Clinton's surprise visit frees journalists

Opinion

August 7, 2009

Opinion

Anonymous The Commonwealth Journal Fri Aug 07, 2009, 10:06 AM EDT

Those who watch the odd antics of North Korea were kept busy this week.

It began with the surprising word that former President Bill Clinton was on his way to visit the reclusive communist country. Then came anonymous reports that Clinton was seeking the release of two American journalists jailed by the North Koreans.

Sure enough, that’s how it played out. After meeting with North Korean officials, including President Kim Jong Il, Clinton departed the country, with the two journalists in tow.

In many ways, this was similar to what has passed previously for diplomatic missions to North Korea, where a high-ranking U.S. official makes a stop to gain the release of people held by that government on trumped-up charges. But Clinton’s status as a former president puts him in a league by himself.

During Clinton’s presidency, the United States had relatively good relations with North Korea — at least as far as such things go. So perhaps it was no surprise government officials there welcomed him warmly. Accounts in the state-controlled media were respectful and subdued. That’s counter to the threats and rantings usually leveled at the United States and its officials.

But the same accounts said Clinton carried a message from President Obama and offered an apology on behalf of the American government regarding the behavior of the two journalists. When asked, Obama’s press secretary Robert Gibbs minced no words in declaring those accounts dead wrong.

So what does all of this mean?

Assessments vary, but there is every indication North Korea is seeking a more constructive dialogue with the U.S. It’s possible Kim and his minions think their most recent nuclear and missile tests put them in a position of bargaining strength. Or they may have gotten the message that these tests were more costly than they anticipated, with tough new international sanctions closing trading doors.

The North Korean regime probably cannot survive for long without the hard currency it obtains from its few trading partners. The government there has every reason to ease tensions — whether it fully grasps that fact or not.

Interestingly, this visit came on the heels of some tough talk from Clinton’s wife, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who has been at the forefront of efforts to isolate North Korea in the world community after it renewed nuclear testing.

The secretary’s blunt words stung the Kim regime, which responded with personal insults aimed at the former first lady. That the government would turn around and welcome her husband is intriguing.

Where things go with North Korea from here is problematical. The good news, we suppose, is that this week’s diplomatic exchange shows that a dialogue is taking place at some level.

And it’s a relief to see the journalists back with their families. At least that’s a step in the right direction.

Text Only

Opinion

Separation of State & Mosque
March 1, 2012 1 Photo
Clifford Calder
Clifford Arnold Calder, age 69 of Somerset departed this life on Monday, February 27, 2012 at his residence.
Visitation for Mr. Calder will be Saturday, March 3 at 12 noon at the chapel of Lake Cumberland Funeral Home with his funeral service to follow at 2 p.m. Bro. Patrick Butcher and Bro. David Muse will officiate.
Burial will be in the Singleton Cemetery in Lincoln County.In lieu of flowers, the family requests expressions of sympathy be made to the Clifford Arnold Calder Memorial Fund c/o Lake Cumberland Funeral Home.
A complete obituary will be published in Friday, March 2 edition.
Lake Cumberland Funeral Home is entrusted with the arrangements for Clifford Arnold Calder.

February 29, 2012
Why not charter schools?
The number of parents choosing to home school their children has risen by 50 percent in the last five years. I believe this is a direct indicator of the frustration parents have in the interference of the federal government in dictating what their children should be taught.
State Representative Brad Montell announced the pre-filing of legislation that, if passed, would establish a charter school initiative in Kentucky. (House Bill BR 117) Kentucky is one of only nine states in the nation that does not have charter schools, helping place Kentucky at number 37 out of 50 states in quality of education.
In charter schools, if educators are performing below standard, they can be terminated, not reassigned or given additional training. Most charter schools are non-union and non-tenured, so an educator knows he/she must perform to a high degree of excellence to retain employment. They can increase their chances of advancement through performance incentives.

December 30, 2011 1 Photo
Opinon: Don't Penalize Players for Being Good
Sports are intrinsically amoral.
Not immoral, as in evil. Amoral, as in indifferent to right or wrong.
That is not to say that you can’t do something immoral — something that flies in the face of conventionally accepted ideas of good and bad behavior — while playing sports. Look at Ndamukong Suh, the Detroit Lions defensive tackle who’s expected to be suspended for a game or two for stomping, apparently on purpose, another player during a Thanksgiving game with the Green Bay Packers.
Most Kentucky basketball fans would recall Duke forward Christian Laettner’s infamous stomp on UK’s Aminu Timberlake during the 1992 NCAA College Basketball Tournament, and think he probably deserved a fate similar to Suh’s.
But in and of themselves, there’s nothing morally good or bad about throwing a ball, or kicking a ball, or hitting a puck with a stick, or anything of that nature.
There are only the rules of the game. Break the rules, and the game has a system built in to penalize you for it.

November 29, 2011 1 Photo
Road goes back to property owner
October 25, 2011 1 Photo
Fool me once...

When putting pen to paper (or fingers to keypad), it is so easy to fall into the trap of wanting to denigrate those with opposing views relating to political beliefs and social issues. I try hard to constantly remind myself that there are two sides to every argument, and each side can be as passionate about their viewpoint as the other. It is tempting to accuse someone of being an idiot if we passionately disagree with them. The term “idiot” is used to describe someone who is weak minded, of low IQ, or incapable of learning. Anyone who reaches the hallowed halls of Congress or the Whitehouse is definitely not an idiot, but they can be misguided. George W. Bush, Yale graduate with a Texas size ego, and Barak Obama, Harvard graduate with a Chicago thug style political background, are two such men.

October 6, 2011 1 Photo
What does it maen?
/11. An instantly recognizable reference. One of those references to an event that all United States citizens of a certain age will always recognize. We will always ask, “what were you doing when you heard” and the question will be answered without a second's delay. It was an event that seared itself into our national psyche along with other societal tremors. 9/11 ushered in a new age for the United States and the decade since has brought systemic changes to our society, some for the better, some for the worse. 9/11 revealed in us a willingness to help others at great risk to our own lives and uncovered a fear that we may not be as safe as we thought we were. 9/11 has been used as both reason and excuse for a lot of things, many not very reasonable.

September 13, 2011 1 Photo
The day of indelible memories

On a normal day, in my average, everyday, normal life, I would be hard pressed to tell you what I had for dinner the previous day. No, I’m not suffering from dementia or Alzheimer disease. The mind of the average person does not register routine activities as important enough to be a lasting memory. Not so on September 11, 2001. I would venture to say that the majority of the people in America have some indelible memories of what they were doing that day.

September 11, 2011
Dana Allen
Dana Michele Allen, age 25, of Somerset, departed this life on Sunday, April 25, 2010 in Lexington, Ky.

April 27, 2010 1 Photo
Ruth Morris Ruth Morris, 66, of Somerset, Ky., passed away Friday, April 16, 2010, at Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital in Somerset.
April 20, 2010
More Opinion Headlines

Opinion

Search Results

Clinton's surprise visit frees journalists

Opinion

Site Map