North Korea as yet Another Renouncement of the NeoCon Agenda

So last week the Bushies lauded progress with North Korea.  This development, which is a policy shift for the U.S., basically goes back to similar terms of a deal reached by the Clinton Administration, which the N. Koreans cheated on.  This cheating was held up as a huge example of Clinton policy failure.  Then the talking head would say something like “you cannot just trust the North Koreans.”  Well, we will be in pretty much the same boat again.  Except that this time, they have nukes.

Now, I’m not blaming the Bush admin for the nukes.  I suspect that the nukes would have been developed no matter who the President was.  But we have wasted a huge amount of time, diplomatically, playing the tough guy with N. Korea.  This is the same thing that we have done with Cuba for 45 years and Iran for 25.  Is the message that we are sending that we will not engage you as rightful governments until you develop nuclear weapons?  No wonder the Iranians are trying to figure out how to make this thing go.

Hopefully, what we are seeing the abolition of the power of the neocons. Surely someone has looked around and noticed that every prediction that they made has backfired.  Liberating Iraq, wartime tax cuts, N. Korea, Iran, high stakes testing, privatized Social Security, outsourced military, energy policy…  Now I’m depressed…

I said on November 8th that the worst thing that could happen to Dems is that Bush actually becomes what he said he was in the beginning, a uniter.  If he actually does come around and share power, play nice and act like a moderate, he can really blunt our advantage.  I am torn, because I like our advantage, but I would really like some sensibility in our government.

I don’t hold out much hope for this happening.  He would have to get rid of Cheney and Rove for it to happen, but there are small signs that the NeoCon influence is waning.  I’m not sure what will make me happier in the end.