North Korea: 2012-2016

[J Wolfsberger]

It's one thing to realize that the North Korean leader is little more than an adolescent, and yet another thing for an educated American politician to play the same game while our troops are on this fragile line of defense.

True.

But what really scares me is that there don't seem to be many "educated American politician(s)." What we have instead is a surplus of highly indoctrinated, over aged, self serving adolescents.

I'll be very surprised if this latest chest thumping by NK doesn't lead to a very bad outcome.

[jmm99]

that international relations have followed the path of internet relations ?

"Suppose you have two groups"

Shocking - utterly shocking.

Regards

Mike

[Bill Moore]

that international relations have followed the path of internet relations ?

"Suppose you have two groups"

Shocking - utterly shocking.

Regards

Mike

This is a classic, thanks for posting.

[slapout9]

Link to article on US delays Missile test amid so called tensions with North Korea. This is a prime example of how America is in decline and no longer respected in the world. We yield to mass murders and leave our allies and friends in suspense about our true intentions as far as it regards our political will to actually honor our defense treaties. We are facing the greatest crisis of leadership I have ever seen in my lifetime for this country. Think Nixon would have put up with this worst haircut ever kinda guy.....I Don't think so.

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013...rth-korea?lite

[Wyatt]

Ive got some local context given to me and some general thoughts.

A very good friend of mine is part of a wealthy and well connected korean family living in seoul. They have been moving money out of the country this time which is something they have never done before. they have also prepared plans to leave, which is also new.

As far as general thoughts. If we are attacked I believe we will be caught flat footed. Its classic boy who cried wolf and if they act now, it will be after the public has determined thats its only another show.


How many times has the US and ROKs taken a hit and done nothing? mini subs, arty fire, sunken ships, DPRK agents and sympathizers in the south. They have been allowed to take such action with impunity because have had no meaningful response. They may perceive this as batting 100%, and they may be right.

Didn't Saddam believe we would not intervene in kuwait because 1. we told him kuwait wasn't an american concern 2. The 16 some-odd UN resolutions that did nothing militarily and had no teeth and 3. He believed the US military risk avers and afraid of casualties

Its entirely possible in my eyes that kim jong un sees the US and the ROKs in a similar light.

[davidbfpo]

An interview with a SME, mainly on the nuclear proliferation aspects:http://thebulletin.org/web-edition/f...g-term-picture

[davidbfpo]

Dr Schindler's blog offers a commentary and includes this key passage:

The bottom line, as Myers make clear, is that the juche stuff is all mumbo-jumbo for external consumption while the regime’s actual beliefs, which the population is bombarded with non-stop, are based in crude nationalism that works well at motivating the people though terrible times. Basically, Pyongyang is not a bunch of Commies, rather a bunch of Nazis, of a rarified Asian variety. Myers, who spent years studying the regime’s ideology, demonstrates that the DPRK’s esoteric worldview owes more to Japanese mystical ultranationalism, learned during Tokyo’s occupation of the country from 1905 to 1945, including – time to possibly get worried here – an emphasis on sacrifice and death in kamikaze fashion, than anything to do with Marx, Lenin, or Mao.

Shortly after:

Myers also shows that Pyongyang has no fear of the United States and perhaps wants a confrontation, even a military one, to gain dominance over the Korean peninsula. The DPRK’s assessment of strategy, grounded in very different ethnic and political assumptions, is radically different from our own.

Link:http://20committee.com/2013/04/05/do...talking-about/

[carl]

It seems to me that King Kim III's ongoing bluff, if it is a bluff, will have to be called eventually. If it is not, tribute will have to be paid to this king for years and years to come. If and when the bluff is called, there is a chance very serious fighting will ensue. I don't see any way around this ultimately, either pay or risk a fight.

A separate question. Let's say a decision is made to call. It doesn't matter what the provocation will be, there is always another one coming. Do you think it would help if sort of an open proscription list of DPRK high officials was published? It would name names and say, politely, the guys on this list are dead if a war starts. The idea would be to personalize consequences and thereby discourage aggressive behavior. The King doesn't rule unassisted after all.

[slapout9]

After Pershing Missiles I got tp play with this one as a kid to
Zero to Mach 10 in 5 seconds!!!! with a Neutron Warhead. Little Kim needs to learn a lesson. Link to live footage of Sprint ABM test.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msXtgTVMcuA


Here is another one good one with more detail. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vq4mWyYl2Y