Sigh. And Sigh Again.
North Korea’s Unha-2 missile…er, communcations satellite…was successfully launched, flew right over Japan, and put, evidently, an iPod into space that—if you listen to 470 MHz—you can hear endlessly looped recordings of “Song of General Kim Il-sung” and “Song of General Kim Jong-il.”
Swell.
This despite assurances by POTUS Obama that such a missle launch would be provocative. That we would protect Japan. And Hu Jintao’s promise to him that they would not stand idly by. And that the United Nations, whom the Czar predicted would play Mystery Date, would act rather than talk.
And so none of this came to pass. The North Koreans shot their musical weapon straight over Japan, China stood by and waved, and the UN talked and talked and wound up with the dud, when they were dressed for the beach date.
The Czar agrees with the Wall Street Journal (actually, John Bolton) that this sends the wrong message to both Israel and Iran.
What is says to Israel is that the United States will not protect key allies from upstart little threats that pose real threats of annihilation. What it tells Iran is “US Go For Launch.”
Mr. President, North Korea is testing your resolve, and you failed. China and Russian stood idle…why? To test your resolve. Iran is testing your resolve, and you are failing. The Gormogons must again remind you: The World does not want to be your pal. They are looking to you—at this point, for anything more than you have been delivering.
There are no do-overs in foreign policy. You gotta start getting this stuff right.
Божію Поспѣшествующею Милостію Мы, Дима Грозный Императоръ и Самодержецъ Всероссiйскiй, цѣсарь Московскiй. The Czar was born in the steppes of Russia in 1267, and was cheated out of total control of all Russia upon the death of Boris Mikhailovich, who replaced Alexander Yaroslav Nevsky in 1263. However, in 1283, our Czar was passed over due to a clerical error and the rule of all Russia went to his second cousin Daniil (Даниил Александрович), whom Czar still resents. As a half-hearted apology, the Czar was awarded control over Muscovy, inconveniently located 5,000 miles away just outside Chicago. He now spends his time seething about this and writing about other stuff that bothers him.