Just after the discovery that North Korea is moving ahead with uranium enrichment, bombs rain on the island of Yeonpyeong, courtesy of Kim Jong Il and his mighty military, resulting in the death of at least one South Korean marine and several injuries.
That particular border has been the scene of other skirmishes over the past few years. When tensions rise between the two countries, that area tends to be the target. Given current US pressure on North Korea over their uranium enrichment program, it seems that we're in for another round of North Korean saber-rattling. To further exacerbate things, South Korea has been conducting drills near the border, according to The Guardian's live blog of events as they unfold.
Kim Hee-jung told reporters that officials were looking into the North's motive, adding: "Our Navy was conducting a maritime exercise near the western sea border today. North Korea has sent a letter of protest over the drill. We're examining a possible link between the protest and the artillery attack."
South Korea's president Lee Myung-bak has told senior officials that the government must "carefully manage the situation to prevent the escalation of the clash," another spokesperson said.
Kim Jong Il's anointing of his son Kim Jong Un sent a clear signal: there would be no end to aggression, nor a clear path to peace. A show of force not only reinforces that message to the world, it also reinforces its hold on North Koreans.
While there's an argument to be made that South Korea's military exercises in the region are provocative, it certainly doesn't suggest permission to shell the region, either.
It is a volatile region, and one which Fox News is not afraid to exploit. In an op-ed written by Christian Whiton, special envoy to North Korea under the Bush administration, Whiton uses North Korea's recalcitrance as an argument for why the START treaty should not be ratified. He doesn't stop there, however. As our president presses for international nuclear non-proliferation and a reduction in the number of nuclear weapons, this is Whiton's suggestion:
The way to do that is for the U.S. to possess a modern and reliable nuclear arsenal. Another key element would be improving systems to shoot down enemy missiles.
Unfortunately, the U.S. is stumbling. The last time America tested a nuclear warhead was in 1992. Would you defend your home and family with ammunition that has not been tested in two decades—and might be decades older still? Such is the case with our nuclear defense.
Two words. Star Wars. Three words. National Missile Defense.
Whiton draws upon the ghost of Saint Ronnie in order to revive and restart the cold war, a tactic not all that different from North Korea's and Iran. This is just exploitation of an already-dangerous situation in order to: a) undermine President Obama; and b) advance the love of warmongering long associated with the right wing; and c) make a right-wing argument for even MORE defense spending. Never let it be said that Fox News isn't ballsy. If fear were traded on the US Stock Exchange instead of money, Murdoch would own the world.
There are better, peaceful, and more productive policy options than a nuclear buildup, no matter what the right-wing defense cabal thinks.
More as it develops.
Update: A Chinese official has called for both sides to "calm down" and "disengage". China is the right voice to call for this right now. Chances are that call will be heard.
