Options on North Korea

Here are some of the interesting articles VIEWS has read on the North Korea Showdown!

An Article by Simon Jenkins in The Guardian. Views agrees with the following comment: ‘curb North Korea's ambition in the simplest possible way. Sophisticated air power, useless in counter-insurgency, has a role in the "coercive diplomacy" of non-proliferation. Israel used it effectively against Iraq's nuclear plant in 1981 and the US repeated the exercise with Operation Desert Fox in 1998…’

On the other hand we have President Jimmy Carter, VIEWS must admit, he cant stand Jimmy Carter, the worse President with Hoover included that the United States has ever had in the 20TH Century. But he still was a President and a winner of the Nobel Prize, so here is his opinion that VIEWS does not agree with at all..! ‘ What must be avoided is to leave a beleaguered nuclear nation convinced that it is permanently excluded from the international community.. ’ ( New York Times Registration Required / Free ) This is the exact impression that must be left, the UN and the USA should not back down, North Korea must learn that it can not blackmail or threaten Western powers or its neighbours.

The North Koreans are making it known that it will see any action by the USA as act of war the New York Times Reports, ‘ North Korea…. regard increased pressure from the United States as a “declaration of war ’ Japan the BBC reports is to place sanctions on North Korea, ‘ The new Japanese measures will include banning all North Korean imports and stopping its ships entering Japanese waters, a government spokesman said. ’

The UN needs to act as one or became another league of nations, the 21st Century could be defined by this week.

The Mid Term Elections and the Polls

An interesting list of the new political polls on RCP, an article in the Washington Post has the Republican losses between seven and thirty seats also the article states the following, ‘A Democratic takeover of the House is not a foregone conclusion, however. Because of congressional redistricting plans that gave huge advantages to incumbents, fewer than 50 of the 435 House seats are competitive. Democrats said internal polls show that the fallout from the Foley scandal is confined to half a dozen races.

Partly Right on North Korea

Views waited all of Sunday for North Korea to exploded its nuclear device, with Sunday over in the UK, Views thought the last prediction had been correct, that the test was not something for the International community to worry about, hours are a long time in Politics. On the Monday morning the news that North Korea had tested a nuclear device. Then as we enter Wednesday it seems the test was not as the Spin from North Korea had intended. An interesting article in the New York Times, ‘ The North Korean test appears to have been a nuclear detonation but was fairly small by traditional standards, and possibly a failure or a partial success, federal and private analysts said yesterday. ’

Fox News reports the following, ‘ Intelligence and Defense Department officials confirmed to FOX News that the test could have been a dud, but they also advised against concluding too quickly that it was a non-nuclear event. ’

The BBC state the following, ‘ The lack of information over the blast has cast some doubts over North Korea's claim, with suggestions that the blast may have been produced by conventional explosives as part of a ruse. ’

In a sense the above does not matter, the UN and the United States have to act as if North Korea has the bomb. This is a chance for President Bush; this could be his Cuban Missile Crisis. If possible with the backing of the UN, the USA and her allies should blockaded North Korea, check every ship, the USA should do this no matter if the UN says yes or no. President Bush can use this in the Mid Term Elections; place National Security at the heart of the debate.

North Korea and a Nuclear Test

It seems that North Korea is about to join the Nuclear Club if it follows through with a Nuclear Test. Here are some interesting articles on the up and coming event, of course if the test is anything like its missile test, Views wont rush his tea.

LA Times, Click here

Fox News on UN Statement, Click here

CNN, Click here

BBC, Click here : Also interesting links on the BBC on the History of the Korean War, Click here

New York Times on American Options on North Korea, Click here Registration Required, Free )

Washington Post. Click here

Security Abroad, Security Home, Republicans are Security

If you are a Republican it is time to get the good news out, no attack on the United States since 2001, no attack on American interest since then either, no Embassy attacks, no attacks on American Ships on the High Seas. The economy is great, low unemployment, more tax money coming in to the government. The Country is at war with a Terrorist body that if it had its way would destroy Western Civilisation, the call should be, not a time of change, it is more simple, does the United States want a Speaker that is from San Francisco and is therefore more Liberal that most people on the face of this earth. A government that will add to your taxes, would if UBL was ever caught, want him tried will all the rights of an American. If a MAJOR terrorist attack were about to happen would they support or oppose the use of extreme methods to gain the information.

Think after January, a Democrat win, Higher Taxes, cut and running form Iraq, repel of the Bush Tax cuts, allow more rights for Terrorists, would oppose any military action to deal with Iran, would try to impeach George W. Bush. The Democrats once in power would use everything to stay in Power, does the United States want another House of Representatives, which the Democrats control for 40 years.

The Call should be simple, security abroad, security home, Republicans are security.

The Politics of Scandal

Here are a few interesting articles on the recent Congressional Scandal:

Time: Click here

Newsweek: Click here

Slate: Click here : This is interesting as the perception that the seat is lost to the Republicans might not be a fore gone deal.

Slate: Click here

Washington Post: Click here

Washington Times: Click here

The Future of the Speaker of the House is in question, when did he know and what did he do, an interesting Interview to read, Click here

State of Denial

A state of Denial is an interesting concept as to look at American Politics at the moment; on the one hand we have two articles, as published by the New York Times (Registration Required, Free) and Time, they both underline that what looks like a large Democratic win in November has to face political reality. As the NYT points out, the Republican base is returning to the President, recent climb in his Job Approval ratings means that his base is returning. The base might have problems with George W. Bush but they would have more problems with a Liberal Democrat from San Francisco as Speaker of he House of Representatives. The Time article looks at how Karl Rove the Master Mind of how George W. Bush has won both Presidential elections has been planning for this fight since 2004. It should be noted that the old idea that turnout out helped the Democrats was blown away by Rove who increased Republican turnout in the right areas to win the Presidency for Bush in 2004.

As noted a week is a long time in Politics, over the past few days we have had the release of the National Intelligence Estimate for April 2004, see previous Blog entry. On the heels of the NIE we have had the release of the new book by Bob Woodward, extracts can be found on the Washington Post Web Page, also Congressional Scandals that has made a Republican Congressman Resign and placed his seat with the reach of the Democrats. Views predicted that the Republicans would keep control of the House and Senate, as of today that is a lot harder to justify even with the articles in the NYT and Time. The election is a few weeks away, and it has to be recognised that if the luck follows the Democrats they should take the House and give the Republicans a run for their money in the Senate.