Once again the Boston Globe has proven that their editorial board is in serious need of a major overhaul. Despite the overwhelming evidence that bribing North Korea is a policy that will fail to keep the North from expanding its weapons program and bribery will act as a catalyst for other countries to pursue the same type of nuclear blackmail, the Globe insists that only the U.S. has the resources to pay this blackmail and therefore should "cut that deal". http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/editorials/articles/2006/10/18/the_sanctions_fallacy/
The reasoning behind this capitulation is that despite the fact that the resolution was passed by the U.N Security Council and signed onto by China, there is doubt that the Chinese will act to enforce the provisions. The editorial complains that China is asking hard questions about the "terms of engagement" and golly gee, inspections of North Korean ships at sea might result in a "firefight".
Does the Globe seriously think that the Chinese are unable to fulfill this simple obligation under the terms of the council resolution? Why are they so quick to absolve the Chinese from any responsibility in reining in the North?
The stated reasoning is that China is terrified of destabilizing the North Koreans for fear of an influx of North Korean refugees into China. This seems a little hard to believe when China is a country of 1.3 billion and North Korea is a paltry 23 million.
The editorial concludes by saying "Only America can grant the package of energy supplies, economic assistance, and security assurances that the North consistently demands as the price for divesting itself of its nuclear and missile programs. Instead of imposing risky and futile sanctions, President Bush ought to be trying to cut that deal"
Are serious people writing this stuff? The Chinese can't give any security assurances to the North? Wasn't it the Chinese who intervened on behalf of the North in the fifties? Don't the Chinese have the largest standing army on the entire continent? As for energy, aren't the North's other major allies, the Russians, the largest oil producers in the world? As for economic considerations, three of the largest and most successful economies (China, Japan, South Korea) with balance of payments surpluses with the United States are next door neighbors of the North and have signed onto the resolution. If bribery is the solution, why isn't the Globe suggesting tax payers in those nations pick up the complete tab?
It is rumored that the New York Times is desperate to unload it's Boston Globe operation. We can only hope that this is true and that new owners can inject some critical and strategic thinking skills into the make up of the editorial staff.
