Nothing to Lose

Quite often…these little guys, who might be making atomic weapons or who might be guilty of some human rights violation...are looking for someone to listen to their problems and help them communicate.
Jimmy Carter, 39th president of the United States

The Bush administration’s rush to war in Iraq and the subsequent revelation that Colin Powell’s meeting before the United Nations was all an act with doctored or selectively picked evidence will have and is having lingering and possibly dire consequences, now and for years to come.

No one believes the United States when it comes to intelligence reports because it lost its credibility. According to the New York Times, a senior Chinese diplomat has accused the Bush team of again spouting false information, saying that there is no solid evidence that North Korea was preparing to test a nuclear weapon, and the administration is really trying to undermine negotiations with North Korea.

It seems to me the Chinese diplomat has a valid point. President Bush, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and the rest of the administration have resorted to what they do best – name calling. If you are trying to negotiate, whether it’s the sale of your used car or the elimination of nuclear weapons, you are well advised not to insult the party on the other side of the table. And, if you are going to accuse someone of cheating or being underhanded, you had better have verifiable proof, especially if you were the one caught lying last time.

If you refer to your opponent as a tyrant and the leader of an evil empire, it is likely you are not going to achieve your goals. There is a basic win-win strategy that the Bush team refuses to accept; with them it’s we win and you lose (watch for the nuclear option in the Senate next week).

What the Bushies forget is that it’s hard to make North Korea a loser when they have nothing to lose.