Jimmy Carter thinks we should talk to North Korea.

I'm not surprised. He's always been a talk to your enemies kind of guy. Give them some token gesture to let them save face.

and then they do it again and want something else or a little more... and then we concede and they do it again and want more and more and more...

:yesnod:

Don't underestimate the need to let people save face. Especially when dying is a brighter alternative to losing face.

The problem is that the N. Korean populance under Kim il Jong is uneducated, suffering from malnutrition, and mostly only capable of the most menial labor. Neither S. Korea or China (which has a Korean speaking province) is eager to let in a flood of N. Koreans. This only compounds the plight of the N. Korean people who suffer from hunger and lack of a proper diet. The US has been sending in humanitarian aid to N. Korea in exchange for Jong's promise not to escalate his nuclear weapons program.

Jong is playing a game of brinksmanship using his own people as pawns. Not only does he want continued handouts from the US, his hope is to get a nuclear arms treaty similiar to the one India has.

Jong's other concern is that if he allows reforms within N. Korea, his government will become vulnerable and may even fall. He wants assurances from the US that his government or that of his son's will be propped up by Western powers or else.

Jong is a madman, but he is also crazy like a fox.

Here's a picture of Jong relaxing after a long day of playing cat and mouse with the world. What a guy!

Let's send in Jimmy Carter and let him stay there.

Really. Those Jimmy carter years were great weren't they. Ahhh, good times.

Political agendas and the resulting overt lies are still alive and well. We know exactly why Jimmy Carter's administration suffered tremendous economics downturns. Another anti-American who was also in denial - Richard Nixon - spent massive moneys on lies - the Vietnam war. When did the debts come due? 1975. When do Mission Accomplished debts come due? Now. How many times must we relive history. And still extremists deny that reality.

Rather than admit or fix the problems he created in 1968, Nixon did things stupid just as laws that made price increases illegal - price controls. How many remember that history. Rather than admit or fix the problem, Gerald Ford simply made it worse. At first he admitted American incomes and living standards must decrease massively to pay for Vietnam, et al. But his advisors talked him out of it. So the entire Gerald Ford economic solution was buttons that read "WIN" (for Whip Inflation Now).

Those who are moderates - and therefore live in the world of reality - learned from history. Jimmy Carter did what was necessary so many years earlier. Volker raised interest rates. 20+% interest rates - punish all Americans for the excesses of anti-American Americans. America continued suffering from the necessary recession in 1981 and 1982. Reagan continued to fix the economy with tax increases in 1983, 1984, and 1987.

Jimmy Carter did what was necessary. It cost him the presidency. Those who know by first learning facts understand the destruction of America created by Nixon's refusal to surrender in Vietnam. And what Jimmy Carter finally did to fix the resulting economic disaster. Amazing how so many listen to political extremists rather than learn facts from history. Posted are those facts including when spread sheets finally report a man made economic calamity.

Meanwhile, the N Korean leadership problem will be interesting. Kim Jung Il may have been out of power for a period when he was ill. When he may have suffered a stroke. The resulting power brokers then began belligerent activities that Kim may have been suppressing. Including missile launches and a nuclear explosion. We do not really know who was in power when.

But we do know his 25 year old son has been promoted to be the next leader. If that son's face is any indication, right wing extremist power brokers are chopping at the bit to get at him. They are probably looking at someone too naive to grasp the reins of power. If true, Korea will become a hot spot - IOW a much hotter spot.

We know Jimmy Carter could negotiate a solution to Korea because Kim was so fully in control of his extremists. And we know right wing Republican dominated legislation undermined that deal - and Kim in the eyes of his extremists.

What we do not know is who will be controlling Korea - even with Kim's son as the beloved leader. This is not what extremists and simpletons understand. It is not the soundbyte that only informed Americans learn. But it is the state of Korea. North Korea has a power vacuum now that Kim Sung Il has lost so much control in the past few years. Maybe to a power block of wacko extremists. Hopefully only to moderates who are using belligerence as a cover for their more enlightened perspectives. Informed students of current events are concerned - as we all should be. If wacko extremists get control, then things could actually get nasty.

For one who calls himself a moderate. (That in itself is a joke.)
All you do is bash R's and praise or support D's.
Perhaps YOU are tho only one who doesn't realize what leftist extremist you are.

For those of us who actually are more moderate, you, tommy are good for little more than a giggle.

Address the argument, C-man. This kind of sniping is unhelpful.

Which part of his dissertation - the condescending Who is we and who is he implying they are?

or the or part repeated ad nauseum?

Never mind - there is no point.

Then say nothing.

Yes dad.

tw is pretty much on the spot on this one Classic (nevermind the Carter comments, which I have no comment on). Kim has been promoting a lot of family members and other loyals so it seems like they will be running the show until his son is ready to take the reins. China will try to exploit the current situation but they will face mature and experienced family member of Kim, not his son directly, for a while.

It is an extremely interesting and unpredictable situation.