Message #162818

[Harconen]

Sam Webb, the leader of the Communist Party USA, addresses a crowd of supporters at a New York banquet. His speech, titled, “The impossible becomes the possible,” gives a laundry list of communist goals and says that with Obama in the White House, “All these—and many other things—are within our reach now!” [2893]

 

On Memorial Day (May 25), North Korea carries out an underground nuclear test. It measured 4.5 on the Richter scale used for earthquakes, and may have been an explosion of up to 20 kilotons—approximately equivalent of the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end World War II. (The communist nation’s last nuclear test was in 2006.) North Korea gave the United States less than an hour’s notice of the test. Obama states that the United States would work with its allies to “stand up to” North Korea, but mentioned no specific actions that might be taken. “North Korea has previously committed to abandoning its nuclear program,” said Obama. “Instead of following through on that commitment, it has chosen to ignore that commitment. Its actions have also flown in the face of United Nations resolutions. As a result North Korea is not only deepening its own isolation it’s also inviting stronger international pressure.” Obama also states the obvious, “North Korea’s behavior increases tensions and undermines stability in Northeast Asia,” and warns that Kim Jung-Il’s actions are “a matter of grave concern” and will prevent him from receiving “international acceptance.” (Obama’s foreign policy experts apparently neglected to tell him that North Korea does not care about instability in Northeast Asia or international acceptance.) There is very little the United States or other nations can do if China continues to trade with North Korea and provide it with food and energy. (China does not want a worsening of conditions in North Korea because that would result in a flood of hungry immigrants crossing the border into its territories.) North Korea also receives much needed cash from Iran in exchange for weapons technology, and Obama will be unlikely to persuade China or Iran to tamp down on Kim Jong-Il. United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon says he is “deeply disturbed” by the nuclear test., while Great Britain’s Prime Minister Gordon Brown says the test will “undermine prospects for peace on the Korean peninsula.” Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi states, “If today’s announcement is true, these tests would be a clear violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1718, which requires that North Korea not conduct any further nuclear tests. Such action by North Korea is unacceptable and cause for great alarm.” North Korea’s actions (which are likely being at least partially financed by Iran) may be “unacceptable,” but they have essentially already been accepted. The response from the west will likely be nothing more than another U.N. resolution Kim Jong-Il will ignore. [2897, 2898, 2905, 2940, 2985]

 

The same day North Korea tests a nuclear bomb, Iran launches warships in the Gulf of Aden. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad states, “Iran’s nuclear issue is over.” With his comment, Ahmadinejad likely means at least two things: Iran’s eventual nuclear bombs will work because North Korea’s bomb worked (the two nations are cooperating), and Obama will do nothing to stop Iran because he did nothing to stop Kim Jong-Il. [2940]

 

On May 26, the day after the nuclear test, North Korea test-launches another missile and accuses the United States of hostility. [2922, 2923]

 

Also on May 26, Obama nominates New York federal appellate judge Sonia Sotomayor to fill the Supreme Court vacancy of retiring Justice David Souter. Sotomayor is Hispanic, thus making it difficult for Republicans to oppose the left-leaning and activist judge without being accused of racism or sexism—which is likely one reason Obama chose her. (Obama’s move may also help Democrats gain Hispanic votes in 2010 and 2012.) In a 2001 speech, Sotomayor said, “I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life.” In 2005 she stated that a “court of appeals is where policy is made”—and then quickly “corrected” herself  “And I know—I know this is on tape, and I should never say that because we don’t make law. I know. Okay. I know. I’m not promoting it. I’m not advocating it. I’m—you know.” Sotomayor has been a member of “La Raza” (“the race”), a Hispanic group that supports, drivers licenses for illegal immigrants, easing of immigration laws, and giving illegal immigrants an easier “pathway to citizenship.” In 2002, Sotomayor told the New York Times that the courts are the “last refuge for the oppressed,” suggesting she would rule in favor of minorities even if the law is not in their favor. Her most controversial ruling involved a group of New Haven, Connecticut firefighters (Ricci v. Destefano) who were refused promotions because no blacks had scored high enough on the same test to be promoted. Sotomayor ruled against the firefighters. The case will go to the Supreme Court. (An amazingly high 60 per cent of Sotomayor’s decisions have been reversed by higher courts.) Sotomayor has no children and was once briefly married. She had a “temporary” fiancé during her appellate court confirmation hearings, after which he dropped out of sight, prompting speculation that she is gay. [2900, 2901, 2902, 2916, 2924]