Yesterday’s United Nations resolution imposing sanctions on North Korea includes a provision banning the sale of “luxury goods,” including lobster, to tyrannical dictator Kim Jong-Il.
After the 15-0 Security Council vote to punish Kim for his illegal Oct. 9 test of an atom bomb, Kim’s ambassador to the U.N. objected:
“If the United States increases pressure on the Democratic People’s Republic of [North] Korea, the DPRK will continue to take physical countermeasures, considering it as a declaration of war,” ambassador Pak Gil Yon said at the U.N.
A little diet. Two days ago, John Bolton, U.S. ambassador to the U.N., said the ban on luxuries is a way to put the personal squeeze on Kim, the well-fed “Dear Leader” who is well-known for starving millions of fellow North Koreans.
“The North Korean population has been losing average height and weight over the years,” Bolton said. “Maybe this will be a little diet for Kim Jong-Il.”
Kim has been looking for a reason to start a war. I can’t wait to see how he rallies his people against the lobster embargo.
Frank Warner
I heard someone claiming to be a military expert on the radio last night saying that if war broke out, N. Korea could rain a hundred thousand rockets an hour down on Seoul for days, and there is not much anyone could do to stop them until most of the damage was done!
No idea if it's true or not.
Posted by: Kevin | October 16, 2006 at 01:02 AM
I have read something similar in numerous contexts. The question is, do we have any reason to believe that such an action is related to anything we do? Maybe he'll start shooting when he doesn't get his lobster for a week.
To allow ourselves to be deterred from attacking, we have to be able to rely on the hostage taker to be subject to rationality. Should we wait until he starts shooting little girls before we send in the SWAT team, or should we pick a time of our convenience when his guard may be down? It depends on whether we think there is a chance that he won't ever shoot. I don't have confidence in that premise. It's looking more and more like NKor will not be collapsing and that Kim Jung Il could live as long as Castro.
Posted by: jj mollo | October 16, 2006 at 01:46 AM
This appears to be clear evidence that poverty does not cause revolutions.
Revolutions cannot be fought without calories.
Posted by: Frank Warner | October 16, 2006 at 01:53 AM