Today’s featured op-ed in the Washington Post, “North Korea’s consistent message to the U.S.,” is by former President Jimmy Carter. In case you have forgotten, Carter has been to the DPRK in both official and unofficial capacities. He has a relationship with the regime and speculates that all the North Koreans want is a little respect:
Except that it would still seem unclear whether or not that would bring an end to North Korea’s nuclear designs. Sure, the regime told this to Carter last summer:
But is the DPRK known for saying what it really means? (A high-ranking German diplomat once told me that his encounters with North Korean officials in Berlin were the strangest he’s ever had. When he told a DPRK representative about Germany’s concerns, the man would simply take out a piece of paper and read whatever was on it—and it had nothing to do with what he just said. When he repeated his concerns, the North Korean simply took out another piece of paper and read whatever was on that.)
Also, when Carter relayed his findings to Obama administration officials, what was their reaction? “Sure, President Carter, thanks for letting us know. So you had a nice flight?” He doesn’t tell us.
The bottom line, according to the 39th president:
And if not?
In short, the United States needs to listen. The DPRK is telling us what it wants. And the last thing we need to do is flex our muscles.
Is it just me, or do you get the impression that when Carter walks through the halls of power in Pyongyang, someone behind a curtain cues “Listen to the Flower People”?
