Andy Harris is beating the war drum with North Korea

By Ryan Miner 

Maryland’s only Republican congressman, Andy Harris, went on WCBC radio yesterday and called for North Korean weapons to be shot down if said weapons are fired over U.S. territories or another country’s territory.

In the same interview, Harris said, “it’s getting to the point where North Korea is leaving no alternative but for a military response.”

What?

This is the same congressman who was elected in 2010 under a Tea Party wave and who, at one time, advocated for a restrained foreign policy. Harris sold his constituents on the notion that he would support a reasonable and prudent foreign policy strategy.

Fast forward to 2017, the so-called Tea Party congressman is beating the drums of war with a country whose military is barely 2% of America’s own.

Some would argue that North Korea is a small, impoverished country that does not even spend 1% of the American military budget on its defense. Yet, the country is surrounded and constantly threatened by the U.S. military bases in Southeast Asia. North Korea still hasn’t attacked another nation, and the only reason it needs ICBMs is to deter against American threats of invasion.

Like the Soviets inevitable self-destruction, North Korea, too, will eventually succumb to the same fate. Our intelligence sources do not even have absolute proof of the type of bomb the North Koreans have at this time. We do know, however, that North Korea’s missiles rarely work.

Rep. Harris’ insecurities over North Korea speak volumes.

Why provoke North Korea? China suggested that if the United States stops our military exercises, they would help us.

Perhaps it’s time for America to change its entire foreign policy strategy. If we continue to stir the proverbial North Korean pot, which the U.S. is clearly on the verge of doing, I would expect an eventual response.

Moreover, what evidence does the U.S. have that North Korea has invaded any of its neighboring countries? North Korea, as evil as it may be, has minded its own business while destroying its own economy.

Enough with the neocons in Congress!

It makes no sense whatsoever for our country to accelerate a war against North Korea. The U.S. needs an entirely different foreign policy strategy.

If Andy Harris truly understood the North Korean conflict, he wouldn’t be on the radio calling for increased provocation with a rogue nation that isn’t even remotely capable of bombing the United States.

If I’m wrong, I’ll eat my words; but just watch.

Beware the leader who bangs the drums of war in order to whip the citizenry into a patriotic fervor, for patriotism is indeed a double-edged sword. It both emboldens the blood, just as it narrows the mind. And when the drums of war have reached a fever pitch and the blood boils with hate and the mind has closed, the leader will have no need in seizing the rights of the citizenry. Rather, the citizenry, infused with fear and blinded by patriotism, will offer up all of their rights unto the leader and gladly so. How do I know? For this is what I have done. And I am Caesar.” — Julius Caesar