The “situation” with North Korea

Before you get even more nervous over North Korea’s nuclear test—which probably hasn’t occured, or maybe it has; who knows?—take comfort in the thought of the day, week, month, or year, whichever you prefer: The United States is the only nation in history to have used nuclear weapons on another nation. In fact, we nuked Japan twice—and both times, we nuked civilians.

And now, I see from Reuters that the United States is confident that China will support sanctions against North Korea. Answer me this: Whom do sanctions affect? I’ll give you three guesses. “The government!” No. “But that’s what sanctions are for! It has to be the government!” Wrong again. One more shot, smart guy. “I’m sticking with the government. Sanctions affect the government.” Hey, since the answer was wrong the previous two times, guess what? It’s still wrong.

Sanctions affect the people. Any trade that might have benefitted them is now cut off, and they are wholly at the mercy of their government, which will still rape and pillage and plunder and destroy and—well, you get the idea.

The United States is somehow known for taking the moral high ground, but when your country has nuked civilians twice; is the only country to have used nuclear weapons; and is supporting restrictions that harm even moreso an already oppressed people, it’s hard to see how moral we really are.

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