The Zong

From the “Carry a Big Stick” file, we have this surprising revelation that North Korea isn’t really afraid of us, and that they are pretty much only at the six-nation talks in Beijing for the food and electricity. Nevertheless, bad-ass America is in the house, and we’re gonna let those commies know that their obstinance won’t fly with the U S of A.

North Korea set out sweeping demands yesterday for scrapping its nuclear arms programme and the US warned that its patience was running out — an inauspicious start to six-party talks after a year-long hiatus.

As for what will happen when our benevolent patience finally runs out, like the sands of freedom through an hourglass shaped like Martha Washington? Well, I’m sure those details are being worked out right now.

At least, I hope they are. Colin Powell, who ran a war in Iraq before it was cool, seems to think that there really aren’t any more soldiers or resources in the American army even to send to Iraq, much less to threaten North Korea or Iran.

Powell said US troops should not act as policemen. He described the US army as “about broken”, with a shortage of equipment, officers going on repetitive tours and gaps in military coverage elsewhere in the world.

“The current active army is not large enough and the marine corps is not large enough for the kinds of missions they are being asked to perform,” he said.

It’s surely no secret by now that the Iraq situation, grave and deteriorating as it is, hasn’t helped our standing as a military superpower. Also, I’d love to ask Colin Powell how much of a role he thinks he himself played in the marketing of this war. Still, the fact that he’s a hypocrite doesn’t negate the fact that he’s probably right, and that, unless the Bush Administration has some sort of secret army that it’s ready to call into action, North Korea really doesn’t have much to fear from us losing our patience.

Who knows? Maybe the next tactic is for Christopher Hill to hold his breath until North Korea agrees to disarm.

- M.G.