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Foreign Policy Pop Quiz

For Obama, as North Korea tears up agreements with a South Korean government that wants to link aid to good NK behavior. BBC: 

Communist North Korea has said it is scrapping all military and political agreements signed with the South, accusing Seoul of hostile intent.

South Korea’s government had pushed relations “to the brink of a war”, the North’s cross-border relations body said on state media.

South Korea expressed regret at the announcement and called for dialogue.

Relations have deteriorated since South Korea’s President Lee Myung-bak took a harder line approach to the North.

One agreement the North said it was to scrap covers the maritime border in the Yellow Sea.

The two countries’ navies fought bloody skirmishes in the area of the de facto border in 2002 and 1999.

“All the agreed points concerning the issue of putting an end to the political and military confrontation between the North and the South will be nullified,” the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea said.

 

It said that the situation on the Korean peninsula had reached a point where there was “neither way to improve [relations] nor hope to bring them on track”.The North has stepped up rhetorical attacks on the administration of South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, who has promised to stop the free flow of aid to the North unless it moves to end its nuclear weapons programme.

Earlier this week, North Korea criticised the appointment of a new South Korean unification minister, describing the choice of Hyun In-taek as evidence that the South wanted to intensify confrontation between the two Korean states.

The BBC’s John Sudworth in Seoul says some analysts believe that Pyongyang is trying to build up tensions with the South in order to give itself more negotiating power with the new US administration.

OK. Pop quiz. You’re Obama, in the first days of your presidency, and you’re being tested by a minor international crisis, the kind of North Korean tantrum you can set your watch by. Open book test, multiple choice. Please ignore this remarkably clear view from Reuters of why North Korea is doing this and what is at risk.  

1. North Korea is:

(A) A victim of US aggression, stalwartly defying Imperialist lackeys.

(B) A towering example of the correctness and undeniable triumph of the Juche Idea, widely envied by jealous capitalist states that foolishly seek confrontation.

(C) Eager to do business with a compliant Obama administration, seeking to divide and conquer, and prodding for soft points.

(D) Misunderstood, and in need of a hug.

(E) D, and I’ll never admit to A, B or C.

2. When North Korea wants something for nothing from the free world, the brutal holdout Stalinist cult-of-personality dictatorship:

(A) attacks fishing boats and abducts civilians.

(B) resumes its nuclear program.

(C) fires missiles at Japan.

(D) Threatens to hold its breath until it turns blue.

(E) Should be offered more food and fuel aid, in exchange for ironclad assurances of whatever.

3. North Korea views Obama as:

(A) Reason to Hope for Change.

(B) A New Dawn of American Leadership.

(C) Not Clinton Lite.

(D) Not an easy mark.

(E) All of the above.

Bonus question for extra media credit: Despite a vast reservoir of international good will based on denouncing George Bush and promising to renounce all of the United States’ vital interests in the world, the best way to avoid becoming the next Jimmy Carter or Bill Clinton is:

(A) Ask yourself “What Would Bush Do?” and do that. 

(B) Do what Bush did, only say it is new, different and your idea.

(C) Announce a new and different approach, based on your idea of what Bush did.

(D) Appoint Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State and dispatch Joe Biden on a lot of fact-finding missions. 

(E) All of the above, only with hope and change.

Please answer (E) to all questions. Thank you. This weekend’s progressive homework: In seven words or fewer, describe the Obama administration’s approach to foreign policy. Hint, see Chapter ‘04, ”Bush Lied, People Died,” and Chapter ‘08, “Hope and Change.” Essays should address the importance of blanket uniformity and simplistic consistency in foreign policy and explain why, now that the Obama administration has adopted Bush policies on Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, the invasions of North Korea, Iran and Syria haven’t been launched yet. All homework is expected to be fed to the family dog no later than Nov. 4.

Speaking of homework-eating dogs, in other foreign policy business, Hot Air reports Samantha Power has landed at the NSC. You remember Power:

Kumbayah My Lord

Power Down

Popping The Question With Iran

Power of Wishful Thinking

Not a very Hillaryist, Bushian move from the Hillary-Bush foreign policy fan. Meanwhile, via Gateway, here are some people who appreciate Bush and aren’t afraid to show it.

Topics: Korea, Obama

  Posted by Jules Crittenden at 9:29 am on Friday, January 30, 2009

3 Responses to “Foreign Policy Pop Quiz”

1. yitzgood Says:
   January 30th, 2009 at 10:30 am

   A towering example of the correctness and undeniable triumph of the Juche Idea, widely envied by jealous capitalist states that foolishly seek confrontation.

   Building a great powerful prosperous nation with the mighty treasure-sword of Songun in the spirit of Mt. Paektu, rallying close around the headquarters of the revolution, smashing all madcap Imperialist plots, giving even fuller play to the might of single-minded unity, and hoping for a potato.

2. DirtCrashr Says:
   January 30th, 2009 at 11:06 am

   It worked on campus!

3. MikeH Says:
   January 30th, 2009 at 9:12 pm

   Q. In seven words or fewer, describe the Obama administration’s approach to foreign policy.

   A. Scam

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