The North Korean government's announcement that it has a nuclear weapon, that they're not giving it up this Lent, and that they are withdrawing from the six-party talks designed to keep them under control has rocked the world nearly as much as the news of Charles' and Camilla's engagement. (The fact that those two stories are receiving nearly as much play in the media may be one indication of how out-of-whack our priorities are!)
Be that as it may, North Korea's announcement has predictably, loosed a "Who lost China?"-style debate.
Some, of course, are blaming President Bill Clinton and the deal worked out with the North by former President Jimmy Carter during the former's administration.
Others are blaming President Bush for not engaging in face-to-face talks with the North Koreans.
I leave those judgments to people more knowledgeable than me.
But I will say this...
The announcement is no suprise, for several reasons.
First, North Korea's possession of the bomb has been a dirty little secret for some time. The global community has been wishing it weren't so, but that was diplomatic denial.
Second, despotic regimes inevitably see nukes as a great equalizer. The North Korean demand for a face-to-face with Mr. Bush which accompanied this announcement is the moral equivalent of an attempted blackmail or kidnapping. The Pyongyang regime wants legitimacy and they want the President to cry, "Uncle."
Third, nuclear weapons appeal to the dark nature of the human race. They give the impotent the illusion of power, which is the appeal of all impulses toward violence. As God told Noah, "the inclination of the human heart is evil from youth." (Genesis 8:21) Like Adam and Eve, we human beings are constantly falling prey to the temptation to "be like God." (Genesis 3:5)!
Just a few lunchtime happy thoughts. More on this topic later...
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