Take that question from the macro to the micro and back up again answering it on the county, regional, state, federal, and world stage. Once you've done that, apply issues such as civil right, women's rights, and education.

Now answer the question "what is a superpower?" Without the ability and willingness to use force to ensure the will of the international community, as expressed by the 16 continual resolutions passed over the last 12 years, the United Nations becomes as toothless and irrelevant as the original League of Nations. Remember the Spiderman motto..."With great power, comes great responsibility."

Remember too that France, Germany, China, and Russia (UNSC voting members) have more skin in the game than is readily apparent. From the uncovering of domestic terrorist attempts to make the deadly poison ricin in Britain, France, Spain, and Italy to having to content with muslim populations that are high as 33% and are more 80% against action in Iraq, countries public faces are often different from their private ones. In "Bush at War," it was noted that prominent members of middle eastern governments would love to support the US publicly in their anti-terror efforts but it would mean their death. I could go on...

And look at economic issues. On January 17th, the Russian owned Stroitransgaz, an oil and gas construction company, was had awarded a contract to develop block four in Iraq's Western Desert. Apart from Russia, companies from China, France, Turkey, Britain, Vietnam, South Korea, Italy, Spain and Malaysia and Canada have held talks with Baghdad. Russia also stands to gain the giant Bin Umar field (a $3.4 billion development effort) which is the largest oilfield in the world. Of course, France is pissed because this contract originally belonged to them. The Iraq's oil ministry all but stated that failure to veto or block additional US resolutions would result in contracts going elsewhere. Poor Germany is a consumer of oil and controls the pipelines that would distribute the lion share of that market for retail purposes. Unfortunately, no one can benefit until the UN resolutions and sanctions are removed AND these contracts become worthless if Saddam is removed from power. I could go on...

How about human rights? National security? Regional stability? Do we want to send a message that says if you deny, delay, and obfuscate for 12 years that the international community will forget what it was all about? The Iraqis learned THAT lesson by watching Bill Clinton during the Monica Lewinski affair. Denying, delaying, and obfuscating works. Too bad we can't seem to learn the same lesson. And as for other "misbehaving" countries, we have to treat each situation as differently as we approached Panama, Haiti, Somalia, Croatia, South Africa, Rwanda, Vietnam, Israel/Egypt, Israel/Palestine, Afghanistan, India/Pakistan, India/Sri Lanka, China/Hong Kong... I could go on and on...

As for the North Korea situation, I agree with John Adams. "Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute." A tribute is what Mr. Clinton proposed yesterday when he suggested we need to "do what we can with the South Koreans, the Japanese, the Chinese and the Russians to make a big deal with them, a verifiable deal to end all nuclear programs and their long-range missile sales." He translates that into giving them "the international recognition they crave," as well as desperately needed cash for food and energy programs. That isn't trade, that is outright bribery and protection money.

Finally, Fox news showed an excellent graphic not two nights ago that pointed out the laughable hypocrisy of the anti-war faction who cries that maybe the first Gulf War was necessary as we had an international coalition and were attempting to remove one country who invaded another but the American people won't stand for the reverse, us unilaterally invading another country. Guess what? The highest pre-war favorable rating for going into "Gulf War I" was 47%. Today, the favorable rating is 6% HIGHER. Depending on the poll, an average 53% are willing to go based on the information in the public arena TODAY. On January 31st, President Bush meets with Prime Minister Blair. The next day, Colin Powell will, borrowing words from Thomas Jefferson, "place before mankind the common sense of the subject, in terms so plain and firm as to command their assent."

Anyway, for them what care...