1. "Track down and secure loose nuclear weapons and material." Why didn't I think of that? ok, that may sound reasonable.
2. "Stop nations such as North Korea and Iran, which on President Bush's watch have greatly expanded nuclear programs, from joining up with the evil ideology of al-Qaeda." how to do this? Carrots and sticks!
"We propose a program of "carrots" combined with an old-fashioned, American "big stick." That means pursuing diplomacy and trying to convince these nations to act in their own best interests. But it also means backing that up with a real commitment to use whatever form of pressure is most likely to produce results."For some reason, call me crazy, but "pressure" doesn't sound like the use of military force, but only the "threat of use of military force." Where have we heard that before?
3. "revitalize the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty" Ok. this one is interest. How is a piece of paper going to stop Al Qaeda or North Korea or Iran? It's not. First, Al Qaeda won't be a signatory. (Or will it?) Second, regimes like North Korea and Iran have consistently been parties to "treaties" like the NNPT and then consistently ignored its tenets. These pieces of paper usually work to bind what the US can do, not the other way around. North Korea just opted out of the last NNPT, so why would they act any different the next time around? They'll probably repeat their behavior and then the leading Dems like Pelosi and Reid will call for another revitalization. And around we go.
I agree that the Bush administration should be tougher on these rougue states, but rewarding them with "carrots" when they haven't earned it is asinine, particularly given their histories of eating the carrots and the sticks and leaving us holding the bag.
