EckerNet.Com

Or at least that\’s what I have to assume, since it appears Hillary and I agree on something….namely that North Korea is like a bratty child:

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said North Korea should not receive the attention it is seeking through behavior like missile launches and likened Pyongyang\’s behavior to that of unruly children.

\”What we\’ve seen is this constant demand for attention,\” Clinton, who is in India, said in an interview that aired on ABC\’s \”Good Morning America\” on Monday.

They certainly have operated that way.  Every time the world is concentrating on something else North Korea finds a way to act out and demand attention again.  It\’s essentially a huge insecurity complex on a national scale.  Thinking they are really special but not getting the attention they think they deserve, the act out until they get it.  As soon as the ADD-like attention of the world shifts, out comes the next temper tantrum.

Hillary and I agree on something?? I\’m starting to feel a little nauseous….oh wait, nevermind, then there is this.

\”And maybe it\’s the mother in me or the experience that I\’ve had with small children and unruly teenagers and people who are demanding attention — don\’t give it to them, they don\’t deserve it, they are acting out,\” she said.

Clinton also downplayed the threat that North Korea poses to the United States, saying: \”They don\’t pose a threat to us. We know that our allies, Japan and South Korea, are very concerned.\”

Yeah, okay I understand the not giving them attention thing.  Believe me, childless as I am, I get it.  But in this case, this particular child is running around the house with a can of kerosene and a lighter.  Eventually the little bastard is gonna burn the house down and really there isn\’t a punishment harsh enough to be appropriate for that….or at least there isn\’t one that isn\’t gonna have the cops going all arresty on your ass.  Ok my analogy kinda breaks down there, but you get the idea.

Plus this whole North Korea isn\’t a threat.  Didn\’t we just move a bunch of military resources to deal with a threat from North Korea.  The people of Hawaii are probably wondering why the whole statehood thing didn\’t also include them in \”us\”.  Oh and another group of \”us\” you\’ve probably forgotten about….remember all those soldiers stationed in South Korea?? Yeah, that country, the one south of North Korea.  I\’m pretty sure those soldiers are citizens….hell, I bet they even pay taxes!

And remember the whole Smart Diplomacy you Democrats raved about in the election?? Was part of that abandoning close allies?  Every since that whole \”incident\”, Japan has been like a loyal puppy, and while he may piss on the rug every once in awhile, he\’s probably worth keeping.  Besides, what would the Christmas shopping season be like without companies like Sony??

Now Hillary I know your motherly instincts are guiding you here, and even though William acts up now and then, you did a good job of raising two children.  I\’m just not sure those instincts translates to the world stage.  So instead of ignoring the child, maybe pull out a couple of the \”You just wait until your father gets home\” and perhaps a \”go to your room, no supper for you\” instead.

In a move no doubt copied directly from his \”Jimmy Carter\’s Guide To Foreign Policy\” book, Obama has decided to trade away one of our countries best insurance policies in order to enlist a thug to help negotiate with a lying sociopath.

President Obama offered to consider scrapping plans for a missile defense shield in Europe if Russia helps rein in Iran\’s nuclear program, the Russian newspaper Kommersant reported.

The article said Obama wrote to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to tell him Russia\’s aid in resolving the threat from Iran would make the missile shield plans unnecessary, according to an account from Russian news agency RIA Novosti.

So even if this worked out AND Russia was able to against all odds negotiate with Iran AND Iran agreed AND for whatever reason we could actually trust Iran to follow through, Obama considers the missile shield \”unnecessary\”.  I hate to over-simplify things but that\’s a lot like saying because someone quits smoking they don\’t need health insurance anymore.  Although if that sort of logic appeals to Obama, I\’d like to point out I just found a really simple way to eliminate the federal deficit.

Iran is not the only reason that a missile shield would be useful.  North Korea would be another prime example, especially since they already possess missles that could reach parts of US territory.  Not to mention that something as complex as a missile shield takes years, if not decades to fully develop.  Waiting until a more credible threat exists is not an option for those that value security.

The Russians are known to be good chess players, and it seems they prove so again, as they have Obama willing to trade away his Queen for a Pawn.  Amateur hour continues in the White House.

And important scientific discovery might have been made today. Little is known about the fortunately rare, and rather unstable, element known as Puffy Hair (scientific name Kim Jong-Il). Scientists today reported that this element might have a half life of 33 years.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il failed to appear at a triumphal military parade on Tuesday celebrating his state\’s 60th birthday, and a U.S. intelligence official said he may have suffered a stroke.

Scientists warn that further study is needed, including what element is created when Puffy Hair decays away.

Ok honest question….is there ANYTHING that the UN has done lately that hasn't….

….allowed hack dictators to further their reign of terror…

Has North Korean leader Kim Jong Il subverted the United Nations Development Program, the $4 billion agency that is the U.N.’s main development arm, and possibly stolen tens of millions of dollars of hard currency in the process?

According to a top official of the U.S. State Department – using findings made by the U.N.’s own auditors – the answer appears to be a disturbing yes, so far as UNDP programs in North Korea itself are concerned.

….or been a model of corruption…

And just as disturbingly, the U.N. aid agency bureaucracy has kept the scamming a secret since at least 1999 — while the North Korean dictator and his regime were ramping up their illegal nuclear weapons program and making highly publicized tests of intermediate range ballistic missiles.

Malloch Brown took over the UNDP in July 1999, and stayed in his post even after August 2005, when he also became chief of staff for then-U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who at the time was reeling under the effects of the Oil for Food scandal.

….or been a prime example of rampant anti-semitism….

For decades, the Security Council has also participated in singling out Israel by passing one-sided resolutions charging Israel with sole responsibility for human rights violations, violence and deportations. On the other hand, Palestinian and other Arab violations and involvement with such incidents are rarely criticized, or even noted by the Council. 

Several UN committees and divisions of the Secretariat, which primarily serve the interests of the Arab nations that encouraged their creation in the 1970s, are also extremely critical of Israel. Among these are the Division for Palestinian Rights of the Secretariat, the Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices in the Territories, and the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People. Israeli officials have termed these committees "propaganda instruments" of the PLO.

….or turned into an orgy of rape allegations…

The case has highlighted the apparently rampant sexual exploitation of Congolese girls and women by the UN’s 11,000 peacekeepers and 1,000 civilians at a time when the UN is facing many problems, including the Iraqi “oil-for-food” scandal and accusations of sexual harassment by senior UN staff in Geneva and New York.

…or turned into a complete Grade-A clusterfuck…

The government of Sudan and militias have acted together in committing widespread atrocities in Darfur that should be prosecuted by an international war crimes tribunal, but the violent acts do not amount to genocide, a U.N. commission has said.

Yet we're supposed to subjugate our sovereignty to an organization that can't even manage itself and it's own affairs?

I wonder if I can write off whatever portion of my taxes go to the UN as a business loss, because if this isn't a failed venture I don't know what is.  Can we please finally list the UN with things such as the League of Nations, a flat earth, liberalism, boy/girl bands, and soccer as concepts that sounded good on paper, but fail miserably when exposed to the light of reality??

A few days back (heh, I\’ve been busy!), Captain Ed wrote an excellent piece entitled \”Is Kim Bluffing\”, on North Korea\’s behavior of late. Especially noteworthy are his excerpts from a piece on how the people of North Korea are remarkably unaware, and certainly unprepared for the war that Kimmy appears intent on starting….at least if you believe what he says.

Later in his commentary, Captain Ed points out how it\’s difficult to discern what exactly Kim has in mind with his actions. And I\’ll agree they certainly appear counterproductive. A country that is almost exclusively dependent on foreign aid for it\’s basic survival would be well advised not to piss of the entire world and alienate the few allies you do have.

However, when viewed in historical context this isn\’t exactly surprising, nor should it be unexpected. This is essentially North Korea being North Korea. It\’s a country that has been repeatedly beat on by it\’s neighbors throughout history. At this point, all they really have is their sovereignty and their pride.

It\’s worth noting that previously, when the North has made concessions at the bargaining table it was immediatly preceded by saber-rattling and tough talk. Viewed in that context, one could consider this nuclear test another round of saber rattling, although I\’ll admit it\’s a big ass saber to rattle. One just as likely to cut the one who wields it as the one it is pointed at. However, the fact that North Korea is again making noises about the desire to return to the negotiating table does bear this out somewhat.

When viewed through the necessary context, North Koreas actions start to resemble a rationale approach to getting the necessary foreign aid to fill the gap of their economic shortfalls. However, I think in this case North Korea may have underestimated the impact of it\’s saber rattling on the West. Of course, considering the country is lead by a man who has a questionable hold on his facilties that should also not be surprising nor unexpected.

We now live in a world that includes a nuclear North Korea. Everyone has had their chances to cry in outrage or ramble on hysterically that the world is gonna end. Fair enough, I wouldn\’t pretend it\’s not a significant event by any means. But now that we\’ve gotten the emotional outbursts out of the way it\’s worth sitting back and taking stock of the situation in context. And in that regards there are a number of things worth considering.

The yield was pretty small – Ok so far the internation community seems a little confused on what the actual yield of the detonation was. Upper limit (by Russia\’s North Korean fan club) seems to be 15000 tons, France suggested 1000 tons, South Korea appears to indicate 550 tons, and US data seems to support something between France and South Korea. By comparison Hiroshima was 13000 tons and Nagasaki was 21000 tons. So at best, North Korea managed to detonate a bomb roughly equivalent to Hiroshima. More than likely much much smaller.

Short of another test, demonstrating a larger yield, one could almost consider North Korea\’s nuclear program as more of a liability for North Korea than a true nuclear deterrent. The true military applications of this type of nuclear weapon would be limited. Mostly it\’s just gonna piss people off.

Now I\’m not going to trivialize it\’s destructive power, I mean it could certainly lay ruin to most of a city. However, more than likely this test could be seen as a failure rather than a success. In fact, given the recent rather spectacular failures of North Korea\’s ballistic missile tests, this could demonstrate a continuing pattern of ineptness amongst North Korea\’s military scientists. Towards that end…

No delivery vehicle – Having a nuclear device is only part of the equation, you also need a way to park it in your enemy\’s backyard. Towards that end North Korea hasn\’t been having much success with their ballistic missile program.

And you can\’t just take a nuclear device and staple it to the top of a missile. You need to miniaturize the device to the point that it can fit on the missile. So far we haven\’t seen any evidence that this is the case.

So the situation is bad, but not as bad as it could be…so where does that leave us

Sanctions are useless – Not to mention pointless. Quick, someone tell me the last time sanctions worked?? While you\’re thinking, let me remind you that North Korea is already about as isolated as you can get. Sanctions, even if they had teeth in them, wouldn\’t accomplish much. And while we\’re playing guessing game, quick someone tell me when the UN actually passed anything with teeth in it.

While you\’re thinking those two over I\’ll move on….

China\’s response will be key – The last time North Korea acted up and tested a bunch of missiles it lead to a Japanese build up and the escalation of US missile defense plans. Both of these are NOT in Chinas best interest. China has a lot to fear from a Japanese military build up, including potentially revising their constitution to allow offensive weapons. Even worse, for China, would be a nuclear Japan. If the US fully fields a missile defense shield and also gives one to it\’s allies in the region, Chinas status as the premier military power in the region comes into question. That\’s not even to mention South Korea\’s response. While both South Korea and Japan have been dependent on the US for defense, a nuclear armed North Korea could certainly change that. Suddenly China is surrounded by potential enemies. Obviously China would like to avoid this.

Obviously the fact that the Chinese took the measure of warning the United States could be interpreted as a sign that they take this issue seriously. Their condemnation of the test is a rare criticism of North Korea. All encouraging signs as China holds the key to solving the problem in North Korea.

But there may be a silver lining to all this…

Return to the tables – Historically North Korea has always proceeded significant diplomatic concessions with saber rattling. While most would argue, and correctly so, that this is a hell of a saber to rattle, it could also indicate North Koreas willingness to talk. Unfortunately, it may find the world is not in much of a talking mood.

And to bring some light to a rather gloomy topic, there is some humor to the situation…

The Foley Scandal – This North Korea crisis is likely to push any and all mention of the Foley scandal right off the front page. So it\’s probably only a matter of time until the moonbats on the left claim that Bush planned this crisis to distract voters from another Republican scandal. You know someone is going to….anyone want to take bets on how long it takes?

Seoul isn\’t happy with Tokyo right now…

South Korea has accused Japan of intensifying the North Korean missile crisis with provocative rhetoric about knocking out the North\’s missile bases with a pre-emptive strike.

[…]

The spokesman also accused the Japanese of using the missile tests as \”a pretext for becoming a military power.\”

Jung said the Japanese remarks expose Tokyo\’s tendency for aggression, noting Japan used the protection of its nationals on the Korean Peninsula as an excuse for past invasions. The Korean Peninsula was ruled by Japan as a colony from 1910 to 1945.

Hmmmm, you guys might want to think this one through all the way before inserting foot.

Japan threatens North Korea, which to follow through would require it to become a military power since it is currently capable of defense only. Now considering past history, even the possibility of that has to scare the bejesus out of the entire continent. That alone is a good reason to speak up….besides, Kim is insane, he thinks a popcorn fart is a threat.

But then consider the effect on China. They already have been buying up military weapons like a drunken sailor in an effort to push the US Navy out of the western Pacific. Having a militarized Japan (and US ally) enter the picture will make their attempt to become the regions premiere power all the more difficult. Having to compete against two of the world\’s biggest (and hottest) economies sounds like a losing battle…or at best an unattractive one.

So by presenting that possibility, it suddenly becomes in China\’s best interest to do whatever it can to take away any reason for Japan to become a military power. And consider that China is probably the only one that is able toconvince Ms. Kim that Mary Poppins isn\’t really hiding in his closet waiting to steal his bathrobe.

So it occurs to me that Japans threat to peel back the demilitarized zone is not a bad thing. Especially considering it\’s probably not even legal for them to do so anyway.

Meanwhile Seoul, you might want to consider if continuing to play paddy cake regardless of what Kimmy does probably isn\’t much of a negotiating tactic.

Well it appears I can\’t leave for a short vacation without the world falling apart due to my lack of input. Fortunately it appears we can salvage the situation.

The big news of course is that North Korea launched it\’s long-range Taepodong-2 missile. Taepodong, of course, translates roughly into \”piece of shit that doesn\’t work worth a damn\”. True to it\’s name it failed about 40 seconds into flight…which is coincidentally the amount of time I\’m predicting that Cindy Sheehan lasts on her \”fast\”.

Ok so we know the missile failed. Great, people will analyze how it failed and how close they are to infinity. I\’m not doing that. What I want to know is what exactly was in place had the launch worked. Prior to the launch, we heard alot of talk about the rudimentary missile shield we have in place and the moving of interceptors to Alaska. We also heard about the deployment of AEGIS cruisers in the Sea of Japan.

Now first things first. Had we actually shot it down instead of it failing I\’m guessing we would have heard the US military bragging. So let\’s assume for the moment that that did not happen. My concern would then be, did the AEGIS cruisers have the authority to shoot it down if they had the chance to do so?? If not, why??? If so, how close did we come to shooting it down??

The next step would be our missile shield. As someone that works on a complex government system, I know from personal experience there is no better test than the real world. So how did we do? Did the system track the missile successfully until it went all Sir Isaac Newton on us??

Now granted at least some of the answers to these questions are things that, while the New York Times would freely publish, probably should not be revealed. However, I think in most (all?) cases they are worthy of at least a blurb from our military. In all cases, revealing that yes in fact we had the big T-Dong in our sights the whole time is a hell of a bargaining chip and good propaganda to boot. Plus if it were revealed that yes our missile shield was all over it it bouys a program that has seen it\’s share of test failures in the past. And it would certainly make it easier for our politicians to approve more money for the program.

At the same time, while many people may be focused purely on the fact that North Korea is threatening nuclear war and launching missiles like a 4th of July festival, it\’s probably worth looking at this in historical context too. In the past, North Korea is well known for stepping up the rhetoric and saber-rattling right before making concessions and/or opening negotiations. Both of which would be welcome at this point in time.

So one should at least view this event in that context.

U.S. WEIGHS RULES FOR ANY N. KOREAN MISSILE STRIKE

The U.S. DoD is weighing whether a decision to shoot down any suspected inbound North Korean missile should go all the way to the president, a top general told Congress on Wednesday. Marine Gen. James Cartwright, commander of the Strategic Command that coordinates U.S. missile defense operations, said the authorization would ideally come from the president and the SECDEF, but there might not be time enough. \”As you can imagine, getting the president, the secretary, the regional combat commander into a conversation and a conference in a three to four-minute time frame is going to be challenging,\” Cartwright told the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on defense. \”So what are the rules that we lay down? \”We are working very hard with the secretary to lay down those rules and understand the risks associated with those very quick and timely decisions that are going to have to be made … when we deal with the North Korean threat,\” he testified.

Honestly…what is there to think about?? You got an inbound, possibly nuclear, missle. Just shoot the fucking thing down….regardless of where it came from.

Honestly why must ANYONE sign a form in triplicate, submit it to a committee, discuss, pass, fax, rubber stamp and then shred….or whatever Mickey Mouse BS that needs to happen to shoot down a missile.

I mean some 16-year old kid working McDonalds knows that when the alarm on the fryer sounds, that means the fries are done so remove them. So how much is to ask that when your trillion dollar computer system says you got a confirmed inbound missile, the 18+ year old high-trained operator knows to just shoot the damn thing down.

Why must I explain everything?