Why are we paying tribute to the barbarians?

[charles brough]

It seems that paying tribute to barbarians is an ancient old characteristic of aged and usually declining civilizations. We are guilty as well. It is humiliating and cowardly, so why do we do it?

 

For example, we released confiscated funds to North Korea, provided free food and fuel, and have now taken them off of our terrorist list even though they kidnapped Japanese citizens who they refuse to return. They break every promise they make to our government and yet we continue to do favors for them on the promise they will allow us to inspect their nuclear facilities.

 

In historical terms, this is all known as paying tribute to the barbarians.

 

We threatened Iran with destruction, but barter and bribe North Korea. Why are we so inconsistent? Our government pretends to peacefully solve the North Korean nuclear threat by making grand peace deals which it that even our own government knows will be violated. Each administration does that to keep alive the impression of making progress in hopes the barbarians can be kept pacified until the next administration. This has been going on for over a whole generation.

 

But why has the negotiating always failed? The reason is that the US has no negotiating leverage. It cannot threaten North Korea---as it has done with Iran. The US government knows that China will defend North Korea in such a confrontation because it is a fellow Marxist system. The public is so confused over the term “communism” that it wrongly assumes that China has changed and is no longer “communist.” China is a Marxist nation like North Korea. Both have a system built up from the philosophy of Karl Marx with a lot of modification and adapting done by Lenin and others until it evolved into a somewhat workable system.

 

In other words, the US public does not know that China would back North Korea in a confrontation with the US and the US government does not want the public to know---which they would indeed find out fast if the US government ever did threaten North Korea!

 

Hence, we pay tribute to the barbarians . . .

[Zythryn]

I believe it is pretty common knowledge that China would most likely back North Korea in an armed conflict.

In the conflict over the last year or so, the US has not been in a position to do much of anything. The President has little to no support of the people or congress. The armed forces are stretched to the breaking point in Iraq (less so now, but more so during the height of tensions) and we have lost much world support as well.

[charles brough]

Yes, some people are aware of who China would support in another Korean War, but have you ever noticed it mentioned in the media? I think no one wants to admit that we let North Korea get away with its dangerous and offensive behavior because we are afraid of upsetting our economic relationship with China---much less be at war with her.

 

Notice how long the US Navy has held up the pirated ship off the coast of Sudan. The pirates have plenty of food and can stay there long enough to embarrass us, the most powerful navy in the world which so far just sits there and waits---making us look helpless against a band of pirates. It does not make us look very effective!

[Buffy]

Notice how long the US Navy has held up the pirated ship off the coast of Sudan. The pirates have plenty of food and can stay there long enough to embarrass us, the most powerful navy in the world which so far just sits there and waits---making us look helpless against a band of pirates. It does not make us look very effective!

Janet Reno made the mistake of not waiting long enough for the Branch Davidians. The rush to "get bin Laden before the election" is causing us no end of problems in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

 

If you talk to real law enforcement professionals, they will tell you that time is your friend. Waiting out the Somali pirates, is the equivalent of us saying "go ahead, make my day." Its way better than going in guns blazing, even though that makes for good Hollywood movies (which some folks foolishly use as a basis for actual policy)...

 

That's right, Cooper, just as dead - but they won't have been lynched. They would have been judged. And if you can't see the difference, you'd better take off that star right now, :phones:

Buffy