I rarely lack an opinion on political economy. There are moments though when anyone has to be awed into near silence by the crass stupidity of some within the spectrum of humanity.
Donald Trump's foolish baiting of North Korea has to be described in that way. So too, of course, do North Korea's actions fall within that part of the spectrum.
The folly of unwise men granted power beyond their capacity to comprehend is almost limitless but the cost is to us all.
Which brings me back to political economy, after all.
And a quiet desire that sanity will prevail.
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“Man’s inhumanity to man
Makes countless thousands mourn!”
Bobbie the B
If sanity prevails it’ll probably come from a minion not the leaders.
Some people just seem unaware of how stupid what they say makes them look. Kept away from power that just means they are fools but given a glimpse of power they become dangerous.
While any ‘unwise men’ (and women) who achieve positions of real power obviously pose a threat to peace and stability – it’s the people who elect them (in a ‘democracy’) who are the underlying problem – http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/05/donald-trump-supporters-dunning-kruger-effect-213904 – further re-inforced (perhaps) by the latest findings of the study by the University of Leicester – http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305750X17302474. The simple antidote to ‘unwise men’ is a better educated & informed electorate. But, of course, that’s not on the neo-liberal agenda.
My worry is that it reminds of what Michael Herr says in his Vietnam book ‘Dispatches’ – we have war because some men like it.
And I bet the weapons corporations are chomping at the bit to supply the means of butchery too.
We have every right to be worried.
Death does not hurt you, as you are unaware that you are dead, it hurts the people that surround you. Stupidity is exactly the same.
I imagine the USA spends more on armaments in one week tthan North Korea spends in a whole year. North Korea or any other country for that matter pose no threat to America.
You ignore secondary effects
Always a massive error
Thanks for the reply Richard. But what do you mean by secondary effects? What ever they are it doesn’t alter the fact that no country poses a military threat to the USA IMHO.
I disagree
Afghanistan has consistently proved that
Worrying indeed, but North Korea’s actions are not perhaps as crazy as they appear.
How do you think the UK would react if every year a foreign adversary, who had in living memory flattened every one of our cities, held huge military exercises right up to our borders in which they actively simulated ‘decapitation’ missions targeted at our beloved Queen? While they were taking place we’d likely mobilise our forces and put our selves at maximum readiness just to be ready in case these exercises were actually just cover for a real attack. (We are, after all, essentially doing this in the Baltic States to respond to a supposed threat from Russia).
It’s more pressing for North Korea, as their relatively backward economy means that, every year, at planting and harvest times much of their huge (but technically unsophisticated) army has to be deployed on the fields to stop everyone from starving. Take a wild guess as to when the US choose to schedule their exercises. That’s right, planting or harvest time.
A Chinese brokered deal to halt their nuclear developments as long as the US reduce, re-schedule or stop the exercises has been rejected by both Obama and Trump
In that context, developing nuclear weapons makes rational economic sense.
The positively *gleeful* arrogance of the verbal exchanges are breathtaking, indeed. What times we are living in …
There is no doubt that America’s presence in the area does not help.
John Pilger’s documentary ‘The Coming War on China’ exposed something I had hitherto not understood about the proliferation of America’s bases in that part of the world.
Basically, America stayed on in many of the places they occupied in World War II in the Pacific.
Imagine if the USA decided to camp on the Isle of White and set up an air base there? Or in the Western Isles? Imagine if they had never left the UK after Normandy?
How would we take that? Especially if we disagreed with them about certain policies. Would we be allowed to disagree?
To me, their aim is simple: it is bullying – plain and simple. And China is one of their biggest creditors – is it not? Proof again that the USA is like a spoilt brat – it wants China’s money (its savings) as it has drawn in other country’s money in the past to help pay for its self but now wants to dictate terms in the most crude way possible – through the potential of violence and death.
We talk of rogue states – but the USA (its Government not its long suffering citizens) has been rogue for a long time – especially since WWII.
@ Pilgrim Sight Return
If you haven’t already read it, this book by William Blum – dating from the pre-Dubya times of Bill Clinton – sets out the rogue state nature of the USA, calling into question, for example, the bombing of Serbia.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rogue-State-Guide-Worlds-Superpower/dp/1842778277
Worth a read if you haven’t already done so.
Obviously you do not live in Norfolk, or Cambs…or watched the unmarked Chinooks, with their escort, flying into UK defence establishments at night.. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/unknown-territory-america-s-secret-archipelago-of-uk-bases-9084129.html
That is exactly where I live
No, I live in Derbyshire and we have our fill of Chinooks flying over – usually we think ferrying VIPs/Royalty to Chatsworth House or other posh places in the Shire.
Thanks Mr S – I knew that there was a presence here but not to that extent.
@PSR
You don’t need to imagine; there are still many US military bases in the UK:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/unknown-territory-america-s-secret-archipelago-of-uk-bases-9084129.html
Is it the power given to the unwise man without the ability to comprehend it, or the power given to the unwise electorate that puts that unwise man into that position, without the ability to comprehend it?
Are you a democrat?
If so the unwise power is that given to a self-interested media who have abandoned their role in that process