Friday, June 16, 2017

Diving off a cliff into shallow water





"As far as I am concerned, the world should unify and give North Korea this crystal clear choice. Either become a part of the civilized world, the community of nations, or become part of past history. The choice is theirs."



Diving off a cliff into shallow water. Nobody in their right mind would do this if they knew the water was shallow. But once in while someone does, and suffers a catastrophic injury. It is always sad when this happens. What is the point? For an American to go into North Korea these days, the most brutal regime on the planet, is akin to diving into a shallow pool of water. And there are a couple of Americans in jail doing hard time for doing nothing wrong. One young man was just sent home in a coma, more dead than alive.

University of Virginia student, Otto Warmbier has just been released by North Korea for "humanitarian reasons". This young man who went to North Korea as a normal healthy person, did something foolish right before he came home. He wanted to bring a propaganda poster home with him as a souvenir. He took one, got caught, and was sentenced to over 15 years of hard labor. And because there are zero relations between the United States and North Korea, Otto was on his own.

Sailors from the USS Pueblo who were illegally captured and detained by North Korea in 1968 told of the unbelievable conditions when they were held. Yes, beatings were a part of it. So when young Mr. Warmbier was released in a coma, many (including me) were very suspicious. The coma he arrived home in is not recent - he has been in a coma for about a year. And the neurological damage suffered by this young man is so extensive, he will probably never recover.

His folks were recently interviewed on Fox and were very angry and upset with both the North Koreans and (ready for this) - the Obama Administration. In their view, the Obama Administration did nothing (surprised?) in getting their son released. But he is released now. And I want the Trump Administration to get some answers. Not propaganda by this puppet regime - I want the truth in what happened to this student.

The civilized world should shun this regime like the plague. It is rotten to the core. They are dangerous and they are rogue. Traveling into North Korea these days is no more safe than diving off a cliff into shallow water. As far as I am concerned, the world should unify and give North Korea this crystal clear choice. Either become a part of the civilized world, the community of nations, or become part of past history. The choice is theirs.   

3 comments:

  1. Assuming such unanimity among nations was even possible, what do you say to a rabid dog to keep it from biting you?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Just like in the movie "Old Yeller", rabid dogs are put down.

      Delete
  2. So how do you suggest the mad dogs of NK be "put down" without violating international law and expected civilized behavior, and without collateral damage of having NK's nukes land in South Korea or Japan in retaliation?

    ReplyDelete