I was dismayed to learn that the government of North Korea carried out a nuclear test in the far northeast of that country early today. This move has sounded alarmbells all around the world. Proliferation of nuclear weapons and technology is something that we can definitely do without. It is already bad enough that we have the Gang of Eight [countries] who have nuclear armaments.
North Korea is a small state on the northern side of the Korean peninsula. A bitter war was fought there in the 1950s, which resulted in the separation into a North Korea, ruled along communist lines, and South Korea, along capitalist lines.
The current North Korean leader, Kim Yong Il, is a maverick and unpredictable politician, who is rarely seen in public. A personality cult has been built up around this individual, like there was around his father Kim Il Sung, until he died a number of years ago.
The population of North Korea suffers extreme hardship, including starvation and deprivation of essential services, for its government to pursue its armaments programme. The North Korean economy is said to be virtually defunct.
As I said at the start of this entry, I am extremely concerned. The North Korean government adopts a hardline stance against the USA, accusing it of necessitating the building of a credible nuclear deterrant. This could be the case within 4 to 5 years. A nuclear device, exploded over Seoul (South Korea) or Tokyo (Japan), could claim 200,000 lives.
Even worse than that, there is always the possibility that the North Korean government could surreptitiously supply radio-active material to terrorist groups to manufacture a so-called dirty bomb. This means that an explosive device is filled with high-level radio-active material. On exploding, a large area is contaminated withradio-activity, which takes thousands of years to degrade.
I would like to recommend for reading the novel "The Physicists" by German author Friedrich Dürrenmatt. It shows that the human condition means that any knowledge WILL be used, however evil its uses may be.
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yes... knowledge is not always beneficial or good for us
ReplyDeleteValerie
I think its pretty obvious in about thirty years every nation will have nuclear bombs.....one of the things that is coming politically to the UN...is to validate the "right" for all nations to possess nuclear....where some nations will consider that irrational leaders like Kim Jong shouldnt have them...Iran will have them soon... and this right will be globally decided upon as fair.
ReplyDelete..its like saying every human being has a right to carry a gun even if your a murderor....When that happens...I'm moving to Canada....lol
~Raven
dear Guido,
ReplyDeletegreat entry.
I did watch the news Monday like you, and like you I hoped that the international community would rally and look together for answers... China has "hinted" to North Korea that it would like them to stand down... what good is that?
I have been talking to Fred about it... what kind of elbow room do you think we have witha dictator who would deny food to people?
natalie