Clinton's Foreign Policy Has Lead to Cold War With North Korea
Diplomacy backed with fantastic gifts and sweet talking works really well with evil dictators. An example of this is Bill Clinton’s North Korea policy. He showered North Korea with, at the time, more money than any other country. He allowed him to have nuclear reactors only if he pinky swore that he wouldn’t make nuclear weapons. He allowed them to have technology that could produce weapons grade plutonium. Clinton was so nice to fund North Korea’s terrorist regime AND give them technology that could produce nuclear bombs. Don’t worry… North Korea promised they wouldn’t make nukes. Actually… they had a change of heart. Now the North Koreans have nukes and it is the fault of Clinton’s absolutely awful policy. This proves that DIPLOMACY DOES NOT WORK WITHOUT THREATS. This giving of candy to a horrible regime is just an awful idea. We need to give them at least a threat of sanctions. We will not win this cold war with North Korea unless we come from a position of strength. Oh yeah… thank you Bill Clinton.
Comments
Posted by: Not Dick but Richard
Posted on: July 11, 2006 10:23 AM
The point is not whether or not diplomacy needs to be backed by force, the point is that Bush has done nothing but let North Korea fester. Now that the heat is on the old NeoCon stand by copout of "Blame Clinton" is comin out.
For crying out loud, why doesn't Bush Co grow a real pair and own up to its actions. Saying your previous competitor did the same or worse so the current situation, 6 years later by the way, is not your fault is just weak.
Posted by: Chad
Posted on: July 11, 2006 10:28 AM
You libs seem pretty willing to blame Bush for everything. Clinton gave them weapons materials and money. How is it not his fault?
Posted by:
Posted on: July 11, 2006 10:34 AM
Stop twisting this issue. The US did not want to deal with a military conflict on the Korean peninsula, and there was much pressure by China, Russia, Japan, and South Korea to not move towards a military confrontation.
The light nuclear reactor package with food aid was the right deal to offer at the time. Intelligence on North Korea was spotty, and we had to rely on China to keep its close friend in check.
Bush did the same thing here, his administration hoped that China could keep North Korea in line, but I am guessing he is pushing out b/c US is so focused on the Middle East.
Posted by: Chad
Posted on: July 11, 2006 10:38 AM
Where did the ability to make nukes come from? Clinton.
How can you say that is the right plan?
You realize what happened when we gave aid, right? It payed for the food so that North Korea could spend the money it was going to spend on food on weapons technology.
Posted by:
Posted on: July 11, 2006 10:44 AM
So a military confrontation with North Korea should have been done instead? That's a good idea, start off WWIII. It doesn't matter anyhow, it's started already.
You could not blockade food shipments if, for the sake of PR, let millions of North Koreans die of starvation. It was a political and publicity issue. Plus South Korea would not go along with a military option.
Posted by: Chad
Posted on: July 11, 2006 10:47 AM
Why give them a reactor and money!? It makes no sense. He would have been better off doing nothing.
Posted by: anonymous
Posted on: July 11, 2006 11:16 AM
:start
if (currentPresident->isRepublican)
currentPresident = currentPresident->previousPresident
goto start
blame currentPresident
Posted by: Chad
Posted on: July 11, 2006 11:19 AM
How did Korea get the weapons?
Posted by:
Posted on: July 11, 2006 11:30 AM
Who knows if China "helped" them?
Posted by: Chad
Posted on: July 11, 2006 11:59 AM
We know that they got their weapon grade plutonium from the stuff that Clinton gave them.
Posted by:
Posted on: July 11, 2006 12:33 PM
US offered light water reactors, not capable of producing weapons-grade plutonium.
Posted by: Chad
Posted on: July 11, 2006 12:41 PM
link1
link2
You are wrong. Plutonium can be extracted from spent nuclear fuel.
Posted by:
Posted on: July 11, 2006 04:23 PM
light-water reactors take much longer to produce enough weapons grade plutonium. North Korea was trying to upgrade or build up heavy-reactors so it can produce more of them much more quickly.
Posted by: Chad
Posted on: July 11, 2006 08:29 PM
They were able to get enough to make a few weapons... that's a few too many.