The excellent online magazine Counterpunch has two informative articles that follow up the latest increase in tensions on the Korean peninsula. It is very worthwhile to read both in order to respond to the drivel in the corporate-controlled media.
The first is by Gregory Elich and is entitled Menacing North Korea. Elich sets out how the South Korean government, with the connivance of the Obama administration, has deliberately escalated tensions with the North Koreans, a process that has initiated a cascading set of repercussions that could easily get out of control. Elich goes into the relevant political and historical background, highlighting the culpability of the Seoul regime in producing the latest crisis. For instance, Elich states that
"President Lee Myung-bak of the conservative Grand National Party took office in February 2008, vowing to reverse the Sunshine Policy of warming relations with North Korea. The government of Lee's predecessor, Roh Moo-hyun, had signed several agreements on economic cooperation with North Korea, including joint mining operations in the North. Lee killed every one these agreements, ensuring that they would never be implemented."
Elich interestingly points out that China has taken a reasonable position, offering to mediate in this latest crisis, measures that have been rebuffed by the United States. White House officials sneeringly dismissed China's moves towards dialogue as a useless series of "P. R. activities".
Go read the whole thing.
The second article is by regular Counterpunch contributor, Mike Whitney. Headlined The Korean War, Round Two, Whitney criticises the Obama administration's wilful escalation of tensions, warns of the disastrous consequences should the Pyongyang regime be backed into a corner. Whitney points out that holding joint US/South Korea military exercises right at the doorstep of North Korea is "no different than if China or Russia sent an armada to conduct operations 3 miles off Cape Cod." Go read the article here.
We need to be better informed of the actions of the big powers if we are to have any hope of resolving these conflicts peacefully.
What a disappointment Obama has been with his foreign policies, especially after giving such a positive spin during his talk in Cairo about “listening to and talking with” countries that do not necessarily see eye to eye to the US.
ReplyDeleteI do not think there will be a war with the two Koreas (not yet). The US is still trying to sort out the quagmire in Afghanistan, not to mention Iraq. And most importantly the people of North and South do not want to kill each other. Maybe the people of the South will come together and oppose aggression, and demand from their government a compromise solution.
Hopefully common sense will prevail and South Korea will not go ahead with the military drills they are planning in the near future.