US Hypocrisy on North Korea: Let's Talk About Israel's Nukes
President Obama's administration is pressing for diplomatic
retaliation, perhaps in the form of more sanctions against North Korea,
after Pyonyang launched a rocket into space. There are conflicting
reports about the success of the launch. North Korea says the rocket
carried a satellite, which is now orbiting the earth. That's according
to state-run media in North Korea, which reportedly broadcast patriotic
songs and images of Kim Jung Il, praising him for the launch. The US,
meanwhile, said the launch failed to reach orbit, landing in the
Pacific Ocean. According to The New York Times,
"Officials and analysts in Seoul said the North's rocket, identified by
American officials as a Taepodong-2, flew at least 2,000 miles,
doubling the range of an earlier rocket it tested in 1998 and boosting
its potential to fire a long-range missile."
There is
disagreement at the Security Council over whether North Korea violated
any UN resolutions with the US on one side and Russia, backed by China,
on the other. The Obama administration has called the launch a
"provocative act." "We think that what was launched is not the issue;
the fact that there was a launch using ballistic missile technology is
itself a clear violation," said
UN ambassador Susan Rice, who is pressing for more sanctions against
North Korea at the Security Council. Chinese officials said North
Korea, like other nations, had a right to launch satellites. "Every
state has the right to the peaceful use of outer space," said Russia's deputy U.N. envoy, Igor N. Shcherbak.
Obama used the launch in his major address in Prague, which has been
characterized as an anti-nuclear speech. "Rules must be binding," he
said of North Korea's launch. "Violations must be punished. Words must
mean something."
Many countries around the world certainly see hypocrisy in the Obama
administration's position on North Korea. Israel has repeatedly been
condemned by the UN for its occupation of Palestinian lands. Moreover,
it has hundreds of nuclear weapons with estimates ranging from 200-400
warheads. What's more, Israel and the US are in league with North Korea
in the small club of nations
that have refused to ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. Other
nations include: China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iran, and Pakistan. In
his Prague speech,
Obama said his administration "will immediately and aggressively pursue
U.S. ratification," saying, "After more than five decades of talks, it
is time for the testing of nuclear weapons to finally be banned."
All of this must be kept in context as the "crisis" with North Korea
continues to unfold. US hypocrisy on the nuclear issue takes away
credibility the US has in its condemnations of North Korea, or Iran,
for that matter. "Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile activity poses a
real threat, not just to the United States, but to Iran's neighbors and
our allies," Obama said in Prague. Obama used Iran to justify a
controverisal central European missile system, saying, "As long as the
threat from Iran persists, we will go forward... with a missile defense
system that is cost-effective and proven." Obama did not mention Israel
once in his speech and has never acknowledged its nuclear weapons
system. Perhaps Obama should ask Arab and Muslim nations in the region
what country they see as the biggest nuclear threat.
And this historical fact, which to Obama's credit he acknowledged,
should never be forgotten: One nation in the world has used nuclear
weapons-the United States.
In a statement, Peace Action,
cautiously welcomed some of Obama's positions outlined in Prague, but
said, "President Obama's statement that [a nuclear weapons-free] world
might not be achieved in his lifetime is very disappointing. Obama can
and should announce the initiation of negotiations on the global
elimination of nuclear weapons. Similarly, his promotion of nuclear
power, missile defense bases in Poland and the Czech Republic and his
escalation of troops in Afghanistan are all moves in the wrong
direction."
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. In a few short weeks, US voters will have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
President Obama's administration is pressing for diplomatic
retaliation, perhaps in the form of more sanctions against North Korea,
after Pyonyang launched a rocket into space. There are conflicting
reports about the success of the launch. North Korea says the rocket
carried a satellite, which is now orbiting the earth. That's according
to state-run media in North Korea, which reportedly broadcast patriotic
songs and images of Kim Jung Il, praising him for the launch. The US,
meanwhile, said the launch failed to reach orbit, landing in the
Pacific Ocean. According to The New York Times,
"Officials and analysts in Seoul said the North's rocket, identified by
American officials as a Taepodong-2, flew at least 2,000 miles,
doubling the range of an earlier rocket it tested in 1998 and boosting
its potential to fire a long-range missile."
There is
disagreement at the Security Council over whether North Korea violated
any UN resolutions with the US on one side and Russia, backed by China,
on the other. The Obama administration has called the launch a
"provocative act." "We think that what was launched is not the issue;
the fact that there was a launch using ballistic missile technology is
itself a clear violation," said
UN ambassador Susan Rice, who is pressing for more sanctions against
North Korea at the Security Council. Chinese officials said North
Korea, like other nations, had a right to launch satellites. "Every
state has the right to the peaceful use of outer space," said Russia's deputy U.N. envoy, Igor N. Shcherbak.
Obama used the launch in his major address in Prague, which has been
characterized as an anti-nuclear speech. "Rules must be binding," he
said of North Korea's launch. "Violations must be punished. Words must
mean something."
Many countries around the world certainly see hypocrisy in the Obama
administration's position on North Korea. Israel has repeatedly been
condemned by the UN for its occupation of Palestinian lands. Moreover,
it has hundreds of nuclear weapons with estimates ranging from 200-400
warheads. What's more, Israel and the US are in league with North Korea
in the small club of nations
that have refused to ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. Other
nations include: China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iran, and Pakistan. In
his Prague speech,
Obama said his administration "will immediately and aggressively pursue
U.S. ratification," saying, "After more than five decades of talks, it
is time for the testing of nuclear weapons to finally be banned."
All of this must be kept in context as the "crisis" with North Korea
continues to unfold. US hypocrisy on the nuclear issue takes away
credibility the US has in its condemnations of North Korea, or Iran,
for that matter. "Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile activity poses a
real threat, not just to the United States, but to Iran's neighbors and
our allies," Obama said in Prague. Obama used Iran to justify a
controverisal central European missile system, saying, "As long as the
threat from Iran persists, we will go forward... with a missile defense
system that is cost-effective and proven." Obama did not mention Israel
once in his speech and has never acknowledged its nuclear weapons
system. Perhaps Obama should ask Arab and Muslim nations in the region
what country they see as the biggest nuclear threat.
And this historical fact, which to Obama's credit he acknowledged,
should never be forgotten: One nation in the world has used nuclear
weapons-the United States.
In a statement, Peace Action,
cautiously welcomed some of Obama's positions outlined in Prague, but
said, "President Obama's statement that [a nuclear weapons-free] world
might not be achieved in his lifetime is very disappointing. Obama can
and should announce the initiation of negotiations on the global
elimination of nuclear weapons. Similarly, his promotion of nuclear
power, missile defense bases in Poland and the Czech Republic and his
escalation of troops in Afghanistan are all moves in the wrong
direction."
President Obama's administration is pressing for diplomatic
retaliation, perhaps in the form of more sanctions against North Korea,
after Pyonyang launched a rocket into space. There are conflicting
reports about the success of the launch. North Korea says the rocket
carried a satellite, which is now orbiting the earth. That's according
to state-run media in North Korea, which reportedly broadcast patriotic
songs and images of Kim Jung Il, praising him for the launch. The US,
meanwhile, said the launch failed to reach orbit, landing in the
Pacific Ocean. According to The New York Times,
"Officials and analysts in Seoul said the North's rocket, identified by
American officials as a Taepodong-2, flew at least 2,000 miles,
doubling the range of an earlier rocket it tested in 1998 and boosting
its potential to fire a long-range missile."
There is
disagreement at the Security Council over whether North Korea violated
any UN resolutions with the US on one side and Russia, backed by China,
on the other. The Obama administration has called the launch a
"provocative act." "We think that what was launched is not the issue;
the fact that there was a launch using ballistic missile technology is
itself a clear violation," said
UN ambassador Susan Rice, who is pressing for more sanctions against
North Korea at the Security Council. Chinese officials said North
Korea, like other nations, had a right to launch satellites. "Every
state has the right to the peaceful use of outer space," said Russia's deputy U.N. envoy, Igor N. Shcherbak.
Obama used the launch in his major address in Prague, which has been
characterized as an anti-nuclear speech. "Rules must be binding," he
said of North Korea's launch. "Violations must be punished. Words must
mean something."
Many countries around the world certainly see hypocrisy in the Obama
administration's position on North Korea. Israel has repeatedly been
condemned by the UN for its occupation of Palestinian lands. Moreover,
it has hundreds of nuclear weapons with estimates ranging from 200-400
warheads. What's more, Israel and the US are in league with North Korea
in the small club of nations
that have refused to ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. Other
nations include: China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iran, and Pakistan. In
his Prague speech,
Obama said his administration "will immediately and aggressively pursue
U.S. ratification," saying, "After more than five decades of talks, it
is time for the testing of nuclear weapons to finally be banned."
All of this must be kept in context as the "crisis" with North Korea
continues to unfold. US hypocrisy on the nuclear issue takes away
credibility the US has in its condemnations of North Korea, or Iran,
for that matter. "Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile activity poses a
real threat, not just to the United States, but to Iran's neighbors and
our allies," Obama said in Prague. Obama used Iran to justify a
controverisal central European missile system, saying, "As long as the
threat from Iran persists, we will go forward... with a missile defense
system that is cost-effective and proven." Obama did not mention Israel
once in his speech and has never acknowledged its nuclear weapons
system. Perhaps Obama should ask Arab and Muslim nations in the region
what country they see as the biggest nuclear threat.
And this historical fact, which to Obama's credit he acknowledged,
should never be forgotten: One nation in the world has used nuclear
weapons-the United States.
In a statement, Peace Action,
cautiously welcomed some of Obama's positions outlined in Prague, but
said, "President Obama's statement that [a nuclear weapons-free] world
might not be achieved in his lifetime is very disappointing. Obama can
and should announce the initiation of negotiations on the global
elimination of nuclear weapons. Similarly, his promotion of nuclear
power, missile defense bases in Poland and the Czech Republic and his
escalation of troops in Afghanistan are all moves in the wrong
direction."