Bush's Blunder In North Korea
By Donald Gregg
The Washington Post

Former U.S. National Security Advisor Donald Gregg - First:
Don't panic. Kim Jong Il's objective is survival and
eventual change in North Korea, not suicide. The diplomatic
situation in Northeast Asia will be immensely complicated
by the North Korea test, which I think was a huge mistake
on their part, but missiles are not about to start flying.

The test may indicate the rise in influence of a hard-line
faction in the KPA, which is holding sway, at least for
now, over others more interested in transformational change
in NK. The initiation of a strong bilateral dialogue
between NK and the US would strengthen the moderates, and
ease the situation in general, but that is not at all
likely to happen.

Second: Why won't the Bush administration talk bilaterally
and substantively with NK, as the Brits (and eventually the
US) did with Libya? Because the Bush administration sees
diplomacy as something to be engaged in with another
country as a reward for that country's good behavior. They
seem not to see diplomacy as a tool to be used with
antagonistic countries or parties, that might bring about
an improvement in the behaviour of such entities, and a
resolution to the issues that trouble us. Thus we do not
talk to Iran, Syria, Hizballah or North Korea. We only talk
to our friends - a huge mistake.

Isn't this policy of only talking to those who are non-contentious our domestic policy as well? I mean, opposing ideas and only barely beginning to trickle trough. There's certainly no "fair and balanced" media to give opposing views. If I call my federal representatives (Tenn.) I don't get heard at all because I'm not a GOP dupe.

So I don't think its surprising at all that the idiots don't talk to Northern Korea.

Mr Snow reciently stated that the days of rewarding bad behavior with recognition are over.