Stomping Our Feet & Pitching a Fit..Yeah, That'll Teach 'Em! - April 05, 2009

The world has watched for weeks as North Korea has done exactly as it said it was going to do. Thanks to the obtrusive capabilities that Google Earth now provides us all to spy on cheating spouses and now Communist countries, even Joe Schmo could peek in on all the activity on the launching pad halfway around the world. We all watched and our government kept drawing a line in the dirt that they continued to not only step over, but flat out leaped past.


They said they were going to send a “communication satellite” into space. They hauled out a rocket. They fueled it. The world watched and used their “serious” words to tell them not to do it. President Obama and Secretary Clinton shook their fingers and stomped their feet in our stead, promising all sorts of dire consequences if North Korea stood by their word and dared to actually do what they said they were going to do. We all watched and waited and whined. China stood by figuratively giggling at the comotion and impotent threats from the “super powers” and chose to do nothing to intervene.


Yet on Sunday morning, amidst all the tempest in a teapot, North Korea made good on their word. They did exactly what they said they were going to do and launched their new playtoy for all the world to see, effectively thumbing their nose at all the other kids on the playground. They provided the potential buyers for their wares, any potential future terrorists (oh, excuse me, the bringers of man-caused disasters), a wonderful demonstration of the viability of their product.
While the world watched and whined. Our President promised a STERN united international response. (What would that be, yet another visit to the UN’s dreaded “Time Out Chair?”)


A lot of good that did. Somehow I get the feeling that there was no shaking in their collective boots going on. The North Koreans proved once again today that they are better at playing chicken than we are.


Our President today got up in front of his teleprompter and fired off a very stern lecture toward the North Korean government. He raged and promised that the UN was going to hear about this!! (shouldn’t they already have known all about it?) He declared that this will not be tolerated. Of course that statement is like closing the barn door after the horse is running for the hills. It doesn’t have to be tolerated, it’s already done.


The North Koreans today put into practice what many people spout off as rhetoric. They showed in graphic form that it is easier to ask for forgiveness rather than permission. The only caveat to that is, of course, they don’t plan to ask for forgiveness. They simply intend to thumb their nose at the rest of the world and do as they please. A few more ineffective sanctions from the UN aren’t going to deter or even make them think twice the next time they plan to behave badly.
I will admit that one thing President Obama said today was very true. He declared as he did often on the campaign trail as well, that “Words matter”.


Indeed they do. North Korea took that phrase to heart and demonstrated it in no uncertain terms.


They said they were going to launch their rocket, and today, they did.


Who is standing by their words now? The North Koreans that did what they said they were going to do and carried through or the rest of the world issuing their stern warnings and impotent sanctions yet again?


Unfortunately for us all, the question is a no-brainer and the majority is proving to be the ones drawing the short stick.


Heaven forbid we hurt any feelings or actually take a stand.


That would denote strength of spirit and will. We can’t have that anymore, now can we?

Why Waste a Good Crisis...

...when you can create widespread comic relief and chaos instead??







Let's put aside for the moment the pure idiocy and symbolism of giving a button to push, much less a RED button to the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as her opening salvo into discussions of US-Russian relations. Ummmm..HELLO?? How in heaven's name do translators get the intended word "Reset" somehow confused with "Overcharge"??? Where were the proofreading skills that I make even my kindergarten students practice? Perhaps a Freudian slip.


Let's totally disregard the fact that just last week it was leaked, rumored, whatever..that President Obama sent a letter a few weeks ago offering to put the brakes on or totally abandon the missile shield program overseas if Russia would "help" us in persuading Iran to play nice and give up their dangerous toys (can't have them putting anyone's eye out, now can we??)


Then our illustrious Hope and Change administration also managed to alienate British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and in the process look cartoonish, when in an epic (can't do anything small, now can we?) thoughtless gesture, gave him plastic gift shop helicopters and a DVD collection of American movies in exchange for a few priceless "trinkets" that he and his country bestowed on our new best hope. I guess Walmart didn't have any of the "As Seen on TV" products in stock to sweeten the gift pot.


I know what you're thinking...obviously DVDs and plastic helicopters stack up SO well with an ornamental desk pen-holder made from the oak timbers of the Victorian anti-slaver HMS Gannet, once named HMS President for the Resolute desk in the Oval office...the framed commission for HMS Resolute, a vessel that came to symbolise Anglo-US peace when it was saved from ice packs by Americans and given to Queen Victoria...and a first edition set of the seven-volume classic biography of Churchill by Sir Martin Gilbert. They also brought thoughtful handpicked gifts for the first girls.


The Obamas in turn, managed to treat the Gordons like the relative you see once a year at Christmas and use the last pennies of your gift budget to grab something on clearance...and in the process snub one of our staunchest allies. Mission Accomplished, Mr. President!! Please keep making us proud! Why not just give them a gift card while you're at it. At least that might have stimulated the economy in some way if they redeemed it.


When the Obama administration touted the fact that they were going to boost our reputation on the world stage again, I didn't think they meant the comedy stage. The world is starting to snicker at the United States and beginning to fall off the adoration bandwagon. The pedestals are being put away in favor of feet of clay.


The resounding chorus coming from the top...starting with Rahm Emanuel and echoed by Hillary Clinton this week...

~“Never waste a good crisis,” Clinton told a hearing at the European Parliament.
“And when it comes to the economic crisis, don’t waste it when it can have a
very positive impact on climate change and energy security.” … “This is a
propitious time … we can actually begin to demonstrate our willingness to
confront this. We are making up the best we can for lost time,” she
added.~

...when in the middle of a worldwide economic meltdown is chilling if you pay attention. Focus is being absolutely lost on the important immediate economic domestic issues in favor of cramming every single piece of expensive pet agendas through on the coattails of each piece of legislation being considered. Heck, ignore the fact that we are hemorrhaging money, let's revamp health care and give everyone a pig in a poke while we're at it!! Oh wait, those pigs probably cause global warming and might be construed as pork or need lipstick...better make it tainted peanut butter instead!!! Yeah, that's the ticket! That will build respect for us around the world!


Hold on to your goodie bags, it appears to be Howdie Doodie Time again!


Bless their hearts.

"Obama inherited a disaster and has created a catastrophe." Ann Coulter