Search Results for: John Kerry

South Korean President Roh Moo0-Hyun is offering his “conservative” archenemies key roles in his proposed coalition. This, you must see: In a letter to his political supporters, President Roh Moo-hyun wrote yesterday that if the opposition Grand National Party would agree to form a coalition government with the Uri Party, he would allow his opponents to make key appointments, including that of prime minister. “If the Grand National Party takes the initiative to form a coalition government where the Uri...

Nicholas Kristof is a man who knows the power of righteous indignation to save lives by hitting genocidal dictators where they’re most often vulnerable: their economies. Listen to the moral authority of Nick Kristof and the New York Times in full roar when millions face imminent mass murder: So what can stop this genocide? At one level the answer is technical: sanctions . . . , a no-fly zone, a freeze of . . . officials’ assets, prosecution of the...

Whether you still hope that North Korea will “come back to the table” and wrestle with us in the sticky-but-hardening amber called The Six-Party Talks–or not–your hopes have been raised and dashed–or dashed and raised. I’m in the latter category, having conclusively decided on the unseriousness of negotiations with North Korea sometime around 1992, which I realize is sometime before the negotiations even began. Today, if you haven’t heard, the latest news is that the talks are off again. They’ll...

Whether you still hope that North Korea will “come back to the table” and wrestle with us in the sticky-but-hardening amber called The Six-Party Talks–or not–your hopes have been raised and dashed–or dashed and raised. I’m in the latter category, having conclusively decided on the unseriousness of negotiations with North Korea sometime around 1992, which I realize is sometime before the negotiations even began. Today, if you haven’t heard, the latest news is that the talks are off again. They’ll...

From today’s Times of London comes this remarkable report headlined, “Chairman Kim’s Dissolving Kingdom.” It paints a picture of rapid decay among the state’s mechanism of control, as if only inertia and an initial spark are delaying the regime’s rapid (and most likely, violent) collapse. It’s a long report and an absolute must-read, but here are the major points one distills from the piece: 1. The erosion of the fear state is equally visible to casual observers and insiders. The...

From today’s Times of London comes this remarkable report headlined, “Chairman Kim’s Dissolving Kingdom.” It paints a picture of rapid decay among the state’s mechanism of control, as if only inertia and an initial spark are delaying the regime’s rapid (and most likely, violent) collapse. It’s a long report and an absolute must-read, but here are the major points one distills from the piece: 1. The erosion of the fear state is equally visible to casual observers and insiders. The...

Condi Rice’s comments on Korea contained no major surprises. We want talks; we have no intention of invading. A nice word in there about the South Korean deployment to a safe location guarded by Kurdish militia Iraq. All things you’d expect a diplomat to say. She was generally prepared, but even when she was, her answers sounded canned and tinny. My overall impression, however, was dissatisfaction that she didn’t really answer some of Babs Boxer’s tough questions on Iraq, but...

Condi Rice’s comments on Korea contained no major surprises. We want talks; we have no intention of invading. A nice word in there about the South Korean deployment to a safe location guarded by Kurdish militia Iraq. All things you’d expect a diplomat to say. She was generally prepared, but even when she was, her answers sounded canned and tinny. My overall impression, however, was dissatisfaction that she didn’t really answer some of Babs Boxer’s tough questions on Iraq, but...

The L.A. Times is giving reports of Kim Jong Il’s demise the Big Sneer: But the speculation may have less to do with political forces inside North Korea than outside. In particular, President Bush’s reelection has emboldened critics of the North Korean regime in the United States and in Asia who want Kim ousted. The North Korean Human Rights Act, passed in October, allocates up to $24 million to promote better conditions for North Koreans, and has revitalized an activist...

The L.A. Times is giving reports of Kim Jong Il’s demise the Big Sneer: But the speculation may have less to do with political forces inside North Korea than outside. In particular, President Bush’s reelection has emboldened critics of the North Korean regime in the United States and in Asia who want Kim ousted. The North Korean Human Rights Act, passed in October, allocates up to $24 million to promote better conditions for North Koreans, and has revitalized an activist...

[Update, 5/06: Having the benefit of somewhat more knowledge now, I can no longer deny that some of Norbert’s rhetoric and the tactics he seems to advocate go over the line, could endanger unjustifiably endanger people, and could ultimately prove to be counterproductive to the greater cause of helping the North Korean people. I believe Norbert’s heart is in the right place, and hope he will see that many of those he helped inspire — myself included — are prevailing...

The Marmot has a post that’s quite critical of Norbert Vollertsen and some of his fiery calls to action against Roh Moo-Hyun. Since it’s been a long time since I had to defend a difficult client, I will instead take on the difficult task of defending a man who is trying to do good in a world where apathy enables evil to operate unmolested. You may disagree with Norbert’s methods, but you can’t deny that he’s such a man. The...