Who has defied the international community? Only North Korea?
Radio NZ National news, 2:00 p.m., Friday 13 April 2012
Newsreader Chris Whitta gravely intones: “North Korea has defied the international community and launched a rocket…”
While North Korea has certainly done exactly that, it’s surely a matter of profound public interest that when Britain, the United States, Australia and Israel defy the international community, their actions are never described in such plain terms.
I cannot recall a mainstream news organization (such as Radio New Zealand) ever calling the Bush regime’s flouting of international law as “defiance”. I cannot remember Israel’s scofflaw leaders ever being called “defiant”, even during the brutal 22-day massacre in Gaza in 2008-9 or after the pirate action in which it slaughtered nine peace activists in 2010.
But North Korea launches a rocket, which kills nobody, and the Korean leadership is described as having “defied” the “international community”.
- The rocket didn’t even work properly, so what is the big deal? The duplicitous responses to crimes against humanity and gross breaches of law by those who are apparently a part of the international “community” compared to North Korea launching a satellite rocket that didn’t even work properly is blatant hypocrisy!
Draco T Bastard15.2
The United Nations have said a North Korea rocket launch would violate U.N. Security Council resolutions banning the North from developing its nuclear and missile programs. (Reuters)Strange, I thought it was a rocket to launch a satellite so unless the UN and other states have hard proof that it was a missile test then there’s nothing wrong with the launch.Personally, I see no problem with any country developing both space capability or the ability to defend itself. This demand that some countries not develop such ability seems to be solely to keep them as dependent countries, ie, to keep the US empire going.McFlock15.2.1
There’s not much difference between a satellite lifter and a ballistic missile – and orbit is just a different type of target coordinate for the guidance system. Actually, ISTR reading that Sputnik was lifted by a converted missile (Ha – I freaking love wikipedia!).
If we were talking about Japan or Indonesia, I’d agree with you (like I’m not too worked up about Iran and it’s nuclear power plants). But North Korea is the geopolitical equivalent of the gun-nut loner in the shack with no electricity down in the bush.joe9015.2.1.1
(Ha – I freaking love wikipedia!)Lots more.- There’s not much difference between a satellite lifter and a ballistic missile…Well, if we want to get technical – there’s no difference.Actually, ISTR reading that Sputnik was lifted by a converted missileThat’s really not all that unique. Why design and build a new rocket when you’ve already got a few lying around that could do the job?But North Korea is the geopolitical equivalent of the gun-nut loner in the shack with no electricity down in the bush.Well, they may become a little less belligerent with their new leader, too early to tell ATM of course.The international community really doesn’t have the right to prevent them from developing rocketry. That said, they are alone and if they try to use those weapons aggressively the entire nation will get turned into a radioactive lunar landscape as Afghanistan and Iraq show.
Morrissey15.2.1.3
North Korea is the geopolitical equivalent of the gun-nut loner in the shack with no electricity down in the bush.Oh really?How many Iraqi and Afghan and Pakistani civilians have been killed by North Korean drone strikes?How many North Korean soldiers have dragged families out of their houses at night and machine-gunned them to death?How many North Korean army squadrons compete amongst themselves to cut off and collect the most fingers of civilians they have killed?How many North Korean secret service operatives have kidnapped civilians from other countries and transported them to secret locations to torture them, often to death?- True. But then US motivations are generally pretty understandable (if not likeable). NK has a history of kidnapping people from their homes in other countries and imprisoning them for years because the dear leader liked their movies.
Try accounting for that sort of thing in geopolitical models.
fender15.2.1.4
I wonder how many citizens were shot for laughing at the failure, no doubt they were required to openly grieve for their loss.
ianmac15.3
Exactly Morrissey!muzza15.4
“Foreign minister Murray McCully says despite the closed off country’s claim the launch is for peaceful purposes, it violates UN Security Council Resolutions, aggravates tensions and undermines attempts to build peace and stability”Yeah ok, so when NATO bombs some poor country into oblivion for “humanitarian reasons”, when there is only an “internal problem”, which the UN charter does cover, as it only deals with external security threats between nations supposedly, what did NZ say.Puppets and grandstanders!D-D-D-Damn !15.6
The “International community” of course meaning…..the United States.
