I was going to read Krugman's essay tonight and the long profile on General Rove in the New York Times magazine but my best friend is in town from Greece and I just couldn't pass up a meal at El Mirador. Simply delicious: flautas to die for, Shrimp Diablo and beef fajitas, topped off with lots of Frijoles al Charra and Spanish rice. The Mexican food in San Antonio is one of the best things about living here. But I digress, as I so often do. Sorry.
While we were shoveling shrimp laden tortillas into our greedy mouths we discussed, yet again, Korea. My best friend Stuart, a Libertarian, asked me what I thought about the situation. We talked a little bit about STRATFOR's take on the situation and our general perception of what was going on. As this situation is still highly fluid I have had a hard time pinning down exactly where I stand. But a few things are clear to me. One of them is that the Bush Administration has an obligation to be honest with Congress about issues as serious as this one. Period. Did we not all have enough of Clinton's lies? I mean really?
Stuart and I agreed on that. It upsets us both greatly that Bush 43 kept this from Congress. Why? Well, it's funny you should ask. When I got home from dinner I had an email waiting for me from my buddy over at InSane Antonio.
I'm confused regarding your being so upset at this news not being publicized prior to the force authorization vote. Disregarding for a moment the issue of timing appropriateness in a national security sense, in what way would it have changed votes? To me, the North Koreans' deceitful and flagrant disregard for the treaty simply reinforces the lesson that we must deal as firmly as possible with dictators BEFORE they have a nuke.
I quite agree with the last sentence in that statement. To be honest, I am not sure how that squares with some of my previous entries regarding Korea. I don't really care. I am human and I can change my mind if I so choose. I lived in Korea, as I mentioned before, when the original crisis broke. It was a scary time to be there. But I have always adhered to Machiavelli's quote, "you only postpone a war to your own disadvantage." So I do not think I am being disingenuous.
But what I do disagree with is how the Bush Administration handled the timing of the announcement. But I will let InSane Antonio say what I am mean:
. . . to me, the nukes in Korea would instead STRENGTHEN the necessity of preventing a similar conclusion in the Middle East.
And were the Bush Administration honest with the American people, and trusted the American people to come to the right conclusion (as they so often say they do) the debate in Congress may have "outed" some closet pacifists but more importantly I believe, it would have strengthened Bush's hand. It would have silenced those critics like me, who loudly condemn and complain about this Administration's high-handed arrogance. Had Bush made an intellectually honest argument he might have had more than my lukewarm acceptance of the War in Iraq. And I would not be as suspect of his motives. Motives, that is what this all comes down to. There are very real security issues at stake in Iraq and North Korea proves that point. But all the lying and deceit of this Adminstration doesn't strengthen their arguement, at all. And lies, need I add, always make me suspicious of a person's motives.
I think the President should have gotten on TV and given us a nice little cowboy chat.
"Ladies and gentlemen, my fellow citizens I wanna tell you the difference between a snake in a hole versus a snake coiled up ready to bite. They are both dangerous and you gotta kill 'em both. But it's, well, down on the ranch in Crawford, we have, I mean, it's much easier to pour a bunch of gasoline down a hole, fire you know, and burn one out than worrying about getting bit, 'cause that poison can kill a man, and, well, when you're trying to kill one right in front of you. Especially if he's a nuc-yu-lar snake. Nuc-yu-lar snakes are very bad. At least they're bad on our ranch, I mean, that's how we do it on my ranch in Crawford. And fellow citizens, we will find the least harmful solution for that other snake, but let's get that easy one first, before he can bite us too."
See! It is so much easier than lies. It's what we call honor and intergrity down here in Texas.
Now, I am going to go lie down on the couch and read Krugman because I am still stuffed from dinner.
Posted by Sean-Paul @ 10/19/2002 09:56 PM
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Have you checked the Governor's race lately. Honor and integrity checked out a long time ago. Politics here in Texas is no different from anywhere else- we just mythologize it more....
Posted by: Jack Cluth on October 20, 2002 06:15 AM
They are both causing problems, N. Korea imposing nuclear threats-Level both their countries-
