Re: “Let’s conduct some public nuclear testing of our own”
I chanced to read [Ernesto] Zaldivar’s opinion column on nuclear testing, and came away amazed. If there was ever a manner in which to illustrate precisely why America is suffering diplomatically, this is it. Simply put, Zaldivar’s opinions are the shallow, egotistical jingoism of someone replacing true political awareness with hubris.
Zaldivar proudly announces how we are “the only superpower,” indicating that somehow we are superior to every other nation on the world’s stage. Yet that is not nearly as offensive as when he proposes our diplomatic stance as likened to a father “spanking” a little kid to “set them straight.” We are not the world’s parent. When our forefathers penned down the words “All men are created equal,” I can assure Zaldivar and our readers that they never once implied “All men are created equal except for non-Americans, who are clearly inferior.”
Yes, North Korea obtaining nuclear weapons is a very delicate, sobering situation that threatens the established balance of power. And yes, communism stands very much at odds with our own ideology. But it is a great disrespect to them and to any non-Democratic nation to assume a lack of stability in their government and an overall moral inferiority as a result. Politics is not about morality, but rather about order and life, ideally tempered with ethics. Somehow, I very much doubt the ethical, or even moral, value of browbeating a civilized nation instead of reasonable diplomatic discourse.
Zaldivar denounces them for acting like they have a right to have nuclear weapons, and as Americans we must ask him, what right do we have? My only comfort is in noting that he is a freshman just beginning his education in political science. It will be a credit to the University if they instill in him a true appreciation for the scope and complexities of global diplomacy.
Endre Enyedy
Senior