Yes, I think the triumphalism is premature, but optimism is another thing entirely. There are growing signs of uppitiness among the once-silent majority of the world’s ordinary people–those not represented in the coffeehouses of Brussels or in the General Assembly. There is nothing inevitable about the success of a revolution; the tyrants can delay the realization of those trends as long as they control the guns. But oppression inevitably breeds discontent and systemic inefficiencies. End caveat; pan to reality. Bloggers...

A Message to North Korea: U.S. Ambassador to Korea Christopher Hill said Wednesday there was no middle way for North Korea between international isolation and dismantling its nuclear program as a road to economic revival. Contrast this with South Korea’s new ambassador to the United States, who looks more pathetic every day. It seems the meeting with Dennis Hastert might have been enough to throw someone off his game.

South Korean Priorities: Eight North Koreans have entered the Japanese School in Beijing. Perhaps they’ll use more of that “quiet diplomacy” that’s evidently insufficient when it comes to two uninhabited, guano-encrusted islands that are halfway to Japan, or the novel question of just where the United States can send its own soldiers. Meanwhile, the South Korean Human Rights Commission is as vigilant as ever about everything else that can keep its staff of busybodies occupied without saving any actual humans....

Let France Choose Its Ally. France says it wouldn’t dream of being so irresponsible as to sell weapons to the Chinese. . . which explains why they’re trying to lift the arms embargo. A tale we’ve heard before, in Iraq, and France sold them weapons right up to the eve of the war. I say let France sell China arms–which are mostly crappe in any event–and put France and the rest of the EU on the technology control list. Then...

North Korea Travelogue: I have strong reservations about encouraging anyone to travel to North Korea, but I also like reading what visitors have to tell about what they saw there. Ari has published an interesting travelogue, and has since blegged for a link, which he earned in my book by approaching his subject with appropriate skepticism, even if his conclusion don’t all match my own. Don’t miss his “Hotel California” vignette, or his observation that North Korea is whoring off...

Yes, I think the triumphalism is premature, but optimism is another thing entirely. There are growing signs of uppitiness among the once-silent majority of the world’s ordinary people–those not represented in the coffeehouses of Brussels or in the General Assembly. There is nothing inevitable about the success of a revolution; the tyrants can delay the realization of those trends as long as they control the guns. But oppression inevitably breeds discontent and systemic inefficiencies. End caveat; pan to reality. Bloggers...

GNP Infighting: There is a nascent movement to challenge South Korea’s chief paleocon, Park Gye-Heun Park Geun-Hye, for the party’s leadership. Better late than never. The GNP will never have a chance at the polls unless it breaks from its dictatorial past and its unprincipled stand on the issues. They can’t beat Uri unless they first win the fight for their own soul. More here, from Kim Dae-Joong (the columnist, not Kim Dae-Jung, the ex-Prez). I’m not a fan of...

GNP Infighting: There is a nascent movement to challenge South Korea’s chief paleocon, Park Gye-Heun Park Geun-Hye, for the party’s leadership. Better late than never. The GNP will never have a chance at the polls unless it breaks from its dictatorial past and its unprincipled stand on the issues. They can’t beat Uri unless they first win the fight for their own soul. More here, from Kim Dae-Joong (the columnist, not Kim Dae-Jung, the ex-Prez). I’m not a fan of...

My thoughts here . . . since Angus is already asking. UPDATE: The NY Times–another day, another hit piece. I suppose at least half the leadership of the EU called for its smelling salts.

My thoughts here . . . since Angus is already asking. UPDATE: The NY Times–another day, another hit piece. I suppose at least half the leadership of the EU called for its smelling salts.

Refugees: A sad but familiar story of a North Korean woman hiding in China in today’s Washington Post.

Bush will name John Bolton as our new U.N. Ambassador! Not exactly a chastened administration in ideological retreat. From the perspective of the North Korean regime, which famously called Bolton “human scum,” you couldn’t do any worse than this guy: Undersecretary of State John R. Bolton, a controversial Bush administration figure whose strong statements on North Korea’s nuclear program irked the leaders in Pyongyang, is President Bush’s choice to be the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, a government...

KFA Update: Now this is simply hilarious. Cao de Benos might just get purged for this propaganda fiasco. Hat tip: boingboing.

Freedom is Beautiful! The third installment. I simply had no idea of the depravity of imposing veils, burkas, chadors, and hijabs (granted, most of these women are probably Maronite Christians, but I’m unaware of any genetic differences among Lebanese religious groups). It’s ironic how similar the sex police in the Middle East can seem to in the “free” world. I suppose the analogy could be carried too far, but the congenitally joyless authoritarians of every culture often seem to share...

More Interlopers in the Press Room! A blogger has been granted an official White House press pass. UPDATE: Not everyone agrees that this story is as advertised. So along with a courageous gay pornographer (I laugh, but I still don’t know why that was relevant to the story) my creds as a pioneer remain undisturbed.

Refugees: A sad but familiar story of a North Korean woman hiding in China in today’s Washington Post.

Bush will name John Bolton as our new U.N. Ambassador! Not exactly a chastened administration in ideological retreat. From the perspective of the North Korean regime, which famously called Bolton “human scum,” you couldn’t do any worse than this guy: Undersecretary of State John R. Bolton, a controversial Bush administration figure whose strong statements on North Korea’s nuclear program irked the leaders in Pyongyang, is President Bush’s choice to be the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, a government...

Announcements like this might be portents of a new push to expand enforcement of the Proliferation Security Initiative to suspected dope smuggling: Assistant Secretary of State Robert Charles said in a briefing North Korean exports totaled between US$600 million and US$650 million a year but its imports exceeded US$1 billion. He said it was believed that North Korea paid for the difference through illegal activities like gold smuggling, counterfeiting and drug trafficking.