I have never in my life read a bunch of rhetoric , propaganda filled horse crap in all my life. You sir, are a hypocrit. The only reason the United States is a civilized nations, is that white Europeans keep it so. The U.S. has a representative form of government based popular vote, our system has 3 branches, each putting the other in check. And this so called "new society'' that you claim america will become, and pretends, sounds a little bit revolutionary and communistic. There will always, rich and poor , here. And thank god we are a strong nation. Like Charles Darwin stated, "Survival of the fittest", and our country isnt the greatest, but it beats the hell out of Third World Africa or theology ruled countries in the Middle East. So wake up you retard, if you wanna compain, complain about why the Islamic faith breeds hatred.

If you hate this country so much, do one of the folowing two things: 1) if you live in the US, go back to where you came from. 2) if you do not live in the US, then stop leaching of it for money and everything else. Good day.

=======================================
First, the U.S. refuses to speak directly with the North, yet it has opened the door for dialogue with Iran. Maybe Pyongyang is feeling neglected and lonely. Maybe the North really does want dialogue, as the South Korean government says.
=======================================

I fail to see your connection here. The US is speaking to North Korea. Or least it was. As part of the six party talks.

Iran? We aren't talking to them at all. Not unilaterally and not multilaterally. You see what we have offered Iran is what we are already doing with North Korea. Talking to them with our allies as part of a multilateral dialog. We are not offering Iran one-on-one talks. Nor would we. Nor should we to North Korea. Unilateralism is what got us in so much trouble in Iraq and it would be stupid to open ourselves up to that again because in the end it leads only to war as we will never give these nations what they want.

Arkin wrote:
===========================================
"Rather than taking my cue from the Bush administration or the New York Times' stuck-in-the-Cold-War-era WMD reporting, I defer to South Korea (and even Japan) on North Korean strategy."
===========================================

Which is the correct approach, since Asian policy is best handled among the ASEAN members. This gives them the autonomy to decide their fate for themselves, and prevents the USA being scapegoated again for interfering.

Asians like to keep their business among themselves (especially these messy types of marriages and divorces). The hands off approach from Washington also allows these countries to fence build and mend (which is important since they've haven't all been good neighbors).

BTW, South Korea is only interested in unification (it's an obsession with them), so consider this whenever their polticos talk about North Korea (they'll try to paint a rosier picture, since a messy marriage loses a lot of public face). Japan, in turn, is very concerned with both China and North Korea and their military might (why there's a more hawkish tone to their policy of late -- and the PM's war shrine visits are a little curt reminder of what could occur if they attempt to step on Japan). The danger in North Korea going ballistic is Japan will attempt to rearm itself, and that'll bring back the old historical prejudices (and I'm talking about BEFORE WWII). Both Koreas like their autonomy and will thumb their nose at both China and Japan, which has caused some bad blood to boil over the centuries.

It's contained for now, but if North Korea does more than just sabre rattle, WWIV could occur like nothing dreamt between the US/USSR. :shudder:

SandyK

Mahalo, and thank you Lanakila!

You and I know that truthfully, we are not wrestling against flesh and blood! The Spirit behind White Supremacy caused this nation to appear to prosper. However, it appears that the same spirit will eventually destroy America, as we know it now.

What is truly sad is that because of all of the sin and debauchery in the U.S.A, we cannot win other people and nations over, like Korea, Iraq or Iran! To those nations, America is the great Satan, and America gives all nations of the world plenty of reasons to believe that we are the GREAT DECEIVER!

Great thread! This is where you change the subject and discuss proof reading?
When your stormtrooper children are redeployed and kill you in the Haliburton death camps I don't think your English grammer books will save your ass much less the USA.

You dumb ass! Everyone knows "NeoCon" refers to NEOnazis CONing right wing nut sacks.

Dear,MR Arkin,having read your recent articles on North Korea, kudos to your myself having come to a similar conclusion almost verbatim.However,what this seems to mean is that Japan can make the case for offensive weapons over and above their present arsenal including nuclear,which they have been working ever so friendly to acquires goes to the gist of your article that they are more concerned about America's safety than their own.I suppose they think American analysis are daft,a conclusion drawn from our decision to give the Taliban stinger missiles to fight against the Russians in Afghanistan,to which I vehemently objected to,hence the present situation.With men like you still around,pass mistakes will not be repeated.

Blah blah blah blah. Blah, blah blah. Blah blah blah blah. Blah.

90% of these thread postings are a waste of electrons. The other 10% are just plain wrong.

Don't fear the Reaper. Fear your own ignorance.

Mahalo Reverend Solomon for taking the time to learn and to teach what truth is. And yes it is unfortunate but sometimes, more often than not being truthful hurts. That is just because so much has been created on a lie when the truth is told it is bound to take something from someone. I found it affirming to read your assessement of the minorities rising up. It seems to me that this has begun and yes "natives" are returning to there rightful places. I hope the so called minorities come to understand that they really are not the minorities, if they can come together as a people then they will realize they are not the minority but the majority. I also beleive we are on the verge of a very big change in the way the government(s) are strucutred. How this is to come about I think is going to be a combination of things but the biggest backer of this change is going to be God, no matter who you beleive this to be God is not going to stand by anymore and let us have free choice. We have shown we are not capable of using free choice responsibly, we have not learned or mastered the ability to make choices that reflect our observance of the only neccessary law/rule...don't hurt anyone. Do what ever you want as long as you are not hurting anyone! I have faith that the situation with our people is being corrected and soon. I also belive it will be the same for others. The problem of evil influence in high places is about to end and all will be right again. Maybe a little more struggle but it will happen in a way none of us expect! Mahalo Lanakila

Stevin,

In my opinion, you are one of those who have been brainwashed. America reminds me of the spouse who says, but look what I have done well. I worked, I purchased this house, I provided for the kids and look how successful we are.

Oh but sorry for the physical abuse of both you and the kids. And forgive me for mistreating my neighbors, but don't forget, the ones that I helped.

Stevin, no one is trying to destroy America, we simply want to make America live up to its creed. America has never done that! For a long time America was different than Nazi Germany!

If you need proof, simply ask the women, native Americans, blacks and the foreign countries around the world that are beginning to speak up.

Stop listening to American hype for some of America's more vociferous critics lately, have been America's allies. Why is it so hard for some of you to understand that the world is getting tired of American militarism and dictatorship! Is every one else in the world so wrong?

Thease people bother me. Who do they think they are i read there blogs but i ask what is the country they turn to when needing help. The U.S. should turn there backs on the people of these nations and let them take care of themselfs.We've allways been the nation thats pulled the small nations along like Japan and Germany not to say we havn't made mistakes but we never have ha a dictator unless it was Rosaveltt in world war 2. and helpt countless country and the U.N. has gotton this country into lots of places we didnt need to be i think they want the U.S. to break up.

Lanakila, GORBACHEV kept his word, The United States Has Not Kept its [words].

Hang in there! I visited Maui several years ago and was shocked by what I saw. It appears that the American Apartheid system was alive and well on Maui as well.

All of the service people, luggage carriers, hotel workers, servers, janitors that I saw, were natives. I found the island ghettoes that were inhabited by the native peoples. On the other hand I visited homes of the some of the rich and famous. From all appearances the Japaneese and Americans are in total control, and beneficiaries of the island(s) wealth.

I visited your museums and sought out and received a through lesson about the history of the American takeover of the Islands, i.e., not the sanitized version that I received in the American Public School System. Your history, truthfully, is not much different than the history of the native people on the mainland who lost their lands to the invaders.

President Bush was questioned in Vienna yesterday, with regard to the American threat that I have been talking about for about 25 years now. However, as long as your counterparts on the mainland are 'getting there's, many of them simply do not care about, REALITY!

Colin Powell shared in DC a few days ago that Gorbachev, former Secretary General of the Soviet Union, kept his word with regard to peace-making efforts. What he could not admit, however, was that America has not kept its [words]. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Reunificaiton of Germany, Removal of the Berlin Wall, American has continued its own blitzkrieg, i.e., to build up the military, upgrade its weapon systems, engage in a preemptive strike and occupation of a sovereign nation etal, ignore the 189 other nations in the U.N., and now the U.S. is threatening the sovereign nation of Iraq and doing everything that it can to manipulate the U.N. and every other nation of the world to go along with American hegemony again.

If you think about,it the U.S. has become the old U.S.S.R. The initials have always been similar, and now when you consider the former S.R., Soviet Republics in this context, that are now orbits nations of the U.S. and Nato, it gives one great pause, i.e., for if you combine all of the initials you have the, United States Soviet Republics, the new U.S.S.R.

I hope that I won't frighten you by my candor, but I always taught to tell the truth even if it hurts me. Our nation has gotten away with conducting itself like a rogue nation since its inception. However, once the so-called minorities become the majority in this nation, in a couple of decades, we will make the change, i.e., if God does not make them first.

Then America will be a just place, for all people and the world will be safe. I encourage you again to hang in there for the rest of the world is waking up and some are beginning to speak out.

Eventually we will get America to begin acting like the civilized country, that it has always pretended to be, but never was.

Eventually America will learn to show show due respect to all other people and all other nations on the planet, including yours. In other words, perhaps one day you folks will be free and sovereign again.

Eventually some American will realize that to preserve America's freedoms, does not mean that America has to take every other person and every other nation's freedoms away.

Reverend C. Solomon

ENTHIE wrote:
"HAWKISH BUSH ADMINISTRATION HAS INTENTIONALLY IGNORED NORTH KOREA AND REFUSE TO HAVE TALKS WITH THEM. WHY?
BECAUSE THEY WANT WAR."

You give this administration way too much credit. You are seeing incompetence and trying to explain it as intelligent intent. This administration is incompetent. They have proved it many times over. Many times in Iraq and many time in New Orleans, and just recently with their Homeland Security funds distribution.

So to say that their handling of NK is some sort of intelligent plot to start a war ignores the obvious. They are bumblers who will not admit they are bumblers or are too stupid to know they are bumblers. In either case they are unlikely to wise up any time soon. Goofy is running this ship of state, and all we can do is hold on to our seats. Congress, which should have impeached Goofy since he has broken federal law (FISA), is just as incompetent.

The only possibility of getting this government back to doing its job properly is to vote out the republican congress and replace it with competent people who are not republicans. You may think your state's republican congressman or senator is a great person who is smart and does good things for the state, yet that person helped bring to power the likes of Delay, Lott, Frist and Hastert, who have supported and protected this incompetent president. Let your republican congressmen and senators know you cannot allow our country to be run by idiots and need a congessman or senator who will protect this country from its incompetent servants. Vote them OUT!

www.wsws.org

More letters protest harassment of SEP petitioners in Illinois
22 June 2006

On June 12, officials from the Urbana Free Library ordered Socialist Equality Party (US) petitioners to leave the front of the library where they were collecting signatures to place SEP candidate Joe Parnarauskis on the ballot for state senate in Illinois' 52nd District. This was part of a campaign of harassment against SEP petitioners that has included a similar ban on petitioning at the Champaign Public Library, and an incident on June 19, in which an SEP campaign worker was threatened by a Champaign police officer while petitioning on a busy street corner near the University of Illinois.

The WSWS calls on our readers to step up their emails to the mayors of Champaign and Urbana demanding that the ban on SEP petitioners at the public libraries be immediately lifted and all threats and harassing actions be halted.

Champaign Mayor Jerry Schweighart can be emailed at jerryschweighart@ci.champaign.il.us. Urbana Mayor Laurel Prussing can be emailed at llprussing@city.urbana.il.us.

Please send copies of all emails to the WSWS.

Below we reprint some of the letters sent to the mayors' offices so far.

Dear Mr. Schweighart and Ms. Prussing,

This letter is in regards to the supposed legal right of the government to prevent American citizens from requesting signatures for a petition on public property. Specifically, I am referring to your policy of preventing petitioners for Socialist Equality Party candidate Joe Parnarauskis from obtaining signatures on the public grounds surrounding a public library.

It does not take a law degree to realize that something extremely petty, abusive and disrespectful of the American people is going on here. Not to mention the fact that the standpoint you are supporting is blatantly unconstitutional.

The fact that you call on one of the lawyers in your cadre to seek "anything" that even resembles the right of the government to prevent people from petitioning on public grounds, says much about your moral fiber. It is, therefore, not surprising that your lawyer (Deputy City Attorney Trisha Crowley) seeks to equate acquiring signatures for a petition with sales techniques and advertising--what the American election process has descended to.

And this is exactly the situation that the Socialist Equality Party is running against. Hopefully, your constituents will be aware of this. The world certainly is.

Sincerely Yours,

John Russey

American citizen living in Belgium

20 June 2006

* * *

I write to express my revulsion at the undemocratic and unprincipled manner your officials have attempted to prevent the Socialist Equality Party from gathering signatures to challenge the two-party system in the coming elections.

Andrew Linder

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

20 June 2006

* * *

Dear Mayors Schweighart and Prussing,

Outside my local public library, there are almost always a few petitioners waiting to collect signatures, and to engage citizens in their campaigns of interest. These campaigns may focus on any of a wide variety of environmental and political issues. When I see these petitioners, equipped with their flyers and brochures, sometimes I stop to inquire about their issues; sometimes I do not. But in either case I'm always aware that there's something admirable and important in these petitioners' having and exercising their right to take their issues to the public. Though on a local and modest level, in a very real sense it's democracy in action.

If such activity is a vital element of democracy, then suppression of this activity must be seen as dangerous and antidemocratic. It would of course not be terribly difficult for library or local city officials to contrive one or another pretext, to block these petitioners from exercising their constitutionally protected rights to try to win public support for their views. But were they to do so, it would reflect a decay of democracy; a kind of local-scale defeat of a grand principle.

Now in your area, the Socialist Equality Party is attempting to gain ballot status for Mr. Joe Parnarauskis for the office of state senator in Illinois' 52nd District. With dismay and alarm, I have read that your public library officials have tried to stop SEP petitioners from gathering signatures on library property, portraying their stance as a matter of concern for public health and safety. Furthermore the Champaign Deputy City Attorney Trisha Crowley has claimed that it would take until "the middle of next week" to study the First Amendment aspects of this situation--even while the deadline for submitting petitions is June 26! In other words, city officials want to "study the issue" until it's too late to make any difference!

If I read about such a thing occurring in a foreign country, I'd think to myself, "Well, that's what happens when democratic rights are not seriously respected by local officials. You get shenanigans, pretexts, and transparently absurd excuses offered--and the public winds up being denied potentially valuable alternatives!"

I urge you both to recognize that the main issue here is not, for example, concern for "public health and safety." Rather, it is the constitutionally-protected right of third-party candidates to bring their ideas before the public, without any harassment or impediment from local officials. Please use your power to handle this matter as though democratic rights in your area depended upon it--because they do.

Respectfully yours,

Richard Mynick

Berkeley, California

20 June 2006

* * *

Dear Mayor Schweighart and Mayor Prussing,

I am not a little bit shocked and disgusted by your cities' blocking of the SEP in its efforts to obtain signatures in order to advance the candidacy of Socialist Equality Party ("SEP") candidate Joe Parnarauskis on the ballot for state senate in Illinois' 52nd District.

These efforts are blatantly undemocratic and must cease.

Be assured that these occurrences are being closely monitored by many outside of the district, both nationally and globally.

The eyes of the world are upon your cities and we intend to make sure that the right of Mr. Parnarauskis and his representatives toward collection of signatures is honored and not blocked.

Sincerely,

Stu Zimny

Albuquerque, New Mexico

20 June 2006

If Mr. Arken believes North Korea doesn't pose a significant threat to anybody, I strongly suggest he request a return to Active Military Service for the sole purpose of receiving a refresher course in Military Intelligence Analysis. They teach basic skills such as "Know Your Enemy"!

Former SecDef Perry's recent advice is missing an important point: there are more Daepodong-2 rockets than the one on the pad at Musudan-ri.

Best to negotiate for a trusted neutral, such as Sweden, to confirm a satellite payload and launch parameters.

All these coments take one side or another, Im American and look at the world mess no different than a family crises! only with many billion famly members involved.

Whats the question? A bully is trying to make my child give him his lunch money in return to not bully him around!

He is Jelouse because my child has everything and he has nothing! (North korea)

Well that said! This bully has no friends and my child lives a life as 90% of his friends do.

Guess who always wins in the end?

My point is, America is not perfect by any means. But theres a world order and these opresed regimes! Just like a bully child will never win in the end! The other 90% wont allow it.

If N Korea launches a Long range missle! For the only purpose of recognition! It only supresses them more! And my family hear and i dont know about yours but, were gonna do everything possible to protect our children yo!

After reading most of the above "posts" it is obvious that many Americans enjoy talking for the sake of talking. Additionally, many enjoy bashing one another with a sense of personal hatred.

Having noted that none of the posts claimed any first hand dealings with the N. Korean's, I am surprised how well informed so many people AREN'T.

Where were you on 911. I was at the Pentagon. It wasn't a missile that hit that building, but it might as well have been. I can't speak for the N. Korean's, but I firmly believe from what I know of their leader, they would enjoy being able to direct one of their creations into the pentagon with such success.

Mr. Arkin, you have your opinion and you have well spoken that opinion in your article. I don't agree with that opinion, but you're entitled to it. Be careful, sir what you write about and be sure that you print accurate information. Not everything that you posted is correct, be careful - it could come back to haunt you.

My home is living under military oppression. We were seized by American elitist missionaries. Our Queen was imprisoned in her own castle illegally and her estate and belongings were pilfered as these people in the name of Christ and Americans dismanteld systematically a sovereign and independent country that exsisted in peace and abundance. We boosted one of the most refined and developed agricultural systems, our population was healthy and are literacy rate exceed many places in the world, inclduing America. We had the only building west of the Rockies with electricity at the time, we had a living and practiced spirituality and we had treaties with at least 30 nations. One of those treaties is a treaty of friendship with America. This is only one the treaties we had with America. The American government ruled the actions of these people illegal, more than once and even as recently as 1993. At the time of teh overthrow the government ordered them to undo their illegal actions. But the crooks and their grandchjildren are still here systematically committing geneocide on a friendly and abundant country and now with the aid of their military. And as we begin to gain the rightful recogition needed to re establish our soverignity do you think the American government is even preparing their people that live in the Kingdom of Hawaii of the change that is in the making? I have not heard them once yet tell their citizens here in HAwaii that the Lt. Governor of Hawaii acting in His capacity of the Minister/Secretary of Foreign Affairs has set his signature to documents that recognize the exsistence and lawful Kingdom of Hawaii. Americans you need to wake up and take back your government. And no Hawaiians did not vote for statehood! We were not allowed to as a matter of fact a petition was served upon your governemnt with more than 80% of the Hawaiian populations signature aganist it.
Please take your government back from the crooks who have no respect for you or anyone else. And just know that through our transition we will not ever harm or hurt anyone here in our lands, just like our imprisoned Queen we do everything peacefully and non violently. So I am sue this is news to many of you if not all, they lied int eh history books so be careful wiht this Korean siutation, it smeels to much like the ground work laid before Pearl Harbor!!

What real geniuses we seem to have here...so many people picking apart sentence structure and punctuation and grammar that they miss the point of the piece. So many that can't "see the forest for the trees." It's no wonder that we all hate each other.
I had no problem deciphering the written material, for all its grammatical and punctuation errors - I skipped right over them. If your going to complain about something, complain about how an American is (journalist or not) displaying anti-American views. Or, perhaps, agree with the author and complain how he may actually be right and then discuss possible solutions to a very large problem.
My point is this: focusing on the problem rather than on a solution doesn't solve the problem, it only exacerbates it.

we don't hear a lot from the people most impacted...

Japan has had a hard time..

this isn't a single issue game.

The United States is failiing because it's economic base is being eroded as it gives it's jobs and money to other countries without maintaining infrastructure, inventiveness, alternatives, R&D have become almost non-existent but used to contribute highly to America's prosperity...

we need to cooperate to get the most from what "is possible," not try and beat the shi t out of anyone that competes with us...

this is stupid.

less than .05% of the population of the world controlling all of the resources...

arrest the president and JCS today, do the world a favor!

William Arkin obviously knows nothing about North Korea, or Asian politics at all. Mr. Arkin, I bet you think Kim Jong Il has never attacked us? Wrong! Several times. He is a madman and does not negotiate, please drop the liberal talking points and read some history first!

HAWKISH BUSH ADMINISTRATION HAS INTENTIONALLY IGNORED NORTH KOREA AND REFUSE TO HAVE TALKS WITH THEM.

WHY?

BECAUSE THEY WANT WAR.
IT MAY SOUND STUPID, IT IS UNDENIABLY TRUE.

JAPAN SUFFERED 1.5DECADE OF RECESSION AND DESPERATELY WANTS A BREAKTHROUGH.

AFTER W.W.II JAPAN WAS IN DEEP TROUBLE TOO BUT THEY OVERCAME IT THROUGH KOREAN WAR THAT BROUGHT HUGE AMERICAN MONEY TO JAPAN.

JAPAN TRIED EVERY MEANS IN LAST 15YEARS TO BOOST ECONOMY BUT FAILED EVERYTIME AND MOREOVER SOUTH KOREA AND TAIWAN ARE TAKING OVER THE MARKET THAT JAPAN USED TO DOMINATE

CURRENT EXREME RIGHTEST MOVEMENT OF JAPAN IS BIGGER THAN EVER AND STILL GROWING RAPIDLY.

JAPAN HAS NEVER OFFICIALLY APOLOGIZED FOR THE COUNTLESS WARCRIMES THEY COMITTED DURING W.W.II "YET" WHILE GERMANY ROUTINELY REMINDED, REGRETED, OFFICIALLY APPOLOGIZED.

IF THERE'S A WAR AGAINST NORTH KOREA OR AT LEAST ONE-SIDE BOMBING ON NORTH KOREA, ECONOMY OF SOUTH KOREA WILL GO TO HELL REGARDLESS OF N.K. ATTACKS ON SOUTH.

AMERICANS, WATCH OUT JAPANESE.
THEY WEAR SMILY MASKS BUT AT THE SAME TIME THEY ARE USING US!!

I don't know what Korean sources you've been consulting with regards to the S. Koreans not being worried. The three main TV news agencies (SBS, KBS, MBC) all alloted over half of their headline time towards this missile crisis last night. This is a serious matter for the S. Koreans...it is the average U.S. citizen who couldn't careless, even if they are aware of this situation.

With regards to spying on North Korea, it should be just as reliable as the data collected for building a case for the Iraqi war...by the way, who's spying on the Pentagon?

If they shoot and we all go up in flames, maybe asia will control the world

then you would be well moved to arrest the president and complicit congress for foisting

a lie and a fraud upon the United States Citizens and calling it

?patriotism?

since when is elimination of the Bill of Rights

friggin patriotism you little frickkin honker?

.

american freedom is a concept, not reality. attainment of real freedom requires taking a stance, keeping a vigilant eye, and protecting ourselves.
the human race as a whole isn't ready for world peace. so until then we will stand against as well as root out those who would destroy us.

Nukeum. Kim is acting like a spoil child that he is. He needs a lesson he won"t soon forget.

It's the Pentagon that wants the attention, more than North Korea. Let's not pander to the Pentagon's darkest desires. Let's not promote the Pentagon to the role of determining public priorities. Our top public priority is, in fact, to reign in the Pentagon, and the White House.

Perhaps the time has come for America to ask the question "Could it be that North Korean missiles have a circular error of probability (CEP) that is equivalent to their maximum possible range?" Unless the American public can be convinced by their hard hitting and ever honest intelligence community that North Korean has, not only a miniaturized, functional, fissile package with a reliable, accurate, means to carry it, well then, a major portion of the defense budget becomes, well, quite moot.........

http://www.physics.byu.edu/research/energy/htm7.html

couldn't see your quoting of another poster...

excuse me, continue burning..

are you just changing your name and reposting the same information over and over again?

you've had enough replies to your hypcritcal post...try reading them, unless you're simply a disinformationist...

William M. Arkin, you and your pinko ilk are going to get us all nuked.

most Americans are naive, and quite busy.

we don't like, Europeans follow politics, economics or world markets...

most of us work and experience the world in sound bites...

if our government feeds us garbage, we believe it....because we don't have time to research it...

let's put it this way, the ones that believe the garbage that the leaders are feeding us are arguing with the ones that have time to research it...

the believers are "fear based," in their response, the researchers are information based and so naturally there is strong disagreement...

it is like talking to children that "need to believe," and are having their belief system challenged...

it is very threatening to them, to actually let loose of the side of the pool and go into the water of rational discourse...

we are a young country, that has historically been fairly trusting of our leaders...we've not had the ups and downs of wars, royalty, mixed families controlling continents and what not

we like things simple, when they're not, we get nasty....'cause we dont' like to examine the truth, and we hate those that make us...

Finally HOW a ship placed in international waters, with the purpose of stopping a possible ILLEGAL missle test from the NORTH KOREANS is seen as PROVOCATION (as the author contends) is BEYOND ME!! In my opinion the authors views are tainted with anti-americanism which in this instance is clouding his judgement...

+++++++++++

But ... it *isn't* illegal for N. Korea to fire a test missile. Check the 'law' on that.

For all we know, they may be trying again to launch a satellite. How sweet for us if we preemptively shoot down such a shot -- or even worst try to shoot it down and miss.

Our wonderful missile defense system has not conducted a test since 2002, I believe. I wouldn't count on that to work.

Do you find it provocative when we fly a spy plane into their airspace? If they were to shoot down such a plane [think China, 2001] would we have a leg to stand on?

We as a country would get farther in the world if our bozo admin would not start every policy statement with the underlying notion that we can operate on a different set of rules than what we want from the rest of the world. That's an imperial attitude, guaranteed to cause problems.

When I travel to the states, I am often asked, "Do Europeans hate Americans?". Although I would prefer to stay out of this type of discussion, my reply is: "Some do, but they mostly disagree with the government, not the people." I found this blog by "googling" North Korea.

I do not think Americans should be worried at all about what foreigners think. Americans should be worried about how much they seemingly hate each other; as displayed on this blog. The anger, bitterness, and hatred - not just on this blog, but in other blogs, forums, the mass media, and in the public square is onerous.

The division in America seems to be quite wide and deep. Why do Americans seem incessant to focus on divisive issues rather then a bit of issues that unite?

What I see happening to the U.S. is quite upsetting and I should think it would be to her citizens as well. America is becoming less stable by its own devices. And this will effect the world. I wonder if the internet has flamed the passion of anger? Quite possibly the internet actually has shined light on what Americans think of their fellow citizens. It is indeed quite alarming to some around the world.

My intention is not one of presumption; rather, it is merely an observation from a foreigner who has always cared about America - and still does.

"North Korean leadership is rational"???
Stop hacking The Washington site please!
And you are a free-world citizen?
What a shame!

PeterinCT: Stick To Producing Basketball Teams!

I was 13 years old when our family was able to move up in the world, so we relocated to the suburbs to live nearer to our freedom loving white counterparts. We thought our nice white neighbor was going to extend us a welcome, when she was on the way to get in her car, but instead she said, WHY DON"T YOU N-word in the plural, Go back to where you came you)-: Will it ever stop?

As I sat and listened to fomer Secretary of State Colin Powell yesterday in D.C., he said something that was very thought-provoking.

1) He was dispatched along with then Secretary of State George Shultz, to meet with General Secretary of the Soviet Union during Reagen's Administration.

2) Gorbachev explained the changes that were about to be made in the Soviet Union. Gorby explained that the U.S.A. 'will have to find a new enemy', for the USSR was embarking on a peaceful course, perestroika, glasnost, et al.

3) In Spite of Gorby's comments, Colin admitted that he could only see a Communist sitting in front of him.

4) Years later, Colin and the rest of us watched as Mr. Gorbachev kept his word.

For as Colin indicated,
a. Germany is unified
b. The Iron curtain came down
c. Europe became free
d. Communism all but disappeared in many nations, et al...

And what have the peaceful U.S.A. done since that time?

1. Expand NATO
2. Invade a sovereign nation, murder & maim
3. Threaten other sovereign nations and the U.N.
4. Build up its military capability & surveillance
5. Enter the Baltics and spy ...
6. Interfere in elections and the internal affairs of other countries.
7. Move, unilaterally, to force its will on the world and the United Nations!

Shall I go on...? Colin added a couple of other things to his list, however, he was wrong about one of them. He said that FASCISM had ended.

You folks can keep living in a dream world, and pretend that patriotism means to be loyal to American facism...however, if it was wrong for Hitler and the Third Reich, it is wrong for the U.S.A and the Republican Right.

I'm staying and I would be pleased to hang out with Mr. Arkin, perhaps in Lake Tahoe, Carmel or Monterey or the Sonoma Mission, thank you very much!

do you mean peter as in dick or as in peter pan?

I like talking to people that don't say anything,

the contrast makes me look amazing...

wanna play fat boy?

.

As you grow older, It is rather startling to hear events that occured in your life referred to as history. I was four years old when Pearl Harbor was attacked, and I can tell you where I was and who I was with when I heard the news. The Korean War started when I was in Junior High School, and I have a good memory of that period. I can go on in that vein, but, to cut to the chase, most of you don't have a clue about American Foreign Policy in the late 20th Century and early 21st Century. You haven't lived it, studied it, and seen any preconceptions you may have had about those events proven wrong. For a baby boomer, Arkin is doing alright.

HYPOCRITE, n. One who, professing virtues that he does not respect, secures the advantage of seeming to be what he despises.

this would pretty much sum up complicit congress....

so you're calling a dogmatic approach to life

thought?

I hesitate to interact with you, as you seem incapable of actual integrated thought process

do you carry your book of "conservative response" with you during conversational interludes?

perhaps you need to read some Ambrose Beirce, he speaks well of those with limited intellectual ability...

come closer, you smell like old men...

.

mindset,

disingenuousness is what is called reason, and that is what they trust in...

lying-cowards, that use your children to ensure their economic future, while destroying yours...

DEFEAT _them_

intern _them_

arrest _them_

listen in on _their_ phone calls

implicate _them_ for this shameful behaviour, and restore our good name.

.

Mr. Arkin,

I wholeheartedly respect you for putting up with the personal attacks that my fellow readers have launched against you in these comments. They ought to be ashamed of themselves.

I will not be so brash as to assume I know more about the situation in the DPRK than you do, so I'll leave whether I agree or not with your column to the side. Instead, I'll confidently say that your piece was clear and forthright. I especially appreciated your jest about the New York Times and their "stuck-in-the-Cold-War-era" reporting.

Thank you, again, for your courage in the face of my fellow readers and their apparently uncontrollable hatred of dialogue.

who are you, a state department official that is sucking on bushes a hole?

calling Arkin "anti American" because he points out that having a ship of war in the vicinity of a missle test, may be seen as provokative...

if an ex husband is lurking outside of his wifes house in a care, and there is no restraining order, it may be legal...

and it is provokative.

Weren't we in an altercation with North Korea during the 50's?

are you stupid, disingenuous or both?

knock off the veiled support of a president that uses lying as a way of saying hello in the morning...

we have never been so unliked by so many or so low in respect at any time in our nations history...

and the sad part is that what our president says and does is what the rest of us are characterized as

I am not a liar, but the president and his men are, and that includes Negroponte

who is the head of all intelligence

sad, deplorable, unsightly and to be represented by cowards and liars, but that right now is the United States current status...

I _would not_ be surprised if this administration got us involved in _some_ war, just to make sure that he got greater control of our countries economics to enhance his friends pocketbooks...

liar liar liar

.

I do not understand why everyone is so work up about N. Korea and Iran. You see, all we need to do is to send J. Carter and B.Job Clinton over and work out a deal like they did with N.Korea in the past. :)

This is what we need to say to the rest of the world: Please don't do anything stupid we beg you all, for we aim to solve all the world poblems with diplomatic means.

We should have nuke the st out of N. Vietnam and a few other places in the world once every 10-15 years as a reminder to the stupids of the world.

Vietnamese by birth, proud American by Choice.

Critic,

" ... Thank goodness for this "centrist." Now we know that criticism of only right wing ideas is the center, and any consideration of conservative thought is radical. I just hope he's not lying to us to push a leftist agenda."

1. Topic in my post was "REF: Remarks made/name-calling by hard-core, 'right-wing' Republicans."

But, now that you have approached the subject of other political parties/mentalities, allow me to say that if the Democrats run a campaign based on the phrase "lie and die," I'll have difficulty supporting them. Why? Because that phrase/mentality to very close to the right-wing Republican's catch-phrases ('cut and run') and I am not interested in supporting a clone of that which I find to be distasteful.

2. If 'conservative thought' is now considered to be 'radical,' perhaps the conservatives within the Republican party should have reigned in their reps a little earlier such that the perception did not have a chance to take hold within the opinion-base of American society? This is an issue for the party itself to manage in the future.

3. I stated that I am a political centrist; no 'agenda' was being "pushed" or in any way intimated in my post.

Mr. Arkin,

Quit your day job. Take up something where you don't need to know how to write, use grammar, and an opinion can be formulated without any common sense or grasp on reality.

You're perfect for politics.

Shay

Well-stated Archimedes.

Mr. Mouse where have you been? Arkin's naievete about states like North Korea and Iran is astounding. Here we have a paranoid dictator who has sequestered himself in his Communist wonderland and we are wrong for treating him like the paranoid child he is? He builds missiles he doesn't need in an effort to scare the rest of the world into propping up his failed state. The North says they want to talk, well where the hell have they been for the past five years at the six-party talks? This administration has been absolutely right to include all those in the region in the North Korean nuclear issue. This is not a US-only problem and we should not be so arrogant as to automatically assume the lead as we have in the past. Arkin speaks of flawed strategy here as well. The real flaw in strategy would be to pretend like diplomacy will always succeed and not have a plan in case it fails. History has shown that more often than not diplomacy does not succeed and it would be ridiculous if we were any less than prepared should North Korea do something. If the North feels threatened then maybe it is not so irrational after all, as we are very threatening right now, both toward it and Iran. For too long we sat back and poo-pooed smaller countries or groups who hated us. Dismissing them as minor threats or insignificant fundamentalists who really couldn't do anything to the United States. It is truly sad that this type of thinking still exists. That there are still well educated people who have not realized that we are not invincible and we should stop pretending that we are.

Trust always in Reason

Archimedes

Thank goodness for this "centrist." Now we know that criticism of only right wing ideas is the center, and any consideration of conservative thought is radical. I just hope he's not lying to us to push a leftist agenda.

A fine example of liberal media bias. This is dividing the country as no one is speaking the truth. To toss your shots in at every oppertunity is pathetic. There is no reason this should have ever been printed. Where in the world do your facts come from. This has no credibility whatsoever. To call people that respond to this as "idots" is pretty lame as well. If you write something so ridiculous you should be prepared for the critisism that is going to come with it.

Mr. Aryan Rev.: Could you go with Mr. Arkin to one of Dear Leader's Country Inns this winter too?

Whether one agrees with Mr. Arkin's perspective or not, it does at least serve as a good counterweight to the 'crisis' as publicized by the likes of FOX News.

The North Koreans are said to be asking for talks with the US as of today. Any guess as to what POTUS' answer will be?

REF: Remarks made/name-calling by hard-core, 'right-wing' Republicans

IMHO, it is best to let them go. In fact, I sincerely hope that they produce and publicize more of them. They are adept at revealing the true nature of their 'holier than thou,' and hence, disturbed, mentality. No 'counter-propaganda' campaign will be required to challenge the 'right-wing' Republicans and win the November and 2008 elections; counter-campaigners need only highlight the words/actions of 'right-wing' Republicans and allow the American people to define the terms 'strength,' 'respect,' and 'credibility' for themselves.

The 'right-wing' Republicans have had an opportunity to represent the nation and will soon be receiving direct feedback from its citizens on their performance. One can only try to maintain faith in the judgment of the American people and specifically, in their ability to learn - from past mistakes.

May the 'right-wingers' continue to believe that all who do not agree with their views are 'leftist-liberals.' If they don't see the remainder of the Republican party, the Democratic party, the Independents, and the centrists coming 'over the hill' - perhaps it is for the best.

(Comments posted by a political 'centrist.')

rumsfeld should ask kim jung il to provide the trajectory of the test launch in advance and make arrangements to attach a us transponder to the missile prior to launch. when the magic space shield fails to shoot down the missile then overpaid engineers working for MDA can redefine the parameters of the test and declare it a success

North Korea: zergling rush kekeke!

I'm not sure you're familiar with
life in the U.S. these days demographically, but Aryan it is not.

I'm not sure you're familiar with
life in the U.S. these days demographically, but Aryan it is not.

Antonio Mouse gets the bozo button today. Everything said was right on. Not to diminish any other response, except for the ones that bought this complete moron's article.

Antonio broke it down exactly as it should be and all points are valid. The author however of the article showed ignorance at geopolitics, spelling, grammar, writing, professionalism, etc.

Message to author, you really should not ever write again, and do not share any opinions or you will surely continue to embarrass yourself. You are the idiot.

HEAR YE, HEAR YE, HEAR YE;

North Korea: You are in violation of the Universal and Self-Appointed Statutes of the United States Planetary Government, (soon to be interplanetary by the way). These statutes have been duly decided upon by the nation with the most guns.

Any violater nations, international organizations like the United Nations, or individual human beings on Planet USA, are expected to comply. Your refusal to comply will result in a visit from the USPG's Universal Police Force and a possible evacuation of your nation to, can you say GITMO?

Wow, if America says it, then it must be correct, RIGHT? Perhaps the S. Koreans will one day realize just how much their opinions matter to the U.S.A. Why? If S. Korea was not playing footsy with the U.S. Government, South Korean would be treated much the same as Cuba, oops, I meant
North Korea(-:

I stand by and in support of N. Korea and any other nation, and their right to behave, just like the, er herm, leaders, and the leading nation in the free world does. Oxymoron?

And in this minister's opinion:

1. Whatever technologies and weapons the USA posesses,including WMD's, other nations are entitled to posess those same technologies and weapons systems. However, good luck in catching up!

2. And, if posessing said technologies and weapons are in violation of U.N. Resolutions, or the eternal edicts of the United States Planetary Government, that is okay. Why? Because the United States always violates the spirit of International law, and complies with the U.N. when it suits their fancy, or to bring sanctions against other nations.

Hitler's dream for a supreme Aryan nation dominating the planet has been realized. Too bad he could not be around to see it.

Question: What gives the U.S. the right to dictate to other nations.

Answer Guns!

Great news for John Murtha and liberals today! 7 Marines and 1 Sailor face charges in Iraqi Deaths! Yee-Haw

"From our friend Jaxas we have a PRIME example of the liberal characteristic of calling names, making personal attacks, and being extremely INtolerant, when liberals somehow have assumed the image of intellectuals who plead with the world NOT to engage in those very things".

Sounds to me that you have a well-founded inferiority complex. People with brains who read and think before they act or spout-off are definitely threatening. Is that the real liberal-conservative divide-intelligence and thoughtful analysis vs mindless name-calling and simplistic conclusions, or is it just money and privilege?

Is a "neo-con" one of Arkin's long line of neocon-spiracy theorists?

Mr Arkin does not realize that there are evil people in this world that want to kill American and others that do not share thier ideology. Those glasses of his are indeed rose colored. Investment in a missle defense: we are much further along than is reported . . . much of the new technology developed will have civilian applications and improve our nations economic position. The defense of our Nation and the development of a missle defense is for your own good Mr Arkin so
take your medicine and write about something you know actually something about.

In the know

Yep, the leadership of the DPRK is perfectly sane. They're rational right down to the very bone. Want proof? Have a hard look at their news agency web site:

http://www.kcna.co.jp/index-e.htm

Be sure to have a long look at the online archives. Sanity all over the place, I tell ya!

You guys are ass wipes

From our friend Jaxas we have a PRIME example of the liberal characteristic of calling names, making personal attacks, and being extremely INtolerant, when liberals somehow have assumed the image of intellectuals who plead with the world NOT to engage in those very things.
Once again, it seems that they are tolerant of everybody who doesn't DISagree with them.
Thanks, Jaxas. It never hurts to have more proof of our point about you guys.
Now go look down your nose at somebody else.

"Maybe North Korea is lonely?" Mr. Arkin, Read. Please start to research this country called a "Democratic Republic". You're so blase about the entire situaton, giving me the impression you really don't have insight into the Kim dynasty. In your sarcasm about "failed states", you make it plain that you don't know anything about North Korea or the U.S. You are a person who has had too much freedom to ruminate uncorrected your enite life, and you should not be anywhere near a major newsroom. Would you please consider travelling to North Korea for winter this year? Maybe stay at one Dear Leader's charming country Inn's, with delicious single grains of rice to eat for a few weeks. Wait till you see the "Work Out" Room at the lodge!
You must harbor a huge amount of hate for your fellow human beings to write about the North Koreans in your yawning fashion.

It sounds like the movie Team America was right. Kim Jong-il will attack.

Is this subject really worth getting worked up about? No talks or negotiations are needed or required on this pathetic attempt to garner attention. Let the N. Koreans launch their tin can missile, and let's see what it can do.

Hawaii to mainland: We still exist.

Air,

I completely disagree with you. My response has no intention of a political nature. My only intent is to point out that most of these responses were rude, and obviously had an ill intent. I in no way try embody any political party whatsoever. I just want others to think about what they say, before they just blurt something out. I also wanted to point out that although one may disagree with the writer it in no way gives license to be condescending.

Yes people, we get it, his grammar was terrible, it's not necessary that every single person says that. Also, yes, Arkin's views may be skewed, but whoever was calling for liberals to be kicked out of the US, what are you, an idiot? "yeah, let's round them up and ship them out!" It's good to have, you know, different points of view, so that you conservatives aren't all just sitting around, grabbing money, and banning abortions.

Air,

I completely disagree with you. My response has no intention of a political nature. My only intent is to point out that most of these responses were rude, and obviously had an ill intent. I in no way try embody any political party whatsoever.

Jack,

You said I should "Read through the responses", when reading your response you stated, "To all the Republicans out there..." You are clearly trying to separate the people who disagree with your statements and this article as being republican as though you embody your political party.

Ralph, you're an idiot.

I think the writer of this article hit the nail on the head. Good story and a good angle.

Mr Arkin

"We have a severely flawed, isolated and failed state (I mean, North Korea)."

Thanks for clarifying that. For a moment I thought you were referring to the USA!

Mr Arkin, please excuse my bluntness, but since when has the Japanese govenrment been good at nuclear defences? I'm pretty sure the decendents of Hiroshima and Nagasaki's former residents would be very unhappy about the laid back attitude you're taking to this missle threat.
And, for the record, I don't call myself a Republican.

Air,

Read through the responses, most mention/attack the writer's "liberal" bias. That's why I said that. Read before you resond please.

Jack,

How small minded of you to think that everyone who does not agree with this authors viewpoints is a "Republican". How is it, that one would assume a political parties beliefs is identical to that of his own and a disagreement by any individual, places that individual on the other side of the political fence altogether. In other words, get your own opinion Jack and do not hide behind a political party.

Hahahaha! You must feel really bad about yourself now. Everyone one on here pretty much told you that you are an idiot and you cant write. Hahahah!

To all the Republicans out there that are bashing this guy for writing an article that you don't agree with. Where are you manners? Just because someone does not hold that same opinion as you do does not give you the right to act like you are the all knowing all being end of what is true or not. Please take a second for a reality check, and then realize that just as much as you think he is wrong, you might be wrong. In most cases there are no "right" or "wrong" answers, and everyone is entitled to their thoughts. If you don't agree that's ok, but don't waste everyone's time who reads the responses by just being a jerk, think about what comes out of your mouth, and then remember the golden rule.

Ralph, let me put this as succinctly as I possibly can: You have been in a coma. When you lapsed into a coma back in the 1950s, Joe McCarthy was drunkenly making the very same points you are sputtering out in your pathetically ridiculous retro-50s commentary this morning.

Since that time, McCarthy has been exposed as the drunken red-bating fraud that he was, we have fought and lost now, two wars based on the same neocon drivel that parallels the muddled, head-up-the-oval-orifice, fear based doggerel that we heard back then.

Our greatest triumphs as a nation that the world looked up to and respected, were accomplished, not by right wing nut jobs like you, but rather by liberal democrats and republicans who came together in the 60s to give us the Civil Rights Act, Voting Rights Act, and a sane, reasonable environmental policy that cleaned up our air, streams, lakes and gave us a host of public safety and public works programs that made America the envy of the world. It was a liberal President who inspired us to go to the moon.

And also in that time, what were people of your ilk doing? Railing against every progressive advance, fighting against the future, clinging to old, authoritarian, segregated societies, clubbing over the head young people who fought for freedom in the south and against debilitating, illegal wars. And today, here you are 50 years later sputtering out the same old, bile soaked, venom spewing hate labels that you people cannot seem to do without.

Not trying to be nationalistic (I'm not American) here, just want to put down my own views.

From my personal viewpoint, North Korea is most likely using missile threats to garner attention and demand for more money for its people, hence its indication for talks.

North Korea has nothing to lose, I feel that it is making blank threats, and the US denial to return to the table is an indication of resolution. Currently impoverished and in such crisis, North Korea is backfiring on itself, utilizing the walking-out-then-coming-back stance in talks, it is obvious that NK is becoming more and more of a troublemaker. The government is insensitive to its people, with Kim Jong Il basking in riches while the people are impoverished and poor. Pumping its money into military development instead of agriculture and other R&D, NK is literally a failed state. From what I see, I feel that there is no true rationale to have dealings with this country.

Grammatical errors may just be honest errors guys, don't get over paranoid over gunning down the writer.

this guy needs a grammer checker, a spell checker and a reality checker!

In all seriousness, is there any chance the author was discretely paid a large sum of money by North Korea to write this? Normally I'm not the conspiracy story sort of fellow, but I find it a little suspicious when I see the author defend the North Koreans, especially when he calls them "rational". Rational? I sometimes support being an apologist and all, but the North Korean leaders are NUTS, and I do not use that term often. Is there any money trail here we should know about?

Since when did a journalist who has never visited Korea and has not personal or political interest in the area become an expert?

I have been to both North and South Korea, the political climate of North Korea is not one which encourages anything but obedience from its subjects and South Koreans not only anticipate a war but they speak of it as though it is eminent.

To "An Open Mind"

You are right - seems everything is a zero sum game these days. Win - win no longer seems a possibility.

All of Arkin's blogs are set up as zero sum, hypothetical, scenarios. Arkin is a divider - not a uniter. He does the very same thing he criticises others for.

POOR CRITICS...

GOT STUCK IN GRAMMAR AND SPELLING OF A WELL-INTENDED MESSAGE ABOUT N. KOREA ?

HOW ABOUT LOOKING DEEPER UNDER THE SURFACE?

THE WAY THINGS CONTINUE, THERE WILL BE HATRED AND WAR ALL OVER THE WORLD... AND ALL THAT WE FOCUS ON IS GRAMMAR, REPUTATION, PRIDE = MEANINGLESS JUNK!

WHAT WE REALLY NEED TO FOCUS ON IS GETTING OPPOSING COUNTRIES TO WORK THINGS OUT BY 1ST LETTING GO OF PRIDE AND A WIN-LOSE MINDSET.

"AN EYE FOR AN EYE AND THE WORLD GOES BLIND" AND IF THE US KEEPS ACTING OUT OF FEAR OF TERROR AND WAR - WE W-I-L-L END UP RECEIVING THE VERY THING THAT WE FEAR THE MOST - NAMELY TERROR AND WAR.

I SUGGEST YOUR READ "AS A MAN THINKETH" BY PAUL ALLAN TO GET MY POINT - UNLESS YOU PREFER TO CORRECT MY GRAMMAR INSTEAD...

THE SOLUTION TO THE CONFLICTS AROUND THE WORLD IS NOT "WHO" WILL WIN, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY WHICH OF THE OPPOSING COUNTRIES WILL STOP THE VICIOUS CIRCLE OF PRIDE AND FEAR - BY OPENING ITS DOORS AND EARS TO INVITE AND COLLABORATE WITH THE OTHER PLAYERS.

THE POINT:
YOU HARVEST WHAT YOU PLANT. IF THE US STARTS PLANTING PEACEFUL OBJECTIVES, IT WILL HARVEST PEACE. IF THE US PLANTS FEAR OF TERROR THROUGH ITS ACTIONS - GUESS WHAT? - MORE TERROR WILL GROW OUT OF HATRED THAT IS CAUSED BY FEAR.

EACH ONE OF US HAS THE CHANCE OF MAKING A DIFFERENCE BY THE INTENTIONS AND THOUGHTS WE RUN IN OUR MINDS.

FOR THOSE WITH AN OPEN MIND, REFLECT ON THE ESSENCE OF MY INTENTION - INSPIRED BY HAVING LEARNED FROM "AS A MAN THINKETH".

FOR THOSE WITH INTEREST IN GRAMMAR AND SPELLING, PLEASSE COURRACT IT NOUW :)

WITH BEST INTENTIONS,

A READER

POOR CRITICS...

GOT STUCK IN GRAMMAR AND SPELLING OF A WELL-INTENDED MESSAGE ABOUT N. KOREA ?

HOW ABOUT LOOKING DEEPER UNDER THE SURFACE?

THE WAY THINGS CONTINUE, THERE WILL BE HATRED AND WAR ALL OVER THE WORLD... AND ALL THAT WE FOCUS ON IS GRAMMAR, REPUTATION, PRIDE = MEANINGLESS JUNK!

WHAT WE REALLY NEED TO FOCUS ON IS GETTING OPPOSING COUNTRIES TO WORK THINGS OUT BY 1ST LETTING GO OF PRIDE AND A WIN-LOSE MINDSET.

"AN EYE FOR AN EYE AND THE WORLD GOES BLIND" AND IF THE US KEEPS ACTING OUT OF FEAR OF TERROR AND WAR - WE W-I-L-L END UP RECEIVING THE VERY THING THAT WE FEAR THE MOST - NAMELY TERROR AND WAR.

I SUGGEST YOUR READ "AS A MAN THINKETH" BY PAUL ALLAN TO GET MY POINT - UNLESS YOU PREFER TO CORRECT MY GRAMMAR INSTEAD...

THE SOLUTION TO THE CONFLICTS AROUND THE WORLD IS NOT "WHO" WILL WIN, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY WHICH OF THE OPPOSING COUNTRIES WILL STOP THE VICIOUS CIRCLE OF PRIDE AND FEAR - BY OPENING ITS DOORS AND EARS TO INVITE AND COLLABORATE WITH THE OTHER PLAYERS.

THE POINT:
YOU HARVEST WHAT YOU PLANT. IF THE US STARTS PLANTING PEACEFUL OBJECTIVES, IT WILL HARVEST PEACE. IF THE US PLANTS FEAR OF TERROR THROUGH ITS ACTIONS - GUESS WHAT? - MORE TERROR WILL GROW OUT OF HATRED THAT IS CAUSED BY FEAR.

EACH ONE OF US HAS THE CHANCE OF MAKING A DIFFERENCE BY THE INTENTIONS AND THOUGHTS WE RUN IN OUR MINDS.

FOR THOSE WITH AN OPEN MIND, REFLECT ON THE ESSENCE OF MY INTENTION - INSPIRED BY HAVING LEARNED FROM "AS A MAN THINKETH".

FOR THOSE WITH INTEREST IN GRAMMAR AND SPELLING, PLEASSE COURRACT IT NOUW :)

WITH BEST INTENTIONS,

A READER

Reading this article just killed some brain cells.

I bet you think the Muslim laws are better than our own, and that women over there are better off than women over here.

N. Korea is not irrational? Whatever you're smoking, Willy, hook me up with some.

Ralph,

Your tone is that of a fascist. You attack Mr. Arkin not based on what he wrote or whether you agree or disagree. You simply call him a liberal and then paint all liberals as unAmerican.

If you cannot debate without name calling, then go back to middle school. You might even learn something there. If you want to debate like an adult, then lets hear what you think Mr. Arkin is right or wrong about.

Its time we all stopped letting people like Ralph, people that attack with name calling instead of civil debate, get away with it. That includes you Rove.

Amen, Peter. Arkin needs to proof those recipes before publishing his little red cookbook.

It is so blatantly obvious when political bias obscures a writer's ability to present even widely reported fact incorrectly.

Thankfully, the greater reading public reserves the right to assess the media and compare the facts rather than be swayed by liberal views.

I think anyone walking a mile in the President's shoes would truly see how challenging world diplomacy really is.

After a mile in the President's shoes, I humbly suggest enrolling for a grammar class in a local college.

A KC-135 is an air refueling platform dumbass.

Twice in the last 7 days North Korea has
complained that KC-135 Spy Planes have
intruded into it's territorial waters. This
is the same process that occurred a couple
years ago when a half dozen NK fighter jets
flew out to their maximum range to tag along
with one of the spy planes. This time it
may be different.

You gotta believe that these things are not
flying unprotected. Both by Aegis destroyers
and fighters of our own.

So here's the decision Fearless Leader now
has to make. Should I or should I not send
a bunch of my ill trained antique fighters
out there again to intercept one of those
spy planes? What will the American Navy do
if I do? And that mixed in with will they
shoot down my Toy Rocket.

And it's still raining in Xanadu.

Ahhhh...another bleeding heart Liberal. If you guys ran the country, We would be speaking 3 or 4 different languages and living in a Commune. Just seeing the words Washington Post, indicates what's coming next. We will never be a complete Nation until all you Radical Liberals re-locate to Iran, N. Korea Cuba and China. You do not deserve to live in this Country.

Actually, by losing grasp of the English language we lose sight of what the writer is trying to convey.

Mr. Arkin, North Korea not a threat? You left wingers are grasping at straws these days. It's almost sad.....

Regardless of the grammatical and spelling errors, I think its important to look what this writer is trying to convey. By placing focus on his poor grasp of the English language, we lose the focus that he just doesn't get it.

A launch of a long-range ballistic missile IS a threat from North Korea. Even though it may only hit Alaska, the world looks to the US for guidance and protection (even though they bad mouth us, those ingrates.....) The US cannot ignore this as you suggest. You did mention in your article that with a successful test, they would still be years away from having a nuclear-capable, long-range ballistic missile. Doesn't that alarm you?

We aren't talking centuries or even a decade, we are talking a couple of years. Think about how short that time really is. Do you really want a nuclear-capable, long-range ballistic missile in the hands of Kim? Go back to the articles written over the last couple of years regarding his flagrant disregard for WORLD policy, not even just US policy.

We may not have an open dialog with N. Korea, but if you look at the disregard they have for UN negotiators, why would we bother? They would thumb their nose at us just as flagrantly, if not more.

MR. Arkin, If this is your opening sentence for your article; "The South Korea government now says it not see a North Korean missile launch as being imminent." with the grammar errors in it, how can you get people to read what you are writing about. To say that you write for THE Washington Post is a bit disappointing to say the least. And if you are just quoting the broken English of a South Korean dignitary, then put quotations around it for God's sake!

I think you have things a little skewed. The North Koreans fueling a missile is the provocation, not the U.S. having military excercises.

There apparently is not pretense of any balance in your "reporting" either. Your bias is not even nuanced.

In addition, I agree that you ought to grammar check your work. You are the journalist after all.

Also, your response to a comment here, "You're an idiot" really shows a lack of professional behavior.

Listen to all this whining. Wow, it's ok for America to have nuclear weapons, but woe to those who try to build them. Then, some partially intelligent neocon would say, "What about the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Did they not sign it?" Then why does Israel have multiple nuclear warheads? They never signed this. Some things are your fault if you provoke and antagonize the situtation predicated on lies and deception. The neocon's will hide behind national security and the veil of Christ to promote their lies and deceit. There is no point in arguing, you have your way, the rest of the world has their way. We are sure your day of reckoning will come to visit you.

What's the "war party" in paragraph two of this editorial?

"Is this a triumph when an American government leak resulted in quick diplomatic action to stem a potential real crisis, or a failure on the part of the war party to achieve their goal of changing the subject while bolstering U.S. missile defenses? "

The War on Terror is a lie. Break Free of the Cult of Bush!

This "editorial" masked as journalism isn't even coherent - does anybody proof anymore at the Post? First off there's no insight at all here. Weighing the pros and cons of a missle interception has already been contemplated by anyone even remotely intersted in reading this dribble. "Back to college young Liberal, and learn to write!"

Although I agree with some of the writer's points, I am truly shocked at his sloppy writing. Aside from the many obvious typos, there are several less obvious mistakes that confuse the reader, such as "North Korea undoubtedly sees that is part of a series of provocations." That sentence would have made more sense if the author knew the correct spelling of the word "as".

Most stunning to me was how much credence the author gave to one North Korean official's statement, basically concluding that we have nothing to worry about because North Korea has told us we have nothing to worry about. I suppose we shall have "peace in our time," then, eh Mr. Chamberlain? I wonder if the author has seen the billboards and subway posters in North Korea that depict missiles striking the US Capitol building, with the word "Victory" underneath.

The author also contradicts himself by suggesting that (A) the North Koreas of the world are irrational; and (B) therefore the best course of action would be to solve this through rational dialogue with them (no need for a missile shield when there are several irrational nations?).

Sorry if my writing contained errors. I'm not a writer.

Japan and N. Korea are used to the threat, just as Korea, Mongolia, China and SE Asia were used to the Japanese threat of the 30s.

Now that NK seems to have a missile that can reach the US we can either deal with it or wait for a Nov 7, 20??

The devastion at Pearl Harbor is argument enough for a strong and aggessive military posture at all times.

I read many asian paper that why

my engrish get so crayzy.

Txank you merry vuch, Good Daay!

You're an idiot.

"... I prefer to defer to South Korea (and even Japan) as to what to do. After all, they are the ones who are immediately threatened and affected." First, The Taepodong 2 can range the United States. Therefore, a TD-2 test immediately threatens and affects US security. Second, North Korea has thousands of artillery pieces along the DMZ and many SCUDs. When roughly 30% of South Koreas population and economic power is vulnerable to attack, it is understandable to tread lightly.

"Pyongyang understands Washington's concerns and is willing to solve this situation through discussions." This is North Korean for "more fertilizer, rice, money, oil donations and a renegotiation of the maritime demarcation lines. I would equate this to "give me your lunch money and I won't punch you" or "pay me for protection or your business may catch on fire."

"In fact, the agreed North Korean missile testing moratorium has held up surprisingly well for six years, through the axis of evil era." North Korea declared that it has the right to test missiles ONE WEEK after agreeing to freeze testing. Additionally, there were two missile tests in early 2003 in North Korea (short range). It follows that the 1999 moratorium on long range missile tests lifted some economic sanctions that economic sanctions should be imposed if the moratorium is violated.

"First, the U.S. refuses to speak directly to the North, yet it has opened the door for dialog with Iran." Iran has an elected president and North Korea has a leader installed in office by imprisoning and/or killing political enemies (the president, however, is Kim Il Song FOR ALL ETERNITY). The US has no relations with North Korea for the same reason it has no relations with Cuba.

"The U.S. Navy reportedly moved ships into position in the Sea of Japan yesterday to detect and intercept a missile if necessary." You failed to mention that the Japanese have ships there as well. It would follow that the US ships are there with Japan's permission. It is understandable that Japan would seek to stop a missile from entering its airspace when launched by a nation that claims to have nuclear weapons and which it formerly occupied.

"North Korea also accused a U.S. RC-135 signals intelligence collection airplane of intruding into its territorial waters." I don't think that you are taking into account that what is internationally recognized as North Korea's territorial waters drastically differs from what North Korea claims. There were shots fired from Japanese patrol vessels a couple years back at North Korean patrol vessels for this very reason.

Not surprised by this ridiculous commentary showing up in The Washington Post. North Korea not a threat? Maybe not a great one, but a serious one!

Please move to the Civilized Peoples republic of North Korea, live there and worship the great leader Kim, as required by law, and THEN come back and write us a report on the level of civility you have found.

Get real. Your hatred of our president blurs your reality dude.

I made it halfway through this article before the grammatical errors forced me to stop, asking myself 'who is this guy; he must not be a real journalist, regardless of having 'washingtonpost.com' in his URL, he can't even get the grammar right'.

Blog posts like this one hurt your image, whatever it is, and turn people off from reading any more of your writing. If what you have to say is worth publishing, it's worth proof reading it a couple of times.

You have a typo in your first sentence: "The South Korea government now says it not see a North Korean missile launch as being imminent." It should be "now says it DID not see."

v david,

your overuse of the '...' can be overlooked, but by placing them outside the quote you pulled from arkin's first sentence ("the south korean government now say it NOT see"...), you lose the credibility you so dearly seek deep in your soul. nine out of ten readers agreed that they stopped reading your post after the first paragraph. i tried to get them to give you a chance, honest.

considering that you then go on to massacre your own points with punctuation errors can only mean you've crossed the dmz in the land of grass houses.

As someone who worked on missile defense for the prime contractor, I have to say that during the first years of the Bush Administration until I left in 2003, the Missile Defense Agency simply threw money at the problem rather than carefully craft an R&D program that would find a good engineering solution to a terribly complex problem that requires the integration of many complex and fragile systems in order to work. As a result, the MDA and the political appointees at DOD and their buddies among the top execs at the major defense contractors are heavily invested, both financially and in political capital, in programs and platforms that may not work. I say this with the utmost respect for the engineering and scientific personnel working on the program, but their best efforts are ultimately overwhelmed by political appointees and business managers who manipulate the R&D program to serve agendas beyond just building an ABM system that works. Suffice it to note that when Darleen Druyen left the government, she worked on missile defense.

Isn't it great how the U.S. is blamed for everything that is wrong in the world? By our own mainstream media nonetheless!

North Korea is about to test a missile with the capabilities to hit the U.S.
--
Blame us! It IS our fault after all

Terrorism
--
We provoke their actions!

Global Warming
--
Those silly Americans again!

I'm tired
--
The Bush administration must have something to do with it.

Give me a break

I not think Arkin good with proofreading.

Wait wait wait-- Is this the same "not irrational" North Korea that almost started World War III over a poplar tree? Sorry, I get confused so easily...

Dear Mr. Arkin,

First and foremost I would like to say that one should always read their work before handing it in... Already the first sentence is flawed "the south korean government now say it NOT see"... In addition the second paragraph is a run-on (the entire paragraph being a single sentence)...

NOW in regarding to the commentary presented in this piece I must say that assuming that the "North Korea's" around the world are rational countries seems a bit far fetched. The reason I belive this is if we look at the statements of the president of Iran "the holocaust did not exist" OR "wipe Israel off the face of the earth" then one could reasonabily argue that these are NOT the words of RATIONAL people!!!

As for WHOSE vested interest is at stake is another question the US and its allies have helped foster and build a group of nations amoung them Japan and South Korea whose interests and securtiy must be protected at times by larger nations (i.e. the USA)...

And although I do not alway agree with US policy (especially since I am not American) WHO will protect say S. Korea from a China??? Its military awe and power would easily wipe any nation off the face of this planet...

Whats more the US troops stationed in Japan and S. Korea should always be part of the US's priorities therefore it definitly has more than a VESTED interest in what happens in N. Korea...

The very fact that any credibility is given by the AUTHOR to N. Korean officials is a joke considering the fact that the N. Koreans signed an agreement with Bill Clinton to stop WMD testing and then broke this said agreement...

Thus if we can not trust the contracts such a county (NK) signs what significance can we give to the words of their leaders?????

Now Iran in comparison to NK has (at least not yet) reneged on any international committments whereas N. Korea has!!

Secondly the reason the North doesnt threaten anyone is because such threats are useless (China which partially "controls" N.Korea would not be too pleased if its neighbor decieded to blow up the neighborhood...) and finally the US has not IS NOT and I feel WILL NEVER deal directly with Iran (currently it is using the EU 3-some and the UN instead!! lest the author forget such miniscule facts)...

Finally HOW a ship placed in international waters, with the purpose of stopping a possible ILLEGAL missle test from the NORTH KOREANS is seen as PROVOCATION (as the author contends) is BEYOND ME!! In my opinion the authors views are tainted with anti-americanism which in this instance is clouding his judgement...

Although the US is not a saint is it by far no sinner lest we forget that the N.Koreans also torture captured prisoners or that the 38th parallel is the most heavily fortified border in the world... (or the fact that the North also regularly sends spys into S. Korea for intelligence gathering....)....

There was a time when editors at newspapers checked copy for spelling and grammar. That now seems quaint.

The first line of this story currently reads: "The South Korea government now says it not see a North Korean missile launch as being imminent."

The lesson? Just because your spell checker doesn't find misspelled words doesn't mean your copy is grammatically correct.

I feel that possibly adding the word "does" to your first sentence would make you sound credible. It's just a suggestion.

Soldiers' bodies found in Iraq

The U.S. military yesterday recovered the mutilated bodies of two Army privates kidnapped by terrorists Friday night from a checkpoint south of Baghdad.
The bodies were so horribly disfigured that final identification will require DNA testing. But U.S. military officials in Baghdad said the bodies, found in a booby-trapped area, were thought to be those of Pfc. Thomas Lowell Tucker, 25, and Pfc. Kristian Menchaca, 23, although official confirmation awaited the notification of families.
"With great regret -- they were killed in a barbaric way," Iraqi Maj. Gen. Abdul-Aziz Mohammed told reporters.

I'm so Rone-rey, so rone-rey..........