Thursday, June 4, 2009

North Korean missile story is always the same

Whenever you read a news story about North Korea’s nuclear program, you must experience what Yogi Berra termed “déjà vu all over again.” It’s the same story every time.

Kim Jong Il waddles to the nearest state controlled microphone to announce the launch of his odd regime’s latest bottle rocket. He declares to the world that his isolated, starving country will take on anyone, anywhere at anytime, especially the West and the United States in particular.

That’s when the newswires break out the standard story that runs each time North Korea goes ballistic--pardon the pun. There’s no reason to waste time writing a new article; the script is the same each time. Just rearrange a paragraph or two and you’re ready for print.

The North Korean dictator blusters and puffs about defending his people against the joint and imminent South Korea-United States invasion. The world counters with its compulsory “strong condemnation,” replete with the typical empty phrases. The media then dusts the cobwebs from the time-old story and reports the “latest” developments from the Pacific Rim.

The story always begins with the world’s acknowledgement that it must “stand up” to the North Korean threats. Next is the recognition that the nuclear test or missile launch poses “a grave threat” to world peace and security. Then everyone will “strongly condemn” the communist regime’s “reckless actions.”

Of course, Pyongyang’s aggressive actions and rhetoric “violates North Korea’s own prior commitments” and invariably becomes “a blatant violation of international law.”

Surely after 15 years of seeing this little red outpost renege on every vow and promise we no longer expect them to honor their commitments. And if anything means less to Kim Jong Il than keeping his own word it is honoring international law.

The “news story” includes the always bland and toothless remarks from the United Nations. North Korea’s missile launches and nuclear blasts inevitably “fly in the face of UN resolutions.” Close behind follows the call for “stronger international pressure.” Finally, the story concludes with the Western world--the world Pyongyang desperately wants to intimidate--issuing a pledge to “stand up to this behavior.”

It has become all too predictable. North Korea threatens and bluffs. “The world” dons a frown and condemns their actions with strong words and a presumed joint purpose. Leaders come together to wag their collective finger in Kim Jong Il’s face and tell him what a bad boy he’s been. In the process we give him exactly what he wants.

Each nuclear test, each missile launch, is a “Hey, look at me! I matter,” moment for Kim Jong Il. And the world jumps each time he pulls its strings.

Am I advocating ignoring North Korea’s nuclear ambitions? Of course not. Every nation, especially the United States, should be prepared to counter the North’s provocations. However, that doesn’t mean that we should legitimize this pathetic little dictator’s hollow screams for relevance.

A new direction is needed. We’ve kowtowed to this communist regime long enough, especially since the implementation of the “Carter doctrine” in 1994. Carter cut a deal with North Korea to abandon its then infant nuclear program. “The world” breathed an unwarranted sigh of relief.

The North, conversely, gained the attention it desired. It received its legitimizing cover and began to systematically violate the Carter agreement from day one. Once this became evident “the world” pronounced condemnation once more and the process started anew. Isn’t it time for a different approach?

Why not monitor North Korea’s nuclear program covertly while ignoring them publicly? It’s certainly possible with modern satellite technology. Perhaps that’s not as accurate as firsthand monitoring, but North Korea has expelled nuclear inspectors anyway. And there’s certainly no interest in confronting the matter directly.

At the very least the media would have to write a new story.

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