I'm sure most of you will never agree with me, but I read this from CNN just now:
"North Korea agrees to all U.S. nuclear inspection demands, allowing the Bush administration to remove the country from a U.S. terrorism list."
This is an enormous success for George Bush. Not just a bump to him politically, but this is a really great thing he has done (if it works, of course).
2 comments:
"North Korea agrees to all U.S. nuclear inspection demands, allowing the Bush administration to remove the country from a U.S. terrorism list."
Well, help me out. Did this happen more quickly as a result of Bush's foreign policy choices, or was his decision to end talks initially and list North Korea as a member of the axis of evil and impediment to this?
Now, I'm not actually trying to be a douche. I really want to know if this is a place where Bush's policies helped something good to happen.
jim,
It's a real accomplishment. My opinion is that the success was in spite of a terrible approach by W, and might have come much sooner if better managed.
On entering office, Bush abruptly terminated some promising exploratory talks with NK. Then he threatened them with much bellicose talk, and the predictable consequence was for NK to take a more nationalistic tone and to redouble their efforts to develop nukes. Which were ultimately successful, at least in part. Bush also adopted his negotion strategy which required the adversary to agree to the conclusion as a precondition to talks beginning.
To his credit, Bush et al did recognize the need to change strategy, and they did insist on multilateral talks, which was ultimately a crucial element of success.
In the outcome-driven world of politics, some say that the final success of the negotiations vindicated the entire strategy. I do not agree with that perspective. I think there were a lot of early mistakes, some severe, which threatened the outcome, but recognition of this fact and a willingness to adapt overcame them.
As re the OP, I don't see how this helps McCain, beyond a very general "Bush did something that doesn't suck," sort of way.
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