The island bit over the weekend was a revealing farce.

This article was originally published on March 18, 2003.

Bruce Cumings's book Parallax Visions: Making Sense of American-East Asian Relations has recently appeared in paperback (Duke) and contains an extended analysis of the first nuclear crisis with North Korea a decade ago.

Scene 1.

Iranians would welcome Hussein's overthrow, but fear what might come later.

The alliances on Survivor have more stability and logic than those currently held by the United States. We need a weekly two-hour special to keep us in the know.

Pre-emptive war flagrantly contradicts the UN's legal framework.

It would be so much easier if the Bush Administration just dropped the confusing pretension of an earnest campaign for truth, international cooperation and the rule of law.

The revival of nuclear danger means we have already lost, whatever
happens later.

These are dangerous times. George W. Bush is set to make another State
of the Union address.