Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Missile Threat or Missile Hype?

Defense Tech: North Korea

With the possible exception of Australia, Amerika is the world's "teenager". As such, a rebellious independent attitude might be something we should expect. Sadly, this particular wayward child is psychotically insular and displays an arrogance that goes beyond reason. It is highly vocal, but it exists in its own private realm with which any kind of inter-personal communication is impossible. Worse still, it has the nerve to assume that its own self-determination is absolute, no matter how they affect the affairs of others. This "teenager" is little more than a spoilt brat - "buying" false friendships and dumping them at will when the attraction wear off. It exerts it will everywhere and anywhere, despite the fact it has no heritage, tradition or experience with which to stride the adult world. It has yet to learn that "no man is an island" and pursues a course destined for the ultimate isolation. As with any errant "teenager" there comes a time when even the most tolerant will seek to restrain it. That time has come.

What is lacking is any true consensus on how to approach the problem of this youngster. The less tolerant of the world simply seek to terminate it as soon as possible. The more tolerant seek to restain it but struggle with their inability to communicate. Any attempt to censure its behaviour results in an temper tantrum wholly uncocerned with the issue at hand. The more humble on the world stage watch in awe, amidst great confusion as the temper becomes violent. Even the hermits are woken up.

One of those hermits is, by all accounts, a rather unsavoury character. North Korea is disturbed and wants its voice to be heard. Unlike some others, it has no time for diplomacy - especially when the errant child refuses to even speak with it. It knows it can't fight or attack the young bully, but it sure as hell can seek to defend itself. Like its fellow hermit, Iran, it insists on doing so. Sacrifice is preferable to subdugation.

This writer is very much the pacifist and has no time for war-posturing and weapons - especially the nuclear kind. Nor do I have any liking for North Korea, Nonetheless, at this point in time I don't give a damn whether they have an inter-continental missile or not. They will never begin to match the firepower of the teenager's arsenal, but they may just be able to offer enough defense to keep the aggressor in check. Neither Iran nor North Korea offer any light toward a civilised world, any more than does Amerika itself - but like the old Soviet Union, their intolerance of meddlers may just send the message that the world itself cannot survive without mutual communication between all its residents. When the teenager seeks to slaughter all those who will not be its slaves, resistance is inevitable. Whether that resistance comes from the forces of "good" or the forces of "bad" becomes almost a matter of inconsequence - it is the unavoidable reaction against the pursuit of mindless imperialism.

Later.

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