Principles in Practice: The Blog of the Objective Standard

Friday, October 13, 2006

North Korea's Power Over the West

Posted by ARI Media at 4:14 PM

Irvine, CA—Speculation is rampant about North Korea's apparent test of a nuclear bomb. But one fundamental question is being ignored: How does a country so poor that it citizens die of starvation become a nuclear menace?

"The basic answer," according to Elan Journo, junior fellow at the Ayn Rand Institute, "is that North Korea exploits the West's moral cowardice."

"North Korea is an aggressive dictatorship that holds power by force. The regime loots its enslaved citizens and threatens to do the same to its neighbors. What have Western powers done in response to the North's longstanding pursuit of nuclear weapons?

"Did they condemn the regime? Did they stand up to its bluster and seek to end the regime with a self-righteous, airtight trade embargo? Did they exhibit even an ounce of moral confidence? No; they evaded North Korea's vicious nature and appeased it with protection money. Years of Western 'diplomacy'—including gifts of oil and food—strengthened and emboldened North Korea. Whenever the North rattled its saber anew, the morally craven West responded with more diplomacy—and more bribes. This perverse cycle must end."

Labels: Foreign Policy and War