OPINION & EDITORIAL
Bush overlooks nuclear weapon threat
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Also by Andrew Granias:
- Council finally wakes up (September 6, 2007)
- Incoming editor discusses future of Opinion page (May 10, 2007)
- Falk, Cieslewicz should grow up (April 27, 2007)
- Study mislabels students as vain (March 1, 2007)
- State of the Union disappointing, misses point (January 25, 2007)
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- Leading Democrats politicize the war (March 27, 2003)
- Bush opposition needs backbone (October 31, 2006)
- President charts promising course on energy policy (February 10, 2006)
by Andrew Granias
Thursday, October 5, 2006
Smile wide, Madisonians, for on this Thursday morning, all is well in the world. Midterm exams are fast approaching, scandals and cover-ups are highlighting the election season and the most beloved team in baseball, the Minnesota Twins, are down 0-2 in the divisional playoff series.
OK, so things kind of suck right now, but maybe better times lie ahead in the not-too-distant future. So for now, I think I'll look to recent developments in our national foreign policy to put a smile on my face. See if it works for you.
North Korea announced Tuesday it is planning to conduct its first-ever nuclear test, setting off worldwide alarms and prompting everyone in the national media to say, "Oh yeah, North Korea." The test has come as such a surprise to our national conscious because there just hasn't been enough time for the country to keep an eye on this inevitable foreign policy disaster while fighting and defending our dozens of other current foreign policy disasters.
Since testing seven missiles this past July, including one long-range Taepodong-2 missile, we haven't heard much about the North Koreans. As a matter of fact, we haven't heard much of anything about North Korea's developing nuclear activity since all international nuclear inspectors were evicted from the country in 2003, just around the same time the United States began to focus on invading a little place called Iraq. Funny coincidence, huh?
But even long after President Bush made his infamous declaration that the mission had been accomplished in Iraq, and long after the United States fell into its current rut of diminishing influence and rising death tolls in the Middle East, we still couldn't manage to shift any of our attention to where it needed to be.
Instead, Iran and its adorable little nutcase of a president eclipsed the nuclear limelight. With antagonizing connections to leaders such as Hugo Chavez, a position of Holocaust denial and a public threat by the president to "wash Israel into the sea," Iran has made for a much sexier story. But now is a defining time for our foreign policy, when it is essential that this sexy story plays second fiddle to the future of our national security.
North Korea is far further along on the nuclear weapons track than Iran. According to CNN, North Korea has "8,000 spent fuel rods," enough for up to five nuclear weapons. Iran on the other hand, has been estimated to have enriched only 3 percent of the uranium needed for one nuclear weapon. Also, a nuclear weapon in the hands of North Korea poses the threat that the government could continue its tendency to sell highly powerful weapons for hard cash. Or in other words, it poses the threat of nuclear arms falling into the hands of terrorists.
Even in a more practical case, North Korea possessing nuclear arms would undoubtedly restructure the balance of power in the region and could possibly force Japan and South Korea to pursue their own nuclear weapons. By no means should we discount Iran's deviant behavior as a very serious threat, but now is the time for this administration to prioritize and rationalize its foreign policy and step up to the plate to hit a foreign policy homerun with the issue of North Korea.
Not surprisingly, however, the administration's reaction since gaining word of the looming nuclear test has been disappointing and ambiguous at best. As earlier stated by a senior Asian diplomat, "No one is quite sure how to respond." And on Tuesday, Condoleezza Rice viciously tackled the issue by saying that a test by North Korea would be "a very provocative act." Close Condi. But a nuclear test by North Korea would be far more than provocative. It would be one step closer to North Korea having a functioning nuclear weapon, and that would be catastrophic.
So if these recent foreign policy developments haven't cheered you up at all, let me leave you with a more proactive suggestion to ensure a brightening of your mood this fall: vote. Go to the polls this November, and do your part in demanding change in our country's leadership. Fill out a ballot that will not compromise for another two years of twisted domestic and foreign policy priorities, and that will set this country back on the track of growing prosperity here and abroad. Then, when you leave your polling place this November, you might actually find yourself smiling.
Andy Granias (granias@wisc.edu) is a sophomore majoring in political science and international studies.
Anonymous (October 5, 2006 @ 8:15am):
Mr. Granias, do you suggest we attack North Korea and Iran? I think our pitiful display in Iraq has proven we're not even battle-ready for the favorite whipping boy of the Middle East.
The longer we play games in Iraq, the weaker we appear. "Staying the course" is what weak countries do to wear out their opponents; in fact, "stay the course" could just as easily be the slogan for the Iraqis.
None the less; Russia, South Korea, Japan and China will take care of North Korea. Kim Jong Il is an attention whore who isn't a direct threat to the USA.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran isn't in charge of policy, Ali Khamenei is and he's been there since 1989. The "Supreme Leader" of Iran calls the shots and there's no reason to believe he'll intentionally destabilize his country. Ahmadinejad is just a cheerleader who whips up his base with anti-semitic rhetoric; it's a crowd pleaser. Again, Iran is not a direct threat to the USA, especially with nuclear weapons.
In 2008, look for the presidential candidate who proposes a modern Marshall Plan for energy independence. Oil is the root of all evil.
Anonymous (October 5, 2006 @ 9:48am):
You can thank Billy and Jimmy for the failed attempts to bribe NK into leaving the nuke reseach alone.
The South Koreans are a bunch of ungrateful SOBs anyway. The USA should pull out and see how long it is before NK invades and loots SK.
Let China, Japan, India, etc. deal with the NK problem. Just make sure they know that the US solution to any attack on the US by NK is a big glass plain where NK used to be.
Anonymous (October 5, 2006 @ 9:49am):
Andy - you're right. We should bring in a different administration...one that feels diplomacy will eventually work when dealing with the likes of Kim Jong Il. An administration that feels Mr. Il is a sane, rational man, and can be talked into a decision that's favorable for the US.
Anonymous (October 5, 2006 @ 10:37am):
NK has thousands of artilery pieces aimed at Seoul and would be able to kill hundreds of thousands whenever they wish - there is nothing anybody can do about that.
Anonymous (October 5, 2006 @ 10:40am):
We should pull all out troops out of everywhere and put them on our borders.
We should spend whatever it takes to replace oil as an energy source. I'm sure there's enough oil in the US if all we use it for is lubrication and plastics.
