Children growing up in the 1950s were well-acquainted with a character named Bert. Bert was a turtle and the subject of the 1951 film Duck and Cover, distributed by the federal government's Civil Defense branch. The ten-minute movie was designed to instruct grade-school students in the proper action to take in the event of a nuclear attack. Its precepts have since been shown to be dubious at best; all the same, it is an interesting piece to study, for its psychological, political, and - perhaps most importantly - sociological impact. It marked an escalation of fear in times that were already tense, as it was produced (in part) as a result of the Soviet Union successfully conducting its own nuclear tests. The United States was no longer alone in the nuclear world, and the Cold War began in earnest.
We probably won't see Bert come back to our television screens, but recent events have given us cause to stop and remember those feelings of dread that pervaded the American spirit. Shortly after 10:30 am local time, underground explosions in Gilju in Hamgyong province, North Korea, signaled the potential arrival of yet another nuclear power on the planetary stage. The Pyongyang government announced that it had successfully completed its first nuclear tests, and the news - along with the accompanying seismic waves - went around the world like wildfire.
At the time of this writing, it is not clear exactly what happened. Were the tests really successful? Just how big were they? Perhaps we'll never know. The international community, however, has strongly and almost unanimously condemned the move, and strong proposals have already been presented, calling for varying levels of sanctions against the country. Even the United States, with its recent "Do-It-Yourself" attitude, and China, a long-time supporter of North Korea, have come together with the rest of the world to loudly decry this recent act of aggression. The only question is, will that be enough?
If the stance taken recently by Pyongyang is a good indicator, the answer will unfortunately prove to be "no." The North Korean government has been highly reluctant to participate in talks or treaties that would inhibit its weapon-development programs. Against the counsel of its neighbors and the other world powers, the state has continued its aggressive pursuits, continually testing the patience and ire of the international community. There are already sanctions in place against the country, and yet they seem to have no effect on the determination of the Pyongyang government to incite fury around the world.
As we increase pressure, however, we must keep in mind that it is not just the North Korean government we are up against; it is against the entire population of the nation. That isn't to say that everyone there supports the state in its actions, but rather that we must always consider the effects of what we do on the North Korean people. If we restrict the country's trade even further, they will suffer. In fact, the regime is already one of the worst in the world with regard to its policies on civil liberties. Certainly, those won't improve if we try to penalize the state in any way. Alternatively, if we approach the situation using military force, we may find ourselves in circumstances similar to what we are seeing in Iraq and Afghanistan.
It is clear that we must find a solution to the problem of North Korea, and that we must do so soon. For years, we have carefully danced at the edge of disaster, and we have come now to the very brink. It can only be hoped that we make every attempt to reach a peaceful conclusion, but is that even possible? To the discredit of humanity, I’m afraid it might not be. Perhaps we will end up following Bert’s advice after all.
