This North Korea thing is really bothering me. At the very least, you can say that isolation is not an option with a nuclear power. China could implode NK in an instant if it wanted, but it has to make the decision if a failed-collapsed NK is worse than a nuclear Japan. In the meantime, the US is still bogged down in Iraq, the only country of the "Axis of Evil" that was not close to developing nuclear weapons. And now its clear to both Iran and NK that being nuclear is the best way to protect yourself from an American government that is in the mood to fight.
Of course, its not like the Agreed Framework that Clinton put together was vastly successful. And obviously its not easy to negotiate with an insane person (which Kim Jong Il genuinely seems to be, as opposed to Saddam). But it seems like there had to have been a dozen things that could have been done earlier that would have yielded a better result than this.
Update:
And then I read this, and it doesn't make me feel any better.
Posted by ktismael at October 11, 2006 2:25 PMI was searching for some info on the Lee A. Tregurtha and I ran into your site. I have sailed on the lakes as well. Burns Harbor, Roger Blough, John G. Munson, Undaunted/Pere Marquette 41, and the Earl W. Oglebay. I haven't been out since July 2004. I was in an "accident" at Marquette while working for Oglebay Norton.
Hi Brian, thanks for your comment.
I talked with the Interlake guys last week and they said that the Lee A. is out sailing and the repowering seems to have went well. I don't think she was fully fitout to sail again until September though, because of a delay getting the new engines.
Anyway, best wishes.
Posted by: ish at October 20, 2006 10:44 PM