During the Vietnam War Cheney and Rumsfeld had the not so bright idea that if we added ground troups and escalated the war the other side would surrender.

Does anyone know what Cheney’s opinion of the Nixon Doctrine was/is?

What I would like to know is this: Who is George Bush channeling now?

The comments here should be on Scheer’s piece, but Roby’s blaming America’s problems on the Jews shows a simplicity that has done great harm to this world, and a prejudice which begets terrorism.  While curious as to why Roby’s mother went to prison, I suppose we all do the best with what we are given.

What I do not understand is why Americans are still kissing dictator BUSHES ass,are afraid to question him,it reminds me of Germanys hitler,my mother was sent to a prison camp just like the one BUSH has in Cuba,USA is a very board country,now they make place for the borders of the world,Why are americans so hooked on Isreal,a people with nothing in common,to die and give them all your tax money,strange is it not,are all americans JEWS,you veto everything for them,
IMPEACH BUSH and his gang before it is to late,if you love this place called earth because this looney will destroy it
bless everyone with a brain who really knows the truth ,it’s out there

Well said.  However, for Bush to agree to private diplomacy would be to agree to something the Koreans wanted all along.  I just don’t think he’ll do that.  Also, some writers have conjectured that defusing the nuclear threat from North Korea would remove the rationale for the U.S. anti-missile defense.  Not that it work anyway.

Since North Korean canon tubes coud wipe out Seoul I’ve heard right wingers suggest that the happy option would be to take them out with a preemptive nuclear strike.  Good precedent what?

Well said.  However, for Bush to agree to private diplomacy would be to agree to something the Koreans wanted all along.  I just don’t think he’ll do that.  Also, some writers have conjectured that defusing the nuclear threat from North Korea would remove the rationale for the U.S. anti-missile defense.  Not that it work anyway.

Since North Korean canon tubes coud wipe out Seoule I’ve heard right wingers suggest that the happy option would be to take them out with a preemptive nuclear strike.  Good precedent what?

First, I’ve followed Robert Scheer for a very long time and was so happy to see him found Truthdig after his dismissal (along with many other excellent columnists) from the Los Angeles Times.  The paper has gone downhill since.

According to an excellent Frontline which aired a couple of weeks ago, Cheney and Rumsfeld were against Nixon’s visit to China.  That would make sense.  Cheney & Rumsfeld’s selfish and egotistical brand of foreign policy holds sway with the neocons.

Naturally it would make sense for Bush to emulate Nixon in his earlier efforts to reach a detente with Red China and the Soviet Union.  Do you really think Bush could actually pull that off though?  Anything that presents a challenge doesn’t suit or attract Bush.

Diplomacy is a sane and safe way to iron out difficulties between nations, but you need bribe money to seal the deal.  (Why do you think all of those little countries nobody’s ever heard of offered to join Bush’s pitiful “coalition of the willing.” in Iraq.) Unfortunately, our country is so flat broke all it can do is sell stuff, like shipping ports and national parks. Nixon was practicality backed up by bucks.  Bush has spent his whole life with bribe money at the ready - without it, he’s speechless.

If Bush were a good man then he would know exactly what to do with North Korea, which is to treat its leader with respect and concern. He would stop trying to isolate him and talk face to face with him as Nixon did in China. Tyrants respect honest and open dialogue and many times they respond in kind. How can the US influence this man in a good way if they won’t even talk to him? Unfortunately for us, Bush’s ego is in control instead of his heart.

Robert, as usual, you are right-on! Speaking of Tricky Dick, perhaps the neofascists in dubya’s “inner circle” should listen to John Dean who is warning about the DANGERS of the “right” becoming enamored of fascism. We should all be afraid; be very afraid.

“Admittedly, it is an act of desperation on my part”

Aren’t all your columns pretty much acts of desperation?  Jesus f’in Christ .... save yourself the effort and title your redundant columns “Still crazy after all these years: Scheer explains that the sky is falling. No , REALLY this time. 

Say hi to the 1930’s and Joe Stalin for me.

I recommend the MahaBlog (which I located through a search engine)...a very interesting detailed summary of the timeline of relations between the US and North Korea from Clinton to Bush...explaining how we went from negotiations and diplomacy to the terrible state of affairs now.

http://www.mahablog.com/oldsite/id34.html

Bush and his gang ought to prepare military invasion against N. Korea because this nation truly hold a lot of “weapons of mass destruction” unlikely Iraq under Saddam Hussein’s dynasty.

After almost 3 years of “liberate” Iraq from “WMD” now this becomes Weapons of “ass” Destruction.

Viva king George !

“Even the normally bellicose Bush now seems to be getting the point. “Diplomacy, diplomacy,” he chanted at a recent press conference, embracing the word he once most dreaded. “You are watching the diplomacy work not only in North Korea but in Iran,” he stated Friday”

What he is really saying here (Bush) is that sane people with common sense have taken over and I am not able to talk about using nukyuler weapons anymore.