Lots of rivalry stuff in this article.
Asian history runs deep in the negotiations to disarm Kim Jong-il.
"History can be omnipresent or repressed in northeast Asia, but nearly everyone agrees it is festering and unresolved. Historic resentments and nationalist anger are volatile and easily inflamed, as evidenced by the outrage that followed recent comments by Japan’s prime minister, Shinzo Abe, about Korean “comfort women” in World War II. Yet, most often, that anger is compartmentalized to protect the hum of commerce. China and Japan conduct record bilateral trade even as public attitudes in both countries can range anywhere from mutual distrust to open loathing. North Korea is a bit like the crazy uncle whose refusal to stay locked and quiet in the region’s attic has forced everyone to the same table, with historic baggage and contemporary rivalries in tow."
2 comments:
just medicate him. thats what we did to my crazy uncle.
I wonder if these "working sessions" will get anything accomplished. Maybe after Japan's elections in the summer, the rhetoric will come down and talks proceed.
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