Kucinich on North Korea

[diamondsoul]

This my DU friends is the mark of a leader. A man who takes the perspective of another country's leader and gives it the weight it MUST have if we're ever to negotiate any sort of peace.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2003-11-19-kucinich_x.htm

Q: You say you're a pragmatist, even as you talk of your dream for world peace. As a pragmatist, how would you get North Korea to give up nuclear weapons? And how would you deal with India and Pakistan?

A: Let's start with North Korea. Let's go inside Kim Jong Il's skin for a minute. ...

Q: Scary thought.

A. ... But we need to do that. As president, I need to be able to see how that other person views the world so I can understand what I need to do to meet his fears and resolve these questions. Kim heard the United States' president describe North Korea as part of an axis of evil. Remember, during the Korean War that country was leveled. To have the United States making bellicose statements about North Korea has to be pretty scary. As president, I'd have a new policy of engagement. Go talk to him! Not isolate him and make him believe that he has no ability to deal with the United States other than to rattle a nuclear saber.

In our development of new nuclear weapons, we're not only breaking our own pledge in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, but we're also creating a basis for nuclear proliferation — which brings us to India and Pakistan. We have no credibility telling the Asian subcontinent not to go ahead and arm with nuclear arms when we ourselves are doing that.

[JohnKleeb]

1. *yells* Kucinich!

Thanks di. That makes sense, why should we tell people to disarm while we are arming ourselves. Thanks Dennis.

[LWolf]

6. *ROAR*

We need to start Roaring the message in every possible venue until everyone has heard.

Common sense. Diplomacy. Going and talking to people?!? Who would have thought of a novel concept like that?

I'm sending this on to my Quaker friend; the man who has been demonstrating for a year now. One of his first demonstrations was in front of a U.S. nuclear weapons facility; a group of quakers with signs reading "Weapons of Mass Destruction Found."

I haven't heard much from him since he left to organize demonstrations a year ago. I believe it will encourage him to read Dennis' words.

[Punkingal]

2. Imagine that!

You TALK to someone, instead of telling them they are evil. Such a novel idea would probably cause Neocon heads to explode! (sarcasm off) In my opinion, that is exactly what we should do, talk to people we have differences with, not call them names and isolate them. Kucinich is soooo smart!

[JohnKleeb]

3. but punkin hes unelectable, lets ignore him

;) wink o wink!
That was so common sense of him to say yet an uncommon sight.

[diamondsoul]

4. So whaddaya say, is this one-

good enough to let the man say "HELLOOOO!"? LOL

[Spock_is_Skeptical]

5. Common sense from Dennis.

The guy just makes sense to me. I agree with his stand on the issues and his platform. That's why I'm voting for him in the primaries.

[redqueen]

7. 100% common sense.

That's why he would make bush look like an empty shell in a debate. No spin points. No rhetoric. 100% common sense.

Yes this is enough of a no-brainer that it also deserves the "HELLO?!" opener. :) I love that. Makes it even more obvious when people aren't seeing the forest for the trees.

[no name no slogan]

8. EXACTLY what I preach!

I've been using the same point DK makes about Kim Jong Il to many people for a long time when discussing issues like dangerous crackpot dictators. We need to try and see the world from THEIR perspective, and see how we are seen by them, to truly understand how we should deal with them.

Although I'm generally not a Clinton fan, I think he was on the right path with North Korea. We were making real progress before Da Shrub took office, and basically cut off all communication with North Korea.

And like you said: no spin points, no rhetoric. Just a straightforward answer from a straighforward guy. How could anybody NOT appreciate this?

[diamondsoul]

9. Yep, make a valid point-

the thread drops like a stone. Start a flame-bait thread and you get 300 replies.*sigh*

[redqueen]

10. I don't think Kucinich's insight is appreciated

It makes other politicians look a little too controlled.

[Zomby Woof]

11. great post!

If America ever grows up, it would do well to heed such enlightened words.

[diamondsoul]

12. LOL Thanks very much!

But you see we're trying to make them grow a little faster....fast enough to get him the nomination!