Regime Change, Anyone? By Donnel Jones, January 29, 2004	Home   Search   Forum   Terms

Correction. My blog of January 27th contained a gross misreading. In it I claimed that a recent Newsweek poll indicates that those 18 to 29 years old are more divided, as also reflected in the population at large, over the war on terrorism and Bush's performance as president yet not so divided over social issues. Nearly the opposite is true: roughly 54% in that age group approve of Bush's performance as president yet are more evenly divided over controversial social issues such as abortion (50% support ban and 49% do not).

What is interesting is that 60% agree with Roe v. Wade and 34% do not, indicating, according to Newsweek, that this age group does not want to revisit a deeply divisive social issue. On gay marriage, the numbers are also more divided with 50% in support of its legalization, 47% opposed. Yet on the issue of banning gay marriage by way of a Constitutional amendment this age group shows less division: 54% opposed and 43% supporting. Put briefly, this age group is far more interesting than my own.

Now on to urgent matters: regime change, anyone? I speak of North Korea that has smartly decided to sell missile technology to Nigeria according to the Washington Times. So far the African nation has not accepted the offer. Naturally, the United States is not pleased with this possibility and the State Department has warned that it could impose sanctions on both nations if the sale goes through. Don't hold your breath, though. The State Department has no teeth.

On its end, Nigeria claims that it is interested in buying missile technology for peaceful purposes, which is kind of like saying someone wants to buy a bong to smoke tobacco.

Then we get this weird take on reality:

The state-run News Agency of Nigeria also said that Mr. Abubakar had "expressed an interest in signing a defense pact with North Korea on the grounds that the Asian country was developed in that area."

A nation that starves its people (wouldn't you rather live in Nigeria?) is developed enough to produce missile technology. Tragedy this deep is only ironic if you chose not to dwell on it.

Further elucidation:

Washington has named North Korea as the world's largest exporter of ballistic missiles. It maintains that the profits from those sales go for developing nuclear- weapons programs.

North Korea is one of the most dangerous nations on earth. Unfortunately, Bush's doctrine of pre-emption is sunk for now given his inability to be open and upfront with the American people as to why WMD are missing in Iraq. Sorry, the excuse they may be in Syria is not good enough. Prove it and then what? But who would trust our intelligence anyway? In his State of the Union address Bush did not map his vision to continue the war on terrorism. He opted to throw red meat at gay-bashers and tell you that steroids are bad. Like, duh? So are too many carbohydrates in your diet.

Bush better get back on his own wagon and continue to fight this war. Where is China in all this anyway? It is the one player having the most clout with North Korea. Some will counsel patience, that things can't change too quickly in geopolitics. But not when a rogue regime seeks to sell arms to any taker on the globe so it can build its nuclear program. I prefer Pyongyang united with Seoul and Kim Jong Il hung upside down with his gizzards feeding the hungry. Hey, when you're as desperate and miserable as the North Koreans even cannibalism is moral by comparison.

As Shelley once wrote of Spring in Ode to the West Wind, can regime change be far behind?