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| Path to nowhere: Brinksmanship - Compromise and repeat |
Its morality is now under question. Why should the CEO Eric Schmidt visit North Korea, the reclusive Stalinist nation whose brinksmanship has raised concerns among the neighboring nations?
This piece of news is widely circulated among the people in the region, to deprive them of any hope that the US's Democratic government does just "any good". He is reportedly close to President Obama. Is this a way for the US to borrow more money from China, its major ally and the supplier of goods and fuels to the Stalinist nation?
The UN Security Council is to take up the issue of North Korean 'rocket' launch. It has denounced the launch last month that is generally considered as a test launch for ballistic missiles. North Korea is an exporter of weapons and missiles. Its customers include nations such as Iran whose authority has praised the launch. North Korea claims that the missile would reach America and that would make the nation great. The launch is against the UNSC resolution that ban any missile launch by the state.
At this crucial moment, why should a CEO of the President's friend pay a tribute to the Communist nation, where 200,000 of its citizens are in the concentration camps? Nothing has changed since the succession of the previous Kim to the new one. Many of the high ranking officials were reportedly killed during the succession. It still claims to test weapons and it boasted to continue to develop its weapons. A show of compromise can give a wrong hint to the US's allies.
The US State Department denounced his visit calling it unhelpful. It claims the visit is personal and does not carry messages from the Administration. Why now, and for what purpose is this visit? Compromise to China, will be regarded as such. If not the US then the Administration or the Democratic party will lose many of the US allies in the region.
Let us hope the international community take a firm stand against the test of weapons by the state that claimed to have become a nuclear state. The weapons testing would only put more pressure on its neighbors to get militarized. The arms race does not solve problems nor bring peace, stability, nor prosperity. Let us hope peaceful solution still is possible.