I have been suggesting for some time now that to get out from under the obvious failure of US foreign policy toward North Korea, we should drop the overly punitive approach of the Bush Jr. administration and start giving the Pyongyang regime what it wants (a security guarantee, food aid, etc.).  The idea is to draw them into the broader forces of global political economy that will begin a process of progressive change there.  It’s a Taoist thing, too: "A great nation that puts itself below a small nation takes over the small nation…" (TTC, passage 61).

    Of course, we could never expect any US politician to stand up and say "let’s pursue a Taoist foreign policy."  And it is politically near impossible to demonstrate much reasonableness on the North Korea issue – it’s so much easier just to say "Kim Jong-il is crazy" and leave it at that.  So, it was quite refreshing today to read this WaPo op-ed by Donald Gregg and Don Oberdorfer:

The Bush administration is preparing to implement a new set of
comprehensive sanctions against North Korea in response to its recent
ballistic missile tests. This would be a grave mistake, likely to lift
the already dangerous situation on the Korean Peninsula to a new level
of tension. Imposing such sanctions at this time could bring about more
of the very actions the United States opposes. They should be
reconsidered before lasting damage is done.

 These are not softy, lefty Taoist guys.  Gregg is a long-time Republican foreign policy establishment man (and an Eph!).  I have met him and listened to him express his dismay, from the very beginning of the Bush Jr. administration, over the mishandling, the dangerous mishandling, of US policy toward North Korea.  He will, most likely, now be attacked by the shrinking cadre of die-hard Bush supporters, who must slime anyone who dares call into question the policies of the dear leader.  And that’s too bad, because he and Oberdorfer are men with long experience on this issue:

Some high in the Bush administration have argued that dangerous actions
by North Korea are likely whether or not the United States undertakes
new sanctions against Pyongyang. Perhaps so, but they are much more
likely if, instead of carrot-and-stick negotiations, the administration
withdraws all previous carrots and multiplies the sticks. In this case
a U.S. administration will have to share the blame with North Korea if
a new international crisis erupts.

 Fewer sticks please.