(Andy) Rooney: U.S. Should've Attacked North Korea, But Now 'Ineffectual' UN Should Handle It

newsbusters.org ^ | October 15, 2006 | Brent Baker

[lowbridge]

Rooney: U.S. Should've Attacked North Korea, But Now 'Ineffectual' UN Should Handle It

Posted by Brent Baker on October 15, 2006 - 22:23.

At the end of Sunday's 60 Minutes, Andy Rooney expressed bafflement over why anyone would worry about a nuclear weapon in the hands of a communist tyrant: “I don't understand why we think it's okay for us to have a nuclear weapon, but it isn't okay for some other countries to have any.” And he went on to assert a very naive and dangerous view: “I don't think any country should have nuclear weapons. And that includes ours.” Noting how many “are in a tizzy” over North Korea's nuclear weapon test, Rooney rued that “we're a little late getting exercised about this. North Korea has always been more of a threat to world peace than Iraq ever was and if we were going to attack someone three years ago to make the world safer, we should have attacked North Korea, not Iraq.”

He then rationalized how “it's not hard to understand why North Korea wants the bomb. If we Americans lived in North Korea instead of here, do you think we'd be in favor of our little country having it? You're darn right we would.” Rooney acknowledged that the UN has “been an ineffectual organization,” but contended that's why “we've got to give it more power and the way to give it more power is to give it more responsibility,” so though a minute earlier he suggested the U.S. should have attacked North Korea instead of Iraq, he argued “the UN should take the bomb away from North Korea; we should not.”

Rooney's commentary at the end of the October 15 60 Minutes, based on the text posted on CBSNews.com, but corrected to match what he actually said on the program:

“I served in the United States Army for four years during World War II, so I never feel I have to worry about sounding unpatriotic when I’m critical of something my country does. Right now, I don't understand why we think it's okay for us to have a nuclear weapon, but it isn't okay for some other countries to have any. I don't think any country should have nuclear weapons. And that includes ours.

“Seven countries admit having them. They are the United States, Great Britain, Russia, France, China, India and Pakistan. Israel may have them, but hasn't said so. North Korea has recently set off a nuclear bomb of some kind, and the leaders of the countries with the bomb -- that includes us -- are in a tizzy about that.

“We're a little late getting exercised about this. North Korea has always been more of a threat to world peace than Iraq ever was and if we were going to attack someone three years ago to make the world safer, we should have attacked North Korea, not Iraq.

“We're not so much afraid that North Korea will use the bomb against us as we are that they'll sell their nuclear technology to some little country or group of individuals who will use it on us. It could happen. It's not hard to understand why North Korea wants the bomb. If we Americans lived in North Korea instead of here, do you think we'd be in favor of our little country having it? You’re darn right we would.

“President Bush did the right thing when he presented the United Nations with our complaint against North Korea instead of declaring war on them. I'm not a big fan of the UN. It's been an ineffectual organization, but we've got to give it more power and the way to give it more power is to give it more responsibility. The UN should take the bomb away from North Korea; we should not.

“I've said it, and I'm glad.”

[Hegemony Cricket]

Hegemony Cricket expresses bafflement as to why anyone would give Andy Rooney the time of day...

[ozzymandus]

Andy has senile dementia.

[brooklyn dave]

Actually North Korea is another Clinton screw up. Now if and how it would/should have been handled militarily can be discussed at length, but falling for their blackmail was definitely a no-no. Actually screws should be put on the South Korean regime to start defending themselves. Japan also slowly has to come around and start defending itself. Yup, China will sqawk---and let them.

[LachlanMinnesota]

I thought he died and his opinions were just taped before he died! Like Osama...Oh well...won't be long now anyway...before the election, that is.

[maine-iac7]

Past time to wheel Andy out to the back pasture...

[marvlus]

Hegemony Cricket expresses bafflement as to why anyone would give Andy Rooney the time of day..

Andy Rooney seemed baffled by CBS' green light given to him to baffle the audience.

[steel_resolve]

Andy Rooney - Another lefty giving aid and comfort to our enemies.

[Red6]

This guy needs to retire. He culminated 30 years ago.

[elc]

I saw part of this while I was waiting for the Amazing Race to start.

I can't believe they still let that man on television. But then again it is cBS.

[Robe]

Andy is a goofy old loone !!!

[Harry Pothead]

I was flicking across channels last night and saw several seconds of this... My wife was quite shocked at the unprintables I gave to Rooney in response.

[LibLieSlayer]

andy smokes way too much weed with willie! Both have fried their noggins!

LLS

[Lib-Lickers 2]

and yet he would have defended Kennedy(his God) to the hilt for getting us in WW3 over Cuba having some nukes in 1962

why shouldn't Cuba have been allowed to have them, what was the big deal Andy?

[Eric in the Ozarks]

60 Minutes is so....old.

[driftless2]

Rooney's remarks are inane and illogical on several levels. First is the standard lib assumption of moral equivalence: we are no better than they are. Yes, that's right, the U.S. is morally no better than N. Korea or other rogue nations. Second is the thoroughly childlike view that there should be no nasty, evil people in the world...everyone should like one another. Reality has never been one of Rooney's strong points.

[spikeytx86]

Under his logic rapists should have custody of children, after all who is anyone with a child to tell someone without a child not to have one. Sure he could rape the child but if we were worried about that why did we not execute him years ago for rape?

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

Liberalism, a mental disorder curable only by expiration.

[monday]

Sixty minutes should be ashamed of itself for exploiting a guy that old and mentally retarded just for a few laughs each week. It's sad really.