*Breaking News* N. Korea Claims Successful Nuclear Test

[Tarlam!]

TB, I rather live in a country where most of my leaders follow Christianity rather than other religions, philosophies, or cults. Modern history proves this point again and again.

()I am not ashamed to say that I believe that Jesus lived, He died and was resurrected, and will come again one day.()

Woah, Kiwon. I can't deal with Christ AND Nukes on the same thread!

O.K. I can, but I am freaked. Maybe because the only thing seperating us as I type this is the Yellow Sea! I just hit my room in Shanghai. I LOVE Shanghai!

Now, to Christ. Y'know, having a bunch of friends of Muslim faith is something I value. That stated, I have no problem with my leaders being Moslim or Christian or Jewish, for that matter. They might be Hindi's, or Shoah's or Buddhists etc etc. That may be, because I am a non practicing Free Mason. Yes, contrary to what you may have heard, I am allowed to say "I'm a Mason" in public.

I have a problem with Religion running States. I resent the Ayatollah as much as I resent the USA Bible Belt boycotting products because they disapprove of advertising. I just think State and Church should always be seperated.

Now, to Nukes. I forgot to mention China in my post above. Dear Kiwon, nothing you wrote, made my argument weaker. With respect, you posted an emotional claim based on not using the bomb since you did, so, you guys get to police the world. That's not enough for me, I'm afraid.

As long as your wonderful (I mean it) country is in a position to wipe other states off of maps, all countries have a right to strive to stop you.

I know America isn't interested in nuclear warfare. But, what if that changed? What if you elected a guy that not only went to war, but, went to nuclear war?

[digitaldean]

What we are seeing here is the logical outcome from a failed foreign policy.In 2002, Bush referred to Iraq, Iran, and North Korea as the "axis of evil." We then invaded Iraq, while refusing to engage in direct talks with the other two. Does it really surprise anyone that Iran and North Korea would accelerate their nuclear weapons programs after seeing what we did to Iraq? So we now have one country of the axis with nuclear weapons, one that is pursuing them, and one on the brink of civil war. Obviously, we wouild like to see a change in regime in North Korea, but how do you make that happen? China probably doesn't want it, because they don't want a communist regime on their doorstep going under, for a variety of reasons. As we have seen in Iraq, getting rid of a brutal regime does not automatically lead to peace and security. I wish I had a solution to offer, but the situation is so bad that it is hard to come up with good options. The North Korean government is so dysfunctional that it is hard to impose sanctions on the government without creating a huge humanitarian crisis in North Korea. Perhaps China can talk some sense into the North Koreans, but it is hard to be optimistic.

It's apparent that the "Chia Dictator" (as Dennis Miller calles Kim Jong-Il) has proven that he can't be trusted. He had a negotiated settlement during the Clinton adminstration. That got us real far didn't it? Somehow the "trust, but verify" clause must have been missing from this agreement.

The invasion of Iraq did NOT cause this problem. The problem is a freaky little guy who wears $5000 platform shoes who's willing to pi$$ off the country propping it up (China), just to show he can be part of the nuclear club.

Though I trust as far as I can throw my Dodge Dakota, the U.N. should get off it's collective arse and show some real teeth. Not the weak-kneed effort it has shown against Iran or like the dozen and a half resolutions thrown against Saddam that never worked (dare I say "oil for food program").

The world needs to unite against Iran and N. Korea the same way it was done in 1991 to get Iraq out of Kuwait. Considering Europe's hands off attitude, Russia's indifference and China's seemingly unwillingness to stop their satellite's nonsense, this seems unlikely.

China needs to exert it's influence over N. Korea. They have blocked the Sec. Council even discussing N. Korea for the past decade. Now that North Korea has figuratively mooned them, it's time they step up to the plate and do some of the heavy lifting here. Since China tacitly allowed N. Korea to get this far to the nuclear stage, the U.S. and the U.N. should be exerting pressure on them to help clean up the mess they could have stopped.

I am more than willing to go the extra mile to get something done diplomatically. Even if Lil Kim's nuclear test was a dud, military options aren't the way to go yet. With only 30-odd thousand US troops in the DMZ and ONLY a million or so DPRK troops within 50 miles of Seoul and the 38th parallel, military options would not work. Frankly, there is no really decent military alternative on this, so we don't have a real alternative for the moment. There is no easy solution to this problem.

And for those who think it's OK for North Korea to have nukes...I think you need to seriously re-examine that. North Korea has already sponsored the Moro Islamic Liberation Front to over throw the Phillipine gov't. and sold ballistic missile technology to Iran and Syria to help prop up its missle program.

The sad part is Kim Jong-Il is willing to starve and intimidate his people to keep himself in power.

[Tarlam!]

So, the point is, l'il Kim wears 5k shoes and shouldn't get the Bomb?

Come on. The U.N. has no leg on this.

As long as Israel has a Bomb, everybody else should have one, too. Don't you get it? Kill ALL bombs, then, you might expect rogue states to settle down. Otherwise, just keep pissing in the wind.

[digitaldean]

So, the point is, l'il Kim wears 5k shoes and shouldn't get the Bomb?

Come on. The U.N. has no leg on this.

As long as Israel has a Bomb, everybody else should have one, too. Don't you get it? Kill ALL bombs, then, you might expect rogue states to settle down. Otherwise, just keep pissing in the wind.

No, that isn't the point. It's because it's nut jobs like him that will sell a nuclear device to a terrorist group or detonate one in his own region.

Yes, I'd like to see no nukes anywhere in the world also. But until that utopian day happens, you have to keep N. Korea from having nukes. Just how, pray tell, do you expect to get rid of the nukes anyway?

Also, Iran does not need nukes either. Considering the mullahs have already stated they want Israel gone, nukes would be used on Israel the first chance they get.

Also until nukes are done away with you have to expect nations to live up to their agreements.

[woodbuck27]

Main Link **:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15190745/?GT1=8618

*** World aligns against N. Korea for nuclear test

See Link to launch **

*** World weighs North Korea sanctions

See Link ** to launch:


News Release Oct. 9,2006:

U.S. circulates draft resolution at U.N. calling for sanctions on Pyongyang

The United States on Monday proposed stringent U.N. sanctions against North Korea, including a trade ban on military and luxury items, the power to inspect all cargo entering or leaving the country, and freezing assets connected with its weapons programs. NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports.
Nightly News

*** The nuclear-armed planet - A look at arsenals around the globe

See Link ** to launch

Oct. 9: North Korea says it has successfully performed its first-ever nuclear weapons test. NBC's Mark Mullen reports.

Updated: 10:33 p.m. ET Oct 9, 2006

UNITED NATIONS -

The world's nations expressed opposition to North Korea on Monday for staging a nuclear test denounced even by key allies. President Bush called it “a threat to international peace and security,” and the U.N. Security Council weighed severe sanctions to punish the impoverished but reclusive communist nation.

Bush called the communist regime’s claim of a nuclear test a provocative act and warned Pyongyang against exporting nuclear materials.

“Once again, North Korea has defied the will of the international community, and the international community will respond,” Bush said.

Bush said North Korea already is one of the world’s leading proliferators of missile technology, including transfers to Iran and Syria.

“The transfer of nuclear weapons or material by North Korea to states or nonstate entities would be considered a grave threat to the United States,” Bush said in a brief statement in the diplomatic reception room at the White House.

“And we would hold North Korea fully accountable for the consequences of such action.”

There was no talk of military action.

But the United States circulated a draft U.N. resolution late Monday that would condemn North Korea’s nuclear test and impose tough sanctions on Pyongyang for flagrantly disregarding the Security Council’s appeal not to detonate a device.

The draft, obtained by the Associated Press, incorporates proposals circulated by the U.S. earlier in the day, and adds new proposals from Japan that would ban all countries from allowing any North Korean ships in their ports or any North Korean aircraft from taking off or landing in their territory.

The new Japanese proposals would also impose travel restrictions on high-ranking North Korean officials.


Nine years and a day

The reported test came one day after the ninth anniversary of reclusive North Korean leader Kim Jong Il’s accession to power.

Members of the 15-nation Security Council were unanimous Monday in denouncing the claim amid worldwide concern that it could seriously destabilize the region, with even North Korean ally China saying it was strongly opposed to the move.

“No one defended it, no one even came close to defending it,” U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said.

“I was very impressed by the unanimity of the council ... on the need for a strong and swift answer to what everyone agreed amounted to a threat to international peace and security.”

The Security Council had warned the impoverished and isolated nation just two days earlier not to go through with a test, and Bolton said Washington will seek U.N. sanctions to curb North Korea’s import and export of material for weapons of mass destruction, as well as its illicit financial activities.


Sanction specifics

Bolton and key U.S. allies, including Britain and France, sought a resolution under Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter that would seek punishing measures, going beyond the limited sanctions in a measure adopted by the council in July after North Korea conducted seven missile tests.

Chapter 7 grants the council the authority to impose a range of measures including breaking diplomatic ties, imposing economic and military action.

North Korea’s U.N. ambassador Pak Gil Yon said the Security Council should congratulate his country instead of passing “useless” resolutions or statements.

AP Television News footage showed North Koreans going about their daily business and there were no signs of heightened alert by security forces in Pyongyang on Monday, hours after their government said it performed a nuclear weapons test.


Flowers for father

People also laid flowers by a statue of Kim Il Sung, the current leader’s father who died in 1994, ahead of Tuesday’s 61st anniversary of the North Korean Workers’ Party that he founded. Red flags of the party draped buildings and lampposts.

Iranian state radio, meanwhile, blamed North Korea’s reported nuclear test on U.S. pressure, saying the test

“was a reaction to America’s threats and humiliation.”

Iran has said it will not abandon uranium enrichment despite the threat of international sanctions over its disputed nuclear program, which Tehran insists is purely for peaceful purposes.

Bush said the United States was still attempting to confirm that a nuclear test had actually taken place.

Still, he said,

“such a claim itself constitutes a threat to international peace and security.”

A U.S. government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the political sensitivity of the situation, said the seismic event could have been a nuclear explosion, but its small size was making it difficult for authorities to pin down.

South Korea’s National Intelligence Service chief Kim Seung-kyu reportedly told lawmakers signs of suspicious movement were spotted at another suspected test site.

The current members of the nuclear club are:

the United States, Russia, Britain, France, India, Pakistan and China.

Israel is widely believed to have the bomb but has not publicly declared so.


No doubts for Moscow

Reports about the size of the explosion were conflicting. Only Russia said the blast was a nuclear explosion but the reaction of world governments reflected little doubt that they were treating the announcement as fact.

“We have no doubts that it (the test) was nuclear,” Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said.


*** Who is Kim Jong Il?

To launch see Main Link ** (Page 2).

North Korea expert Charles Armstrong of Columbia University discusses what's known about Kim Jong-Il.

The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned Pyongyang’s ambassador to Russia, demanding that North Korea:

“immediately take steps to return to the regime of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty” and to the six-nation talks.

South Korea’s geological institute estimated the force of the explosion to be equivalent to 550 tons of TNT, far smaller than the two nuclear bombs the U.S. dropped on Japan in World War II.

The head of South Korea’s spy agency said the blast was equal to less than 1,000 tons of TNT, the South Korean Yonhap news agency reported.

France’s atomic energy commission similarly estimated the blast measured at around 1 kiloton or less — equivalent to the explosive force of 1,000 tons of TNT.

Ivanov said it was far more powerful, equivalent to 5,000 to 15,000 tons of TNT.

The U.S. Geological Survey said it recorded a magnitude 4.2 seismic event in northeastern North Korea. Asian neighbors also said they registered a seismic event, and an official of South Korea’s monitoring center said the magnitude 3.6 tremor wasn’t a natural occurrence.

Japan dispatched three aircraft to waters between Japan and the Korean peninsula to monitor radiation levels, the Defense Agency said. Russia reported no increase in radiation levels in its Primorye territory, which borders North Korea.


How Big a Blast compared to bombs dropped in WWII in 1945 on the Japanese Cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki?

See ** Main Link (page 2) for a graph.

Nuclear blasts give off clear seismic signatures that differentiate them from other explosions, said Friedrich Steinhaeusler, a professor of physics at Salzburg University. Even if the bomb the North Koreans detonated was small, sensors in South Korea would likely be close enough to categorize the explosion as nuclear, he said.

“I think we have to take them at their word. They’re not the type of regime to bluff,” said Peter Beck, Seoul-based analyst for International Crisis Group, a conflict-resolution think tank.


Shift of balance of power?

Although North Korea has long claimed it had the capability to produce a bomb, the test would be the first manifest proof that it had done so. A nuclear armed North Korea would dramatically alter the strategic balance of power in the Pacific region and would undermine already fraying global anti-proliferation efforts.

“The development and possession of nuclear weapons by North Korea will in a major way transform the security environment in North Asia and we will be entering a new, dangerous nuclear age,” Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said at a news conference in Seoul after a summit with South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun.

Abe, facing his first major foreign policy test since his recent election, called for a “calm yet stern response.”

Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso warned such a test would

“severely endanger not only Northeast Asia but also the world stability.”

South Korea said it had put its military on high alert, but it had noticed no unusual activity among North Korea’s troops.

China, the North’s closest ally and its main source of food, expressed its “resolute opposition” to the reported test and urged the North to return to six-party nuclear disarmament talks.

It said the North “defied the universal opposition of international society and flagrantly conducted the nuclear test.”


Putin, Blair condemn action

Russian President Vladimir Putin told his Cabinet that Moscow “certainly condemns the test conducted by North Korea.”

British Prime Minister Tony Blair said the test was a “completely irresponsible act.”

The North has refused for a year to attend six-party international talks aimed at persuading it to disarm, calling for the U.S. to drop sanctions it has imposed to punish it for alleged counterfeiting and money laundering.

It pulled out of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty in 2003 after U.S. officials accused it of a secret nuclear program, allegedly violating an earlier nuclear pact between Washington and Pyongyang.

The North’s official Korean Central News Agency said the test was successful, with no leak of radiation.

North Korean scientists “successfully conducted an underground nuclear test under secure conditions,” the government-controlled agency said, adding this was

“a stirring time when all the people of the country are making a great leap forward in the building of a great prosperous powerful socialist nation.”

“It marks a historic event as it greatly encouraged and pleased the ... people that have wished to have powerful self-reliant defense capability,” KCNA said.

“It will contribute to defending the peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the area around it.”

South Korea said the test was conducted at 10:36 a.m. (9:36 p.m. EDT Sunday) in Hwaderi near Kilju city on the northeast coast. South Korean intelligence officials said the seismic wave had been detected in North Hamkyung province, the agency said.


Crowded Security Council agenda

North Korea was added to the agenda of an already scheduled Security Council meeting that officially nominated South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon to succeed Kofi Annan as secretary-general, and he said he would work to resolve the North Korean crisis.

The Security Council resolution adopted in July imposed limited sanctions on North Korea and demanded that the reclusive communist nation suspend its ballistic missile program — a demand the North immediately rejected.

The resolution bans all U.N. member states from selling material or technology for missiles or weapons of mass destruction to North Korea — and it bans all countries from receiving missiles, banned weapons or technology from Pyongyang.


*** Roiling the region

Launch Video fr. page 3 of Main Link **.

Oct. 9: NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports on the likely diplomatic fallout from North Korea's underground nuclear test.

The North is believed to have enough radioactive material for about a half-dozen bombs. It insists its nuclear program is necessary to deter a U.S. invasion.

The North has active missile programs, but it isn’t believed to have an atomic bomb design small and light enough to be mounted on a long-range rocket that could strike targets as far as the U.S.

Speculation over a possible North Korean test arose earlier this year after U.S. and Japanese reports cited suspicious activity at a suspected underground test site.


Economic impact in region

South Korean stocks plunged Monday following North Korea’s announcement of the test. The South Korean won also fell sharply.

Markets in South Korea, the world’s 10th-largest economy, have long been considered vulnerable to potential geopolitical risks from the North.

The two countries, which fought the 1950-53 Korean War, are divided by the world’s most heavily armed border.

The conflict ended in a cease-fire that has yet to be replaced with peace treaty, are divided by the world’s most heavily armed border. However, they have made unprecedented strides toward reconciliation since their leaders met at their first-and-only summit in 2000.

Impoverished and isolated North Korea has relied on foreign aid to feed its 23 million people since its state-run farming system collapsed in the 1990s following decades of mismanagement and the loss of Soviet subsidies.

© 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


Comment woodbuck27:

None of this is good news PACKERRATS.

My take is that we can't any longer concentrate OUR opinions on what should or shouldn't be, but rather what must be done to deal with "the fact" that North Korea has assumingly joined the Nuclear Arms Family of Nations without permission and what that means to the World in real terms of "a threat ".

It's encouraging to me that today N.Korea's leading allay and supplier of the necessities of life (food) China, has joined the World's Nations in condemming this reported Nuclear test.

The question is what will N. Korea's reaction be in the future to severe sanctions, that will in effect cripple that Nation, if China plays hardball against it's allay?

The other question I have, is realistically, will China "in fact" hold up in regard to maintaining cooperation with the rest of the World's Powers in exercising sanctions against it's allay?

Severe and continuous sanctions are a proper course opposed to military intervention, that is both unacceptable and impossible considering the security of the people in the far East Nations ; but what stress will this place on N.Korea and it's citizens in terms of health? Looking at that. Are the sanctions realistic?

Will continuous and alligned Nations sanctions against N.Korea, piss that Nation off, as the impact of these sanctions brings N.Korea to it's knees?

Overall View.

This may be "in fact" be... a much to do about nothing in final analysis?

The World Powers "in fact" simply need to relax.

Relax "the hype". Be

My name is Ed.

[digitaldean]

The unfortunate part if nothing is done and N. Korea keeps progressing with nukes is that there will be probably be proliferation of nukes in the Far East.

There has been discussion already of Japan repealing part of their constitution to allow them to pursue nuclear weapon technology. It will only get worse if nothing gets done.

The test may have possibly been a dud. It may not have. Kim may be rattling his saber just to get more goods from the west.

Yes, playing it cool will help the situation. But there does have to come a point and time when the rubber meets the road and this has to get resolved. It's dragged on for nearly 8 years.

No, military options aren't the answer at this stage. But there will have to be something done and soon. Unfortunately, here's another despot who's willing to use his citizens as sacrificial pawns in all of this.

That's not avoiding playing it cool. That's just stating a fact.

[Deputy Nutz]

Christ, I betcha 17 year old high school Physics students could put together a nuclear bomb given the right equipment. It took N. Korea 60 plus years to just get the basics down. My only fear with N. Korea is selling the technology to a terrorist group.

I agree with Tarlam, why should one country with the bomb tell another country not to have it? Now when the bomb can go from a state to a an individual then there is a problem and you have to be proactive about stopping a transfer like that to happen.

[Fosco33]

Christ, I betcha 17 year old high school Physics students could put together a nuclear bomb given the right equipment. It took N. Korea 60 plus years to just get the basics down. My only fear with N. Korea is selling the technology to a terrorist group.

I agree with Tarlam, why should one country with the bomb tell another country not to have it? Now when the bomb can go from a state to a an individual then there is a problem and you have to be proactive about stopping a transfer like that to happen.

The insane beauty of nuclear or bio weapons is the assured destruction of property and life - on either side. If country A has the weapon and B does not, A must use restraint. If both countries possess the technology, MAD applies.

If a terrorist uses the weapon, who do you retaliate against? There is no retribution or retaliation that can assure no future attack occurs.

Another insane beauty of this technology is the unique identification of nuclear waste. If N Korea decided to get into WMD sales and a terrorist act occurs (or a weapon is found) that can be tied back to reactors in NK (through intelligence and monitoring) - they are completely screwed.

If the isolated kid down the block wants to barricade himself from the world and not play with the other kids (even the crazy ones) with a big baseball bat, who cares? Let him be...

Now, the bigger issue is that Iran is watching all this go down. They'll see UN sanctions likely be imposed on N Korea and maybe continue to go along w/ nuclear development w/ monitoring. Or, they could develop one in secret - that's the scarier part to me...

[Fosco33]

fizzle......

Korean test 'went wrong,' U.S. official says-

The U.S. believes North Korea tried to detonate a nuclear device and "something went wrong," a government official told CNN Tuesday. The official confirmed North Korea told China before the test that it would be a 4 kiloton device. The official added the unexpectedly small blast, of a half kiloton or less, indicates the test was not very successful.

[woodbuck27]

"I know America isn't interested in nuclear warfare. But, what if that changed? What if you elected a guy that not only went to war, but, went to nuclear war? ' Tarlam!

What's your point based "in reality" man.

We don't live in a movie script Tarlam!.

We live "in reality"Tarlam!, and such a man as President (as you suggest could exist) would be impeached or otherwise forced from his office... as President of the United States of America.

To even consider such a possibility of a man being the Head of State of the most important Nation in the World; and linking that to a suggestion of him being insane...is hardly realistic therefore moot.

[woodbuck27]

" I am more than willing to go the extra mile to get something done diplomatically. Even if Lil Kim's nuclear test was a dud, military options aren't the way to go yet. With only 30-odd thousand US troops in the DMZ and ONLY a million or so DPRK troops within 50 miles of Seoul and the 38th parallel, military options would not work. Frankly, there is no really decent military alternative on this, so we don't have a real alternative for the moment. There is no easy solution to this problem. . . .

And for those who think it's OK for North Korea to have nukes...I think you need to seriously re-examine that. North Korea has already sponsored the Moro Islamic Liberation Front to over throw the Phillipine gov't. and sold ballistic missile technology to Iran and Syria to help prop up its missle program. . . .

The sad part is Kim Jong-Il is willing to starve and intimidate his people to keep himself in power. " ..... digitaldean


Yes. The answer doesn't lie in Military intervention, when the Worlds Nations and people are praying to their Higher Powers for World PEACE.

The scheduled PROGRAM of Sanctions against N.Korea, with the full and consistent support of N. Korea's allay China. Will ONLY (on a consistent basis), place the spotlight on N. Korea's Leader Kim Jong Il leadership, as the populace is stressed by a lack of food supplies, that predominately comes via China.

What is of primary concern in this stance, will be how pissed off Kim Jong Il may become, as his Country faces this food shortage?

In the face of that another question.

Will China weaken and withdraw it's present stance of supporting a UN policy of sanctions, including food supply to N.Korea?

Any option of discussion regarding disarmament of Nuclear Weapons World wide is strictly Utopian in concept thinking, therefore pointless rhetoric.

We will have to live with "a fact of life" of the Great Nations having Nuclear capability. This isn't the issue.

What is one of the issue's, is to continue to ensure that security in the area of N.Korea is maintained.

A further issue is a hard pitted response or N.Koea's demands. That before N.Korea even considers a return to the table to discuss the matter of the Worlds Powers, not wanting that nation to have Nuclear weapon capability; all sanctions against N.Korea must be dropped.

Sadly, North Korea's leaders have proven that Treaty's and their word isn't to be trusted. This further complicates the matter.

The correct option to bring N.Korea to it's knees in this issue, is a policy of stiff and prolonged sanctions against this rogue Nation. This will cause internal pressures on N. Korea's Leadership to first of all disarm and prove that it has disarmed and will then sign a TREATY to never move in this direction in the future.

The Worlds Nations under the direction of the UN Security Council must play hardball and starve N. Korea into submission. This is sad, as we are aware that this Nations people to a large extent, are already and have been suffering a selfish and dictorial leaders dark will.

[Deputy Nutz]

Does Canada get any Electorial Votes For the American President?

[woodbuck27]

Does Canada get any Electorial Votes For the American President?

No Deputy Nutz of course not.

Many Canadians (like myself) consider your President the most powerful man on the planet. We pay very strict attention to your due process Sir.

In school we likely learn about as much about your History as you did.

The US of A is OUR Neighbor, Our Friend and OUR closest allay and we share the same fight against terrorism and any real threats to world peace with your country.

[Tarlam!]

such a man as President (as you suggest could exist) would be impeached or otherwise forced from his office.

To even consider such a possibility of a man being the Head of State of the most important Nation in the World; and linking that to a suggestion of him being insane...is hardly realistic therefore moot.

You need to get a dose of reality old buddy. The President of the USA can nuke anybody he wants, anytime. He might be impeached, but only after the fact.

Have you already forgotten one US President pushed the button? Twice? Why on earth would you call him insane? He wasn't.

Many people claim the current President doesn't have all his marbles. I am definately not one of them, BTW.

The USA being the MVN of the World is your take. I'm not sure everybody, even in Canada, agrees with that sentiment.

You suffer from a similar mindset as most westerners. I am writing this mail from Shanghai. People around here plan in terms of multiple centuries. You, on the otherhand, do not. You think perhaps in generations at best.

[Scott Campbell]

Until the entire world is prepared to dismantle nuclear weapons, why, exactly, should countries forfeit their right to strive for military equaility?

Because if they don't, we may have to kill them in the interest of global stability.

The U.S. has tried the live and let live approach to world politics, and everybody knows how well that worked. You live in the country that gave birth to Hitler and the Third Reich. The country you live in erected factories for the explicit purpose of applying process improvement principals to their goal of exterminating an entire race of people. The country you live methodically set about blitzkrieging virtually defenseless countries to pursue their goal of global domination. So pardon me if I yawn at your moral outrage over our use of a new technology to end WWII.

As long as there are countries that allow crackpots and madmen to rise to power, there will be the need for a benevolent Superpower. It's a crappy job, because you'll never make all the people happy all of the time.

But the bottom line is this:

Were not all speaking German.