Hypocrisy approaching nuclear levels

Following the end of the Cold War, the United States is totally dominant in all matters of importance. As noted by former Judge of the International Court of Justice, C.G. Weeramantry, this is unique in human history: “never has it occurred before that one single nation has been universally looked upon as the world’s leader, the pre-eminent power of the world. No nation in history ever had this position, suddenly descending on it, of being the universally acknowledged superpower of the world”.

So before we start toeing the US line on North Korea, let’s encourage the US to engage in a bit of self-reflection. Nuclear weapons, and in fact all weapons, are a scourge on humanity. Instruments whose effectiveness is principally measured by how many lives they can obliterate don’t have many redeeming features.

Production of all weapons should be discouraged. The elimination of each weapon, irrespective of whose hands it is in is a small but important step down the road of universal peace.

Thus, of course North Korea should be hindered from further developing nuclear weapons capability. But just as pressing is the need for the United States to be stripped of its gluttony of nuclear weapons.

Before we join in a possible US-led pulverisation of North Korea we should require it to disarm some of its nuclear arsenal. This is the best hope that the world has to finally rein in the monster in the northern hemisphere.

Henceforth every US criticism of the North Korean nuclear program should be met with the inquiry, “but what are you doing about your nuclear arsenal?” Only once the US has taken action on this front and finally starts fulfilling (and indeed exceeding) its nuclear weapons reduction obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty should we join it in applying pressure on North Korea to end its nuclear program.

Does this mean that the US will go it alone and if necessary invade North Korea? Three years ago the answer would almost certainly have been yes. But the US public is increasingly losing its appetite to engage in (what are in effect) solo fights as a result of the ongoing debacle that is Iraq.

That’s why the US is trying to elicit the support of the Security Council and European powers - all of whom it arrogantly brushed aside (with the exception of the UK) during the Iraq invasion - in the skirmish with North Korea.

In any event, this is the best chance the world has to rein in the tyrant that is modern day America. It is a risky strategy but the risk of not taking the opportunity to dampen the military dominance of the US is higher.