Keeping Count Of Count-Downs

Would this man be feeling China's pressure if we had blown the NoKo missile off the launch pad? No way.

I heard a lefty say the other day that only the US had influence over NoKo, and Six Party talks were useless. What a nutcase. NoKo is to China as Cuba was to Russia -- hugely dependent, so the Chinese do have influence ... it's just a question of whether they'll be a positive influence or not.

China's interests are not ours, but if the current talks bring a tad of rationality from the NoKos, I'll tip my hat to Beijing, for a moment at least.

The real test will be what happens after the UN blows it, as they always do. With China and Russia prepared to veto any resolution sanctioning Kim (very mentally) Il Jung, calls to take the matter to the UN are hollow. Bush diplomacy is based on giving the UN a chance or two, then taking action. A chance or two: Let's keep count.

Related Tags: North Korea, China, UN, Bush, Kim Il Jung