A POLITICAL RESURRECTION? - AT 9:21 P.M. ET:  High on the list of George W. Bush's contributions, for which the press will give him no credit, is the strengthening of our tie with India, the world's most populous democracy.  Here, an Indian columnist writes a column called "Bush was Right After All."  Thus comes the start of a political resurrection, if the media will let it happen:

It is ironical the North Korean leader’s muscle-flexing has taken place only months after a new and supposedly conciliatory resident arrived at the White House. After all, US President Barack Obama’s team made effusive noises about the conduct of foreign policy that would be different from President George W Bush’s sledgehammer, “with us or against us”, approach.

How did North Korea behave in the Bush years? As far back as 2002, Mr Bush named the Pyongyang regime as part of the “Axis of Evil”. In 2003, Pyongyang withdrew from the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty and in 2006 tested a nuclear device. The then American President pushed for economic sanctions and used China — the one country with influence on Mr Kim — to bring North Korea to the negotiating table.

North Korea did not give up its clandestine mission. Nevertheless, it checked itself. There were no overt displays of aggression. Mr Kim agreed to shut down some nuclear facilities. He recognised that in Mr Bush he had an implacable foe, one who would hit back and hit back hard if provoked.

Six months after the Republican President left Washington, DC, the North Korean megalomaniac has triggered an East Asian crisis. He has reneged on his promise to close nuclear installations and reverted to Bomb-making.

And the money quote:

What does this tell us about Mr Kim and about political adventurism in general? The North Koreans have indicated they don’t think much of the Obama crowd, they see America’s resolve as weakening. They have also paid a left-handed compliment to Mr Bush —acknowledging he put the fear of god into them.

There are three implications to the crisis. First, it will give others ideas. Teheran has already more or less rebuffed Mr Obama’s offer of talks...

...Second, Mr Obama is being put to test. He came into office with limited experience and with the reputation of being a foreign policy lightweight...

...Third, Afghanistan or Pakistan, North Korea or Iran, even India or China: The more Mr Obama tries to distance himself from the Bush template, the closer he moves towards it.

COMMENT:  This Indian commentator gets it.  A few in the U.S. do, too.  But mountains will have to be moved to get George Bush and Dick Cheney the credit they deserve.  They weren't perfect, and Bush's second term saw him drift from the determination of his first.  But other nations knew there were lines that couldn't be crossed.  I wonder if they think that today.

June 29, 2009