Talk about your fun accession negotiations!
In The Lexus and the Olive Tree, Thomas Friedman argued that globalization forced states into the Golden Straitjacket, choosing between “free market vanilla and North Korea.” This is one of those classic Friedmanisms that is simultaneously overexaggerated and yet tugs at some gut sense that there’s a truth embedded in somewhere in that statement. Anyway, ...
In The Lexus and the Olive Tree, Thomas Friedman argued that globalization forced states into the Golden Straitjacket, choosing between "free market vanilla and North Korea." This is one of those classic Friedmanisms that is simultaneously overexaggerated and yet tugs at some gut sense that there's a truth embedded in somewhere in that statement. Anyway, I bring this up because apparently North Korea has called and apparently wants vanilla. Anna Fifield explains for the Financial Times:
In The Lexus and the Olive Tree, Thomas Friedman argued that globalization forced states into the Golden Straitjacket, choosing between “free market vanilla and North Korea.” This is one of those classic Friedmanisms that is simultaneously overexaggerated and yet tugs at some gut sense that there’s a truth embedded in somewhere in that statement. Anyway, I bring this up because apparently North Korea has called and apparently wants vanilla. Anna Fifield explains for the Financial Times:
North Korea, the world?s most reclusive state and one that prides itself on its communist ideals, plans to apply to the World Trade Organisation for observer status, according to a European Parliament delegation that visited Pyongyang this week. News of the plan, the first step down the long road to joining the free trade body, is likely to be met by the outside world with bewilderment, optimism and opposition in equal measure…. ?North Korea says it has been in contact with the WTO secretariat about observer status,? Glyn Ford, a British member of the European Parliament, said after the delegation for relations with the Korean peninsula met high-level North Korean officials. ?Iraq also applied so if one horse can get through the door, maybe two can.? Observer countries are allowed to participate in meetings but not be involved in the decision making process. Post-Saddam Iraq was granted the right to attend meetings and hold talks with WTO member countries in February last year. The US had vigorously opposed attempts by Iran, which it also accuses of secretly developing nuclear weapons, to gain observer status but in May agreed to allow Iran to start the membership process. The WTO on Friday said it had not received any application from North Korea.
I really do not know how much credence to put into this report. But if there’s any truth to it, I’d love to be a fly on the wall when the accession negotiations start.
Daniel W. Drezner is a professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and co-host of the Space the Nation podcast. Twitter: @dandrezner
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