DeMediacratic Nation: Stoking the Flames of Peace

Debacle; Iraq is a debacle of epic proportions, doesn’t anyone have a better idea? Hasn’t the Right learned any lessons from Vietnam? Iran, and its democratically elected government; aren’t we about ready to talk yet? Engagement?...yes but to who or whom?

Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream and so, recently has Victor Davis Hanson:

“I recently had a dream that British marines fought back, like their forefathers of old, against criminals and pirates. When taken captive, they proved defiant in their silence. When released, they talked to the tabloids with restraint and dignity, and accepted no recompense.

I dreamed that a kindred German government, which best knew the wages of appeasement, cut-off all trade credits to the outlaw Iranian mullahs — even as the European Union joined the Americans in refusing commerce with this Holocaust-denying, anti-Semitic, and thuggish regime.

NATO countries would then warn Iran that their next unprovoked attack on a vessel of a member nation would incite the entire alliance against them in a response that truly would be of a “disproportionate” nature.”

Glad he can sleep….

Oop….forgot about North Korea; President Bush should have taken the call for a “uni-lateral” solution; not sure why since “uni-lateral” isn’t proving to do too well in the Iraq debacle. Multi-laterally speaking the six party talks are finally coming to a point of finality that bespeaks the wisdom of the pragmatism of the status quo. It would appear there has been break through after break through as of late if only according to the Assistant Secretary, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs. Who has been busy at work on, as described by Claudia Rosett a:

“North Korean deal, which has many parts, working groups, and rewards for Pyongyang, all spun out of the Six-Party talks in Beijing, and described by Hill, State’s envoy to the talks, as “an excellent plan.” This Saturday marks the deadline for the initial 60-day phase in which Kim was supposed to have spent the time shutting down his Yongbyon reactor, providing a map of his entire nuclear program and opening wide for inspections. As of today none of this has happened. Most eyes are now on the reactor, and the debate is now shifting to whether Kim will miss the deadline.”

We can be thankful that the blowhard, acid-tongued John Bolton is no longer our rep at the U.N., had he been speech like, “In any arms-control negotiation, the need for verification is directly correlated to the propensity of the other side to lie, cheat and conceal its undesirable activities,” would likely have had dire consequences that may have stoked the flames of peace. This again speaks deafeningly to the pragmatic approach to diplomacy.

As David Byrne once sang, “you may ask yourself-well...how did I get here?” This you would find yourself better asking a shrink, just don’t wear leather pants on that sofa.