I am at a loss to understand countries such as Iran and North Korea.
Here are two insignificant nations threatening, if not the world then at least major powers, that they will attack (in North Korea's case) with nuclear weapons.
Of course, the threat always is prefaced by "if threatened by (the big kid)."
Both North Korea and Iran are noted for cowardice - when The World (to them, The Bullies) tells them to do something, they agree. As soon as The World looks away, the promises to comply turn into lies as these rogue nations thumb their political noses at the others with whom they share the globe.
Don't these countries' leaders - Kim Son Il and the Ayatollah al-Uzma - the madman Ahmadinejad is little more than a marionette whose strings are pulled by the equally mad "supreme leader" ayatollah * - understand that if they initiate a nuclear conflict with Russia or the US that they, their people, and their counties will be relegated to the ash heap as were Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
Perhaps they think that the U.S. administration will have pity on the populace and spare the country on their account. I doubt Russia would be so gentle; China certainly would not. Different mentalities.
The U.S. is burdened by a Euro-Christian mentality of "turn the other cheek" (until there is no "other cheek" to turn). Neither of the two blustering leaders have that burden. Israel, because its leadership is in the hands of those with a European mentality, hesitates.
Funny enough, while middle east Islamic-ruled countries understand Iran's threat to them - both directly and indirectly (e.g., nuclear fallout from an attack on Israel) these fellow Moslems are hesitant to act against a fellow Islamic state.
The problem with North Korea and Iran is that they are like an infection. If not removed in the early stages, it becomes stronger. When medicines finally are tried, the infection develops an immunity.
Iran, funding terrorists throughout the world - including its neighboring states - has become a very strong "infection." An attack on it by, say, Saudia,, would result in attacks on Saudia from inside the kingdom by Iran-paid operatives. Saudia already totters politically as different Islamic sects and modernists vie for political power. Egypt and North African nations are hardly better off.
North Korea has China as its protector; even when China publicly disagrees with its neighbor, it still behaves like a parent with a naughty child. Iran, with its well-placed terrorist cells throughout Islamic lands, likewise is protected from punishment.
That leaves the U.S. and its self-perceived role as Policeman to the World. (Whatever happened to the Monroe Doctrine - "you keep your nose out of our business and we'll keep our nose out of yours"? Was it ever, is it now, legitimate ? The coin has two sides.) I don't think the U.S. should wait around, advertising its intentions while it waits for its "allies" to make up their political minds to take a role or not - we should have learned THAT doesn't work in the run-up to the last Iraq invasion.
What can be done? Given the present mentality, probably not much - and the madmen of North Korea and Iran know it. They are betting on it - betting the lives of their countrymen and the future of their countries.
If either crazy orders an attack the U.S., their leaders are assured a place in history - right alongside Haman and Hitler, but a mention none-the-less.
Here we sit, between hammer and anvil.
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supreme_Leader
Yohanon
Yohanon . Glenn at gmail dot com
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