The Loose, unconnected List of Evil

George Bush continues to frame American foreign policy against the backdrop of this so-called ‘Axis of Evil’ – speaking in South Korea of all places about their ‘evil’ neighbour to the North. South Korean President Kim Dae-jung even remarked on the over simplicity of the comment, remarking that President Reagan had described Moscow as an “evil empire” yet still had a dialogue with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, whereas the US has essentially cut diplomatic ties to North Korea, concentrating on punitive and anti-militaristic measures.
What is perhaps more laughable about this so-called axis of evil is that they are not, in any way, shape or form, an axis. By dubbing it such, any Westerner will recall the Axis Powers of World War 2, who signed an agreement of concord with each other, against the Allies (Ok – vastly oversimplified explanation, but it will serve). These new countries? The only thing they may have in common is absolutely no relationship with each other. Perhaps the only countr Iran or Iraq hates more than the US is the other one. Korea is not know for it’s tight relations with middle eastern nations. Each has a different type of government. All authoritarian by US standard, but each quite different. Also, none of them seem to have percolated into pop culture over the past decade or so as Terrorist countries. When I think terrorists, I think Libya, Ireland, Israel/Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, and now, Afghanistan. Indonesia and the Phillipines would be higher on my list than any of those 3 countries. Hell, Yemen seems to me to be more of a threat, based on past front-page news than any of those 3. So what gives? My guess? These are 3 geopolitically ‘unpopular’ nations – nations who would apparently be shy on allies should the US attack them who also have regimes who are known to be anti-American in either their domestic or foreign policy. Coincidentally, Iran and Iraq both have vast resources that I’m sure the US industrial complex would like access to. The collapse of North Korea could erase the failureof the Korean war, as well as be an indirect attack on China, who propped up North Korea after the Korea war (and may still today, I don’t really know).