[Marxism] NYT: North Korea is warned by Gates on testing

["Fred Feldman" <ffeldman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

(My introductory comments on the New York Times article that follows stems
in part from a discussion on the Marxism List. The tone of polemical
response stems from that list, not from any of the others to which I send
this post. --FF)

This statement of Gates seems to me to be a result of reminders to Gates
that he should sound more alarmed and threatening about North Korea's second
and clearly successful test of a nuclear weapon, which might seem to be
contradicted or downplayed by his earlier statement that this is not a
"crisis".

Nothing he says directly contradicts the earlier statement (also available
on the latest hundred messages) in which he said this is not a crisis, and
called for limiting sanctions to nuclear-program material, although what
that means concretely is open to debate and negotiation. (After all, doesn't
food help North Koreans maintain a nuclear program?)

At the same time, it contains the usual "everything is on the table" threats
(including nuclear) against the Democratic People"s Republic of (north)
Korea if it crosses quite vaguely defined lines..

To me, the attempt to use the outstanding character of the Cuban leadership
and revolution and how they defend their state as a kind of ultimatum to
"lesser" regimes in the semicolonial world to become like Cuba or abandon
their right to self-defense and sovereignty with the means currently
available. 

This gives a seriously distorting pacifist twist to the genuinely important
example (not "model") of the Cuban revolution, It justifies profoundly
unjustified and imperialist-arrogant demands on the oppressed nations that
have not yet become "like Cuba." Aside from the fact that Cuba places quite
a significant emphasis on maintaining close relations resembling alliance
with nuclear powers like China and Russia. They are not pacifists, including
on this matter!

Cuba as a justification for denouncing North Korea's nuclear test does not
work. And Louis is right to point out that the element of nationalist
xenophobia in North Korea (which also has strong reflections among South
Korea) belongs in the category of "nationalism of the oppressed," not
nationalism of the oppressor.

Enough said for now.
Fred Feldman

May 30, 2009
North Korea Is Warned by Gates on Testing 
By ELISABETH BUMILLER
SINGAPORE ? Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates warned North Korea on Saturday
that the United States would not accept it as a nuclear weapons state and
would consider any transfer of nuclear material to other countries or
terrorist groups a ?grave threat? to the United States and its allies.

?We will not stand idly by as North Korea builds the capability to wreak
destruction on any target in the region ? or on us,? Mr. Gates told a major
security conference here that has been dominated by North Korea?s test this
week of a nuclear device and the firing of at least six short-range
missiles, all in defiance of international sanctions. North Korea test-fired
a missile on Friday, according to a South Korean defense official.

North Korea, Mr. Gates said, had a choice: ?To continue as a destitute,
international pariah, or chart a new course.?

Mr. Gates, who was speaking for the first time at the annual conference,
called the Shangri-La Dialogue, as an emissary of his new commander in
chief, said the new administration had limited patience with North Korea?s
bellicose words and behavior.

?President Obama has offered an open hand to tyrannies that unclench their
fists,? Mr. Gates said. ?He is hopeful, but he is not naïve. Likewise, the
United States and our allies are open to dialogue, but we will not bend to
pressure or provocation.?

Military officials traveling with Mr. Gates said the tough talk was aimed at
increasing worldwide pressure on North Korea as well as reassuring allies in
the region, particularly Japan and South Korea, that the United States was
committed to their defense should North Korea make good on talk of war this
week. On Wednesday, North Korea threatened military strikes against the
South. 

The officials acknowledged that the United States had only limited
information about what was happening inside North Korea and suspected but
did not know for certain that its leader, Kim Jong-il, was in the midst of
political maneuvers to make his youngest son, Kim Jong-un, his successor.
The officials described the country?s leadership as unpredictable and
bizarre.

Mr. Gates?s sharp language was met with some skepticism by at least one
participant in the conference, a Hong Kong television commentator, who in a
question-and-answer session after the defense secretary?s formal remarks
noted that although Mr. Gates had declared that the United States would not
recognize North Korea as a nuclear weapons state, it was already a ?de facto
nuclear weapons state.? The questioner asked about the next step for the
United States and whether the long-running six-nation talks aimed at getting
North Korea to abandon its nuclear program had failed.

Mr. Gates responded that the next step was political and that the United
States would send a team to Asia to ?reassess? how to go forward with the
talks. He acknowledged, ?It would be hard to point to them at this point as
an example of success.?

Although North Korea was the ?hot topic? at the conference, as Mr. Gates put
it to reporters on his plane, he also used the forum to appeal to Asian
allies for help, both financial and military, with the war in Afghanistan.

?I know some in Asia have concluded that Afghanistan does not represent a
strategic threat to their countries, owing in part to Afghanistan?s
geographic location,? Mr. Gates said. ?But the threat from failed or failing
states is international in scope.? 

In representing Mr. Obama, Mr. Gates concluded that the United States, ?in
our efforts to protect our own freedom, and that of others? had ?from time
to time made mistakes, including at times being arrogant in dealing with
others.? 

He did not name names, but then said, ?We always correct our course.?



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