N Korean shrugs of fthe piss ant too

[MaggieMae]

The point being made - and it is a valid one, is that this new era of increased American standing in the international community was a farce - and remains one.

Those who believe America is less respected in the world are probably correct. Obama remains a likeable guy, but a weak leader.

If Israel moves to take out Iran's nuclear capabilities, and Obama appears indecisive in support of Israel, all bets are off around the world...

We should stick to the role of arbitrator, period, and stop trying to force countries to do as WE say as far as their internal leaders, politics, and border disputes. Obama has said he "favors" a two-state solution, and surprisingly, Netanyahu has also called for that as well.

 

[MaggieMae]

None of us are supporting the US' enemies, you two-dollar trash-whore.

Then try saying something smart about the issues, instead of constant smartASS remarks. You're responsible for your own reputation, not me, and the level of intellect I see is a 40-something going on nine.

The U.S. has been talking with North Korea for the last 16 years and leading them to develop nuclear weapons and threatening everyone who impedes them with a nuclear war. I guess talking about it really works, huh? This approach with North Korea is the same approach we even used with Iraq pre-2003. Iraq had to abide by the rules in placed after the Persian Gulf war. Yet, they don't play by the rules, kick the weapons inspectors out, and expect us to not respond. We responded in Iraq. However, with North Korea, we are too late.

NK does not yet have the missiles to deploy their nukes. Their grand displays of "missile launches" have all been a joke. Plop plop, fizz fizz. Ironically, if the country hadn't isolated itself so much, some computer whiz kids could have developed a phony film of a faux launch which might have panicked at least countries within range.

 

[MaggieMae]

None of us are supporting the US' enemies, you two-dollar trash-whore.

Then try saying something smart about the issues, instead of constant smartASS remarks. You're responsible for your own reputation, not me, and the level of intellect I see is a 40-something going on nine.

Ahh but we do have a way to in a small way measure his reputation and yours. And from what I see he has a lot more than you.

At least until certain Liberals on this board decide to abuse the system and raise yours artificially.

Huh? You mean those silly "rep" thingies? Yeah, I put a whole lot of reliance on those, too. You're funny. I'll bet you based your grammar school popularity on all those little gold stars, too.

 

[rhodescholar]

And the Bush Administration was percieved as sophisticated and mighty? And am I to assume that it is within the last 5 mounths that North Korea, Iran, and Venezula have suddenly grabbed more power from the U.S. and have changed how they fundamentally percieve the U.S. I doubt really all that much has changed and those countries would have the same posture they have today had McCain been elected.

The Bush admin may not have been perceived as sophisticated by the chattering classes in Europe or the awful media in the US - but he was not perceived as weak.

I would tend to believe that if McCain had won, I doubt N Korea would have launched the test missile back in March, or tested a nuclear weapons, and iran would have been much less beligerant than it has been since Obama took office.

 

[rhodescholar]

The best thing the US could do now in Iran is nothing. Well they should question the legitimacy of the election. The people of Iran are fed up...

I disagree with this media-driven line.

The next events are wholly, easily and entirely, predictable:

1) The Supreme (asshole) Leader calls for a review taking 1-2 weeks (which the turd did), and this is done to placate the masses so that they go back to their merry little lives, and stop the protests.

2) during this time, many more leaders of the demonstrations will be arrested/executed/ to be never heard from again, and it will give time for the RG/Basij to tighten its grip on the capital and other cities so as to prevent any demonstrations in the coming weeks.

3) after 10 days where the protestors cool off, the mullahs will of course declare Ahmadinejad the winner after their "thorough" review, which is certified by a pliant, useful group of idiots they've made use of, either from allied nations like Libya, Sudan, etc. on the UN Human Rights Council, or useful idiots like J Carter. This will ensure the status quo, and re-instate the Ahmadinijad for another 4 years.

4) all attempts at resurrecting the protests are met with brutal force well beyond what has been seen in the last few days, with the vast majority of internet service eliminated and most foreign journalists expelled for the time being.

5) The false scholars will tighten their grip on power to ensure a similar situation does not re-occur, and they will arbitrarily, unilaterally change the constitution to ensure it.

6) all future efforts to weaken the regime's hold on power will be met with ferocious violence, and will compel large numbers of educated, middle class iranians to emigrate, precisely following the methods of Hamas in Gaza and Fatah in the West Bank - both of whom have conducted these actions for the last 10-20 years.

By removing the educated, and retaining only the poor and the stupid (i.e., religious), they can more easily sway a pliant, clueless public into whatever myths they manufacture, of external enemies/boogeymen at will.

The West will be facing a more radical, violent and tempermental regime that will increase its thrust of power utilizing terrorism throughout the middle east, and perhaps beyond - a regime that if it hasn't already done so, will attain nuclear weapons active capability within 12 months.

 

[rhodescholar]

We should stick to the role of arbitrator, period, and stop trying to force countries to do as WE say as far as their internal leaders, politics, and border disputes. Obama has said he "favors" a two-state solution, and surprisingly, Netanyahu has also called for that as well.

In certain instances I might agree, but Iran's regime is an existential one, and will murder any and all people - both internally and externally - who seek to limit its power grabs, which knows no limits.

People forget what the iranian revolution is predicated on; the conversion of iran to a religious nation is merely the tiniest of baby steps in its stated, pronounced, and printed goal of world domination and subjugation.

Once it has attained nuclear weapons capabilities, there will be no end to its violent outreach - and the umbrella it will provide its terrorist proxies.