for coming so far so fast. Russia itself does not fare so well, coming in 147, right above Yemen, the Gambia and Tunisia and below, get this, the "Democratic Republic" of the Congo and Somalia! Coming on the same day I read about the vandalism of a synagogue in Vladavastok, coming on the heals of a skinhead gathering, I can't help but think Russia is slowly failing in its experiments with democracy.

The bottom of the list is no surprise at all: China, Burma (sic), Cuba, Eritrea, Turkmenistan, and, rock bottom, North Korea at 168. I almost think North Korea has turned every possible measure of failure into a goal: starvation of its population, cult worship of living people, absolute censorship of pretty much everything. "Burma" (now actually called Myanmar) and Turkmenistan are about the shittiest nations (in terms of human rights) we actually have friendly dealings with, and our close friendship with these two nations pretty much belies any claim we have to advancing democracy. Sure, we condemn Cuba and North Korea, but Myanmar, Turmkenistan and, in terms of trade, China are among our best buddies.

So, the UN Security Council has unanimously imposed sanctions on North Korea for its development of nuclear weapons. I have three comments on this:

1. Since the main members of the Security Council are all themselves nuclear powers, isn't this hypocritical? I mean, I CERTAINLY don't want North Korea to have nukes, but when nations that have nukes tell others they can't have them, isn't that hypocritical?

2. It says a lot that China joined in. Usual protective of their neighbor that makes even the craziest Chinese regime seem sane, China must really be pissed at N. Korea.

3. Are these sanctions even meaningful? I mean, N. Korea has almost no contact with the outside world. Do these sanctions actually change anything, or is it merely imposing from the outside what N. Korea has already imposed on itself?

Finally, this reminds me that on Current TV there was a very good segment where Current TV reporters go to North Korea and report on it. VERY bizarre country! It really shows how even when on their best behavior, N. Korea seems insane. The best part of the segment was the way the reporters, forced to bow and speak nice things about the "Great Leader" Kim Il Sung did so with great sarcasm, which was lost on their hosts.