N. Korea says it will whipe the US off the map.

[MSI Magus]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/as_koreas_nuclear

I think even liberals can agree its time something drastic was done about N. Korea at this point. I dont care if they freaking assassinate KJI or if we go to war, but Christ these guys have less abilty to reason and are a bigger danger then anyone in the middle east.

[perdition(troy]

Nothing needs to be done about it. They probably accidentally said it. We, America, have forced them to view us like this.

[GuilewasNK]

I honestly think Kim is just stirring shit up because he is about to die and wants a reason for the North Korean people to back his son when power is transferred. Having a mortal "imperialist enemy" would do just that.

[JolietJake]

It's just saber rattling, they're the little twerp on the playground trying to pick a fight. If we really want to hurt them, hit them where it really hurts, in the wallet. Cut them off from even more of their funds.

[MSI Magus]

Nothing needs to be done about it. They probably accidentally said it. We, America, have forced them to view us like this.

Are you kidding me? With much of the world I would agree but not Korea. As for them just saber rattling and not being a threat I completely disagree. I think KJI is truly bat shit crazy and truly dangerous. Much of the world such as Iran I think if they get Nukes MIGHT use them but I honestly believe that KJI would kill us all if he could.

[lilboo]

Well, hopefully China & Russia would fuck them up if they did.

[perdition(troy]

If we would just stay out of their business and leave them alone none of this would happen.

[MSI Magus]

If we would just stay out of their business and leave them alone none of this would happen.

So we let a nation that has shown us hostilty gain nukes? We let a nation that brutalizes not just its own people but also ours alone? We let them threaten our allies? Again I would point out a laundry list of wrongs we have committed on most nations that are pissed at us, again I say we are a nation that puts our nose where it doesn't belong. But with Korea not the case and with Korea I say that they are a nation that crosses a line from saber rattling at an annoyance to making real threats.

[VipFREAK]

What by breeding faster than us? lool

Seriously, though... I'm surprised more places don't have the same view of us.

[perdition(troy]

So we let a nation that has shown us hostilty gain nukes? We let a nation that brutalizes not just its own people but also ours alone? We let them threaten our allies? Again I would point out a laundry list of wrongs we have committed on most nations that are pissed at us, again I say we are a nation that puts our nose where it doesn't belong. But with Korea not the case and with Korea I say that they are a nation that crosses a line from saber rattling at an annoyance to making real threats.

They haven't actually done anything, all they have done is talk. We should just leave them alone and let everything just go away.

[MSI Magus]

They haven't actually done anything, all they have done is talk. We should just leave them alone and let everything just go away.

1. So the American Journalists doing day labor in their horrid prison systems is nothing?

2. Even if you were right and its just talk, talk from a nation trying to build nukes and selling weapons to our enemy automatically is more then talk. If someone stood in front of you in real life with a knife and said im going to stab you because your a blight on this earth and your judgement day has come would you not think "wow this guy is crazy and I am dead". So sorry, ya when you are testing nukes you dont threaten to remove a nation from the earth.

[perdition(troy]

1. So the American Journalists doing day labor in their horrid prison systems is nothing?

2. Even if you were right and its just talk, talk from a nation trying to build nukes and selling weapons to our enemy automatically is more then talk. If someone stood in front of you in real life with a knife and said im going to stab you because your a blight on this earth and your judgement day has come would you not think "wow this guy is crazy and I am dead". So sorry, ya when you are testing nukes you dont threaten to remove a nation from the earth.

Buddy, I'm being sarcastic. I'm just trying to follow the lead of our great ruler, B. Hussein.

[lilboo]

Buddy, I'm being sarcastic. I'm just trying to follow the lead of our great ruler, B. Hussein.

[southern]HOLY BIBLES, I RECKON THATS ONE OF DEM DERE TERRORIST AL KAIDA NAMES!!!![/mason dixon line]

[perdition(troy]

that was almost funny.

[tivo]

^^:bouncy:

No, Obama would divert the conversation to the protests in Iran or Health Care reform (like he did yesterday).

But seriously, something big is about to go down with North Korea and its better if we dictate the moves.

[Snake2715]

This is all going to happen quickly I think... heres Big B's test.

[lilboo]

Where I really hate the idea of wars, if ANYTHING, we should have invaded (or something along the lines) North Korea instead of Iraq. We invaded Iraq because of the W.O.M.D. and yet, nothing. Meanwhile, NK is like "LLLLLOLOL ::waves them around:: WE KILL NOW ^_^"

So yeah, I don't understand anything anymore.

[RAMSTORIA]

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/85/267387351_437be39b1f.jpg?v=0

[tivo]

^^ I agree.

2 atomic bomb tests and a clear threat against the US if we stop them from trading weapons with Burma. Time to lay the smack down. Russia/China/Japan/South Korea/USA vs. North Korea. It should be going on.

[Ruined]

Based on his foreign policy thus far, I'm not sure Obama has the guts to do anything serious to North Korea despite their threats.

[ToadallyAwesome]

Going to war is such a horrible idea. Not only does that basically screw South Korea but all of the North Korean civilians will suffer because of one horrible leader.

I really can't understand that country.

[depascal22]

Geography really helps KJI stay in power. The country is tiny and surrounded by water on two sides with China on the north and a DMZ to the South.

And to all the people that are bad mouthing Obama. What the hell is he supposed to do? We're still fighting two wars even though the US military is only fitted to fight 2 and a half wars in the best of times. The world knows that any tough words from us will not be met with anything until we pull out of Iraq or Afghanistan. Bush basically tied Obama's hands for the forseeable future. I guess we're just supposed to channel our inner wankster and threaten dudes without any real heat behind our words. And yes, McCain would've been in the same situation if he'd won.

[MSI Magus]

Geography really helps KJI stay in power. The country is tiny and surrounded by water on two sides with China on the north and a DMZ to the South.

And to all the people that are bad mouthing Obama. What the hell is he supposed to do? We're still fighting two wars even though the US military is only fitted to fight 2 and a half wars in the best of times. The world knows that any tough words from us will not be met with anything until we pull out of Iraq or Afghanistan. Bush basically tied Obama's hands for the forseeable future. I guess we're just supposed to channel our inner wankster and threaten dudes without any real heat behind our words. And yes, McCain would've been in the same situation if he'd won.

Why not use the situation to make enemies of friends? China is extremely worried about N.Korea so they would probably work with us, add in using India who hates China...and then for good measure toss in Europe. You would have a good chunk of the world standing together with the US as a leader....which hasnt happened in awhile. Building tighter relations with China is a great thing and if we can get them and India to co op all the better.

[HowStern]

If anything people should be angry with Bush for lying to us and using up our defense resources for false reasons. You are a fool to place blame on Obama for this. Obama has a mess to clean up now before he can free up more military resources. Thanks to...ready for it? DUBYA! Not "B. Hussein."


However, I don't think N. Korea has the means to do anything. All of their missile tests have failed miserably. I wouldn't be surprised if they bombed themselves trying to attack us.

[depascal22]

Why not use the situation to make enemies of friends? China is extremely worried about N.Korea so they would probably work with us, add in using India who hates China...and then for good measure toss in Europe. You would have a good chunk of the world standing together with the US as a leader....which hasnt happened in awhile. Building tighter relations with China is a great thing and if we can get them and India to co op all the better.

I like the way you think but we need to stop acting like other countries are really going to have our back when the time comes. If N. Korea does something, we've got the South and Japan. China might help but we'll have to give major concessions when it comes to trading.

Also, who's to say that China and Russia don't love that tiny litle midget bastard agitating things? The more we pay attention to the Koreans, the less we pay attention that Russia isn't really a democracy or that the Chinese own most of our debt.

[UncleBob]

Why not use the situation to make enemies of friends? China is extremely worried about N.Korea so they would probably work with us, add in using India who hates China...and then for good measure toss in Europe. You would have a good chunk of the world standing together with the US as a leader....which hasnt happened in awhile. Building tighter relations with China is a great thing and if we can get them and India to co op all the better.

Will that work out as well as all the people who were going to work with us in Afghanistan and Iraq?

[VipFREAK]

I wouldn't be surprised if they bombed themselves trying to attack us.

You should watch Man vs. Cartoon. It's a great example of this only it's a bunch of redneck retards claiming they are a really good technical school.

[MSI Magus]

@ Uncle Bob & Deepscal on the subject of US Allies.

Maybe if we approached a war from a rightous position and talked to our allies ahead of time vs trying to act like an idiot fucking cowboy from some kind of western they would have our back. Maybe if Obama didnt take the Bush approach and stopped reading teleprompters and fielding staged questions long enough to speak from the heart and say something like "For far too long North Korea has been not only a threat to the US but a threat to the world and destabilizing influence on countless developing countries like Mynamar/Burma. Thats why today I call for our allies, both old a new, I call on every nation to put aside our differences and put aside our political backgrounds and beliefs to co operate on this most vital of issues" he would stand a chance.

Obama is turning out to be exactly what I thought he would be, not what I HOPED he would be. He is squandering a very big gift he was given and sadly Americas chance at a new future is going with it.

[UncleBob]

Obama is turning out to be exactly what I thought he would be, not what I HOPED he would be. He is squandering a very big gift he was given and sadly Americas chance at a new future is going with it.

Hope is what Obama was all about. If he did what you wanted, you wouldn't need hope anymore. :D

[MSI Magus]

Hope is what Obama was all about. If he did what you wanted, you wouldn't need hope anymore. :D

Man that joke went right over your head.

[tivo]

say something like "For far too long North Korea has been not only a threat to the US but a threat to the world and destabilizing influence on countless developing countries like Mynamar/Burma. Thats why today I call for our allies, both old a new, I call on every nation to put aside our differences and put aside our political backgrounds and beliefs to co operate on this most vital of issues" he would stand a chance.
.

pretty good MSI Magus, sounds just like obama.

[tivo]

Hope is what Obama was all about. If he did what you wanted, you wouldn't need hope anymore. :D

can we institute a cap for # of posts/day?

[MSI Magus]

pretty good MSI Magus, sounds just like obama.

No there is a difference. First off he isnt calling for anything yet. Second he reads he doesnt speak from the heart. If he stood up and instead of being so damned overally prepared said something like that from the heart it might make a difference. One of the big problems is that people dont believe we are sincere anymore and its half because of people like him playing politics and half because people like you and Uncle Bob who are more worried about your own pocket book and well being then that of America/the World as a whole.

[depascal22]

@ Uncle Bob & Deepscal on the subject of US Allies.

Maybe if we approached a war from a rightous position and talked to our allies ahead of time vs trying to act like an idiot fucking cowboy from some kind of western they would have our back. Maybe if Obama didnt take the Bush approach and stopped reading teleprompters and fielding staged questions long enough to speak from the heart and say something like "For far too long North Korea has been not only a threat to the US but a threat to the world and destabilizing influence on countless developing countries like Mynamar/Burma. Thats why today I call for our allies, both old a new, I call on every nation to put aside our differences and put aside our political backgrounds and beliefs to co operate on this most vital of issues" he would stand a chance.

Obama is turning out to be exactly what I thought he would be, not what I HOPED he would be. He is squandering a very big gift he was given and sadly Americas chance at a new future is going with it.

You don't get it. We can't do anything to them. You can't threaten Korea without actual heat behind those words. Our heat is tied up in Iraq and Afghanistan and the world knows it.

Obama did say those things and the UN passed tougher sanctions. Unfortunately, that's all the world is going to do. Everyone (other than S. Korea and Japan) has got bigger fish to fry at the moment.

If we just ignored the little midget for a while, he'd probably go away. Just come out with one statement. If you launch a missile aimed at our territory at any time, we'll wipe you off the fucking planet. Go look at pictures of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and prepare your people for annihilation.

[MSI Magus]

You don't get it. We can't do anything to them. You can't threaten Korea without actual heat behind those words. Our heat is tied up in Iraq and Afghanistan and the world knows it.

Obama did say those things and the UN passed tougher sanctions. Unfortunately, that's all the world is going to do. Everyone (other than S. Korea and Japan) has got bigger fish to fry at the moment.

If we just ignored the little midget for a while, he'd probably go away. Just come out with one statement. If you launch a missile aimed at our territory at any time, we'll wipe you off the fucking planet. Go look at pictures of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and prepare your people for annihilation.

Multiple problems here. First off I dont recall seeing Obama say anything like what I just said, never a real call for action has come from him that I am aware of.

Second your in the health care topic saying we must pass health care yet we dont have the money for it. So your telling me we can pass health care with money we dont have yet cant find any for a new war? You cant have it both ways. He could very easily if it came to it shift us into a war time emergency and do like FDR did taking over a few factories to produce what is needed. Yes this wouldn't be as easy in this day and age but I see no reason why it isnt possible. The miltiary is also stretched thin but not THAT thin, and our allies are far from stretched especially potential new allies like China.

Face it, you don't like the idea so your trying to make it seem impossible vs accepting it is perfectly possible and just not what you want. At the end of the day its a tought pill to swallow but its all perfectly possible.

[depascal22]

Magus, this isn't about money. I know there's money out there that could scraped up for it. This is about the troops that you're trying to materialize from thin air. The US Army had enough troops to fight two and a half major wars during the Cold War. Our capabilities are significantly less now and we're fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. Money can't turn regular joes into soldiers at the drop of a hat. So yeah, I'm saying it's impossible but not because I don't like the idea. Whether I like it or not doesn't make the fact that our military is already dangerously thin and couldn't take another major conflict.

Also, your plan counts on China to turn on their ally in favor of us. Why would they do that again?

And just because I want to spend money on health care doesn't mean we have to spend money on a war. What kind of ass backwards logic is that? Health care affects every living person in this country. Who is N. Korea affecting again? The people of Guam? Maybe? The Aleutian Islands? Midway?

Before you say that we're not dangerously thin again, you do realize that a sizable chunk of our forces that have fought and are fighting overseas are reservists? It's usually not a good thing to depend on citizen soldiers to fight wars but we had to do it to fight in two theatres at once. Now you want to add a potential regional conflict (I still think China and Russia side with the North) on the other end of the largest continent in the world? How does that make us safer?

[Koggit]

N. Korea isn't an actual threat and smacking them down just to prove we've got big balls & know how to swing them is a terrible idea

[tivo]

One of the big problems is that people dont believe we are sincere anymore and its half because of people like him playing politics and half because people like you and Uncle Bob who are more worried about your own pocket book and well being then that of America/the World as a whole.

I don't know where you get off thinking I am, or people like me, are more worried about our finances (aka selfish) than others. You, and people like you who are so vocal in the feelings and condition of the poor Americans, have got it all wrong. Statistically speaking, red states/conservatives give 30% more money to charities than liberals. Concurrently, religious people are 4 times more generous than non-religious Americans and give to every kind of cause and charity. Conservatives are even more likely to give blood. The truth is that People who think its the govt. job to make equalities are less likely to give (aka selfish) and countries with higher taxes and bigger social safety nets have lower rates of giving. I'm part of the former group, and you're part of the latter. Your concern for helping only the select few Americans classified as the nonworking and working poor is limited to cries of injustice, and a call for greater govt. interference which prevents you from looking at the bigger picture...

Americans are the most generous people because our citizens do what's good for the group, through expectation and social pressure rather than the law.

And if you don't believe in the stats you can look them up. I did and discovered these tell-tale signs of red/blue, conservative/liberal values:

- In 1997, Al and Tipper Gore contributed just $353 to charity with $197,729 in adjusted gross income.
- Mr. and Mrs. Obama , between 2000 and 2004, gave less than one percent of their income (avg $244,000) to charity. Their giving rose to a laudable five percent in 2005 and six percent in 2006, with the explosion of their annual income to near $1 million, and the advent of Mr. Obama’s national political aspirations.
- Dick and Lynn Cheney gave 78% of their income away in 2005

Now ask yourself, "Who's only interested in their pocketbooks?"

[Koggit]

And if you don't believe in the stats you can look them up. I did and discovered these tell-tale signs of red/blue, conservative/liberal values:

- In 1997, Al and Tipper Gore contributed just $353 to charity with $197,729 in adjusted gross income.
- Mr. and Mrs. Obama , between 2000 and 2004, gave less than one percent of their income (avg $244,000) to charity. Their giving rose to a laudable five percent in 2005 and six percent in 2006, with the explosion of their annual income to near $1 million, and the advent of Mr. Obama’s national political aspirations.
- Dick and Lynn Cheney gave 78% of their income away in 2005

wow.. how disingenuous.

yes, the more someone makes, the higher percentage of it they give to charity.. true of all political affiliations


quite the stretch for you to imply obama's a liberal, or, even worse, that the bush administration was conservative

[JolietJake]

There comes a time when we need the military to oppose a real threat, and most of it is tied up in two pointless wars. At least we know the North Koreans have weapons, at least we know where Lil Kim hangs out most of the time. Hell, we could have bombed the North Koreans into the last century by now with the time and money we've spent in Iraq and Afghanistan.

[62t]

funny now that there is an actual country with WMD we can't do anything

[sumptruck]

I hope this is just a bluff for aide and money,it wouldn't be the first time they have done this.

[Survivor Charlie]

I'm a liberal and I've been in favor of dropping a couple nukes on North Korea for years now. I know, I know... not nice, oh the humanity, blah blah blah.

I could care less. People die, there is no afterlife to suffer consequences in, and the world would be better off without North Korea. Let's take them out, put the starving out of their misery and end any potential future conflict with them with the push of a few buttons. Not all human life is precious. Some of it needs to be removed for the greater good.

[VipFREAK]

Why stop at Korea then... ?

[Survivor Charlie]

Why stop at Korea then... ?

My thoughts exactly. Although I think other countries are less severe and not in need of a good nuking, but the United States has a history of ignoring the problem and hoping it goes away (see Civil War, World War 1, World War 2, etc etc) and getting burned in the end when it doesn't.

To George W. Bush's credit, he didn't 'wait and see' with Iraq. Yes I know, we leveled the country, ruined it's stability, blah blah blah. But you know what, I don't think anyone is too worried about Iraq has it stands causing too many problems in the region anymore. So if nothing else, instead of getting them fighting other countries we got them fighting eachother. I say score one for good guys.

This notion that every country can be saved is so ignorant. I'm a social liberal but that doesn't mean I have to fall in line with the cloud-nine mentality that we can inspire peace and goodwill towards men. The people of North Korea cannot be reasoned with because they live in a world where they are manipulated, starved, and unable to stand up on their own. Their leader is a brutal dictator and a bully of the worst kind. He is a god. Truly. To the people of North Korea, he is god.

Now think how devote religious nuts defend their god when someone like me, an atheist or someone who believes in a different invisible skybully. People die over that stuff. This is why you can't reason with North Korea. Because Lil Kim is a god, and his people will defend their religious figure to the death. It's not a state war at that point, it's a religious war. And religious people will fight you for thousands of years if they have to. The only answer is to remove the people from the equation. So nuke em.

[VipFREAK]

You know what's funny... I was being sarcastic. I mean, yeah I may think like that but doing it is a whole different story. Please, never get into politics ok. Cool, thanks. Also, my reason is more for just clearing out some people so it's actually easier to live around here and also not be surrounded by so many idiots too.

Edit: What happened to that brilliant video?! Oh well I'll post it again. lool

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEkWH8DB7b0

[Survivor Charlie]

[quote]You know what's funny... I was being sarcastic. I mean, yeah I may think like that but doing it is a whole different story. Please, never get into politics ok. Cool, thanks.[\quote]

I think politics could use people who don't pussy foot around the issues. Yes, there are times when situations need to be handled with kid gloves. But a country outright saying "We wipe you off the map" is likely not one of those times. Besides, I think it sends a good message to every would be North Korea out there: don't fuck with us.

[Koggit]

You know what's funny... I was being sarcastic. I mean, yeah I may think like that but doing it is a whole different story. Please, never get into politics ok. Cool, thanks. Also, my reason is more for just clearing out some people so it's actually easier to live around here and also not be surrounded by so many idiots too.

Edit: What happened to that brilliant video?! Oh well I'll post it again. lool

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEkWH8DB7b0
I posted it, but then realized it prevented embedding, tried to un-embed it but couldn't, so deleted my post

[fullmetalfan720]

Yeah, let's invade North Korea. Let's ignore how they got the materials to make nukes. Good ol' Donnie Rumsfeld, and his company. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/05/09/1052280441337.html

The US Defense Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, sat on the board of a company that three years ago sold two light water nuclear reactors to North Korea - a country he now regards as part of the "axis of evil" and which has been targeted for regime change by Washington because of its efforts of build nuclear weapons.
You know what you can do with light water nuclear reactors? You can make Plutonium 239, which can be used to make nuclear weapons.

[VipFREAK]

Yeah, let's invade North Korea. Let's ignore how they got the materials to make nukes. Good ol' Donnie Rumsfeld, and his company.

Another reason, I hate government period...

I posted it, but then realized it prevented embedding, tried to un-embed it but couldn't, so deleted my post

Great find dOOd. Easily highlight of my day. lol

[JolietJake]

As much as i hate Rummie, it wasn't his company. He was employed by that company, but it isn't like he controlled everything it did.

Before anyone uses the same reasoning on Cheney and Haliburton, not the same things.

[VipFREAK]

Is that what they are calling it these days... ?

[fullmetalfan720]

As much as i hate Rummie, it wasn't his company. He was employed by that company, but it isn't like he controlled everything it did.

Before anyone uses the same reasoning on Cheney and Haliburton, not the same things.

He was on the board of directors. He had enough influence. Apparently he also lobbied his friends for the contract.

Many members of the Bush administration are on record as opposing Mr Clinton's plans, saying that weapons-grade nuclear material could be extracted from the type of light water reactors that ABB sold. Mr Rumsfeld's deputy, Paul Wolfowitz, and the state department's number two diplomat, Richard Armitage, both opposed the deal as did the Republican presidential candidate, Bob Dole, whose campaign Mr Rumsfeld ran and where he also acted as defence adviser.

One unnamed ABB board director told Fortune magazine that Mr Rumsfeld was involved in lobbying his hawkish friends on behalf of ABB.http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2003/may/09/nuclear.northkorea

[VipFREAK]

WTF... there's these "Taste of Korea" commercials on and they are sponsored by the Korean Government. They don't say north or south...

I can't find much on the net about this either...

[Koggit]

korea generally means south korea

[VipFREAK]

Hmm... yeah, it might be a good idea to specify that at this point. No... ?

[elprincipe]

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/85/267387351_437be39b1f.jpg?v=0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQTykNTP9YE

[souljah420]

i might take your stance and point of view a little more seriously, except you spelled wipe with an h u jackass

[gindias]

i might take your stance and point of view a little more seriously, except you spelled wipe with an h u jackass

To much Family Guy.

[thingsfallnapart]

Jihaddddd

[dafoomie]

Its just hot air. They're intensifying their rhetoric as they prepare for a transfer of power to Kim's son.

A war with North Korea would mean millions of dead South Koreans. And the Chinese are not about to stand by and let us invade the buffer zone between them and us. The only thing they can do right now is to not play Kim's games anymore.

[Ather]

If NK were to nuke the US, everybody else would nuke NK. After all, how long before NK decides they're a threat too? If Kimmie wants to control his hunger stricken people, try giving them food. Stop fear mongering. if the US wnated to attack, we'd jhave already have.

Of ourse, this is all Bush's fault. While he was chaisng imaginary nukes in Iraq, he was laughing at the notion of NK having nukes. Had he focused on them, there'd be no problem today. If you ignore the kid with his hand in the cookie jar, don't complain when he takes the cookies.

[willardhaven]

The U.S. has to take any threats toward Japan seriously, since ignoring them would breach the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security. I don't encourage or support war, but if the U.S. government wants to keep the treaty, it needs to focus on protecting Japan. I don't want anything nuclear being dropped anywhere, it's lose-lose once the radiation and debris start spreading.

[elprincipe]

If NK were to nuke the US, everybody else would nuke NK. After all, how long before NK decides they're a threat too? If Kimmie wants to control his hunger stricken people, try giving them food. Stop fear mongering. if the US wnated to attack, we'd jhave already have.

Of ourse, this is all Bush's fault. While he was chaisng imaginary nukes in Iraq, he was laughing at the notion of NK having nukes. Had he focused on them, there'd be no problem today. If you ignore the kid with his hand in the cookie jar, don't complain when he takes the cookies.

While Bush is certainly not blameless for the situation, our biggest mistake as regards North Korea policy was actually made by Clinton when he signed the Agreed Framework in 1994, which the North Koreans immediately started cheating on. Too bad we couldn't have done something meaningful BEFORE they got nuclear weapons...

[JolietJake]

He was on the board of directors. He had enough influence. Apparently he also lobbied his friends for the contract.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2003/may/09/nuclear.northkorea
Oh i'm not saying he didn't have a hand in it, just that he wasn't the only one.

It seems to be common practice to rally against a nation and then secretly sell them weapons.

[Survivor Charlie]

Latest from North Korea: "How dare you place missile defense around Hawaii? Just for that, we're going to make even MORE nukes. You jerks!"

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090629/ap_on_re_as/as_koreas_nuclear

I tell you, they're like the mentally ill red headed, freckle-faced dirt eaters from the 2nd grade playground.

[speedracer]

Nothing needs to be done about it. They probably accidentally said it. We, America, have forced them to view us like this.
Damn liberals.

We need to immediately attack North Korea for speaking threateningly towards us. We will try to kill the leader so as to end the war immediately but that will inevitably fail, leading to a protracted war that will not only kills millions of South Koreans in first days, but trigger a massive response that will kill millions of North Koreans. On their last limbs and clearly unable to deter any longer, I'm sure NK won't feel the need to take a nuke pot shot at Japan, Hawaii, China, or anywhere else, taking with them potentially a few tens of millions of people...

Assuming China doesn't get involved immediately for initiating a Korean conflict, one of the few things America could do that could seriously provoke and antagonize China into a defensive military action that could cause an honest to god war. I mean shit, if there's a more strategic point on the planet to China than the Korean peninsula, they sure don't know about it.

And I also like this train of thought because it completely dismisses the South Korean position and leadership on the issue, making them look like little more than tools and unable to do anything but serve the American agenda on their home soil. Double points because they've been stalwart hardcore American allies for over half a century now.

But what the fuck do I know. I only served in the 2nd Infantry Division at Camp Casey, South Korea in the US Army.

[willardhaven]

Speedracer, I am guessing you are being sarcastic, what do you think should or will be done?

[speedracer]

Speedracer, I am guessing you are being sarcastic, what do you think should or will be done?
Leave it to the South Koreans. They are easily one of our strongest allies in the world. It's their country, their neighbor, and their asses on the line if they make bad decisions.

Devolve power back to the client state and let them take the lead. They're very capable.

[bobthecat23]

google the vice guide to travel north korea

[VipFREAK]

I only watched part of the first vid that came up. First thing to pop in my head is Compensating much? Paranoid much? lol christ...

[62t]

that was a good video

[dimeadz]

Kim Jong Il is an idiot. If he wants to blow up the US, he needs to build missiles that fly farther than Hawaii. This has been a cycle for a while. N. Korea does something stupid or makes a threat and they get concessions.

[tivo]

Thin-looking Kim Jong Il (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090708/ap_on_re_as/as_nkorea_founder_s_death_6)

http://d.yimg.com/a/p/rids/20090708/i/r2474146344.jpg?x=286&y=345&q=85&sig=D.aC3ZF5ifnUSCYnK7ERmA--

[docvinh]

He looks hungry. Probably should put some money into food instead of shitty missiles.

[fatherofcaitlyn]

If North Korea wants to destroy us, they just need one EMP.

[speedracer]

If North Korea wants to destroy us, they just need one EMP.
I doubt North Korea is building science vessels.

[fatherofcaitlyn]

I doubt North Korea is building science vessels.

http://www.heritage.org/Research/BallisticMissileDefense/wm2512.cfm

In 33 minutes or less, life as we know it in America could end. That's how long it would take for an enemy ballistic missile launched from the other side of the world to hit the United States. If it carried and detonated a nuclear weapon high over the center of the country, the electromagnetic pulse (EMP) would literally fry the nation's electrical grid and all of the circuitry that powers our homes, businesses, hospitals, phones, cars, planes, traffic lights, ATMs, water supplies, and anything else not "hardened" against such attacks. The EMP Commission chairman has testified that, within just one year of such an attack, 70 percent to 90 percent of Americans would be dead from starvation and disease.

...

Pleasant dreams.

Hell, the radiation that thins out the herd might save the rest of us. Well, until the water pools keeping radioactive fuel cooled off run dry because nobody is supplying power to the electric pumps refilling the water pools.

[docvinh]

Not saying that it isn't possible, but how come there has never been any type of attack using EMPs if they're so effective?

http://www.heritage.org/Research/BallisticMissileDefense/wm2512.cfm

In 33 minutes or less, life as we know it in America could end. That's how long it would take for an enemy ballistic missile launched from the other side of the world to hit the United States. If it carried and detonated a nuclear weapon high over the center of the country, the electromagnetic pulse (EMP) would literally fry the nation's electrical grid and all of the circuitry that powers our homes, businesses, hospitals, phones, cars, planes, traffic lights, ATMs, water supplies, and anything else not "hardened" against such attacks. The EMP Commission chairman has testified that, within just one year of such an attack, 70 percent to 90 percent of Americans would be dead from starvation and disease.

...

Pleasant dreams.

Hell, the radiation that thins out the herd might save the rest of us. Well, until the water pools keeping radioactive fuel cooled off run dry because nobody is supplying power to the electric pumps refilling the water pools.

[fullmetalfan720]

Not saying that it isn't possible, but how come there has never been any type of attack using EMPs if they're so effective?

It would fuck up everyone's satellites.

An EMP would throw us back to the early 1800s technologically. Since most of us live in cities, and have no clue how to grow our own food, we would be screwed.

[fatherofcaitlyn]

Not saying that it isn't possible, but how come there has never been any type of attack using EMPs if they're so effective?

1. An EMP would destroy you unless it is set off far away from yourself.

2. They're not as sexy as radioactive fire, but just as complicated to create and implement.

3. The EMP wouldn't affect any aircraft carriers or nuclear submarines on the other hemisphere of the world.

4. The EMP wouldn't affect NORAD or any of the dozens of top secret underground facilities in the continental US.

5. The EMP would reduce the ability for the US to ship you grain and keep your people or army placated.

6. The EMP would excuse any behavior the American people engage in to restore their society.

7. Perhaps, the American people are no more the enemy of the North Korean government than the Iranian people are no more the enemy of the American government.

[elprincipe]

It would fuck up everyone's satellites.

An EMP would throw us back to the early 1800s technologically. Since most of us live in cities, and have no clue how to grow our own food, we would be screwed.

Good thing we're cutting and bargaining away our missile defense capabilities.

[depascal22]

And how many EMPs does North Korea have?

[fullmetalfan720]

And how many EMPs does North Korea have?

As many nukes as they have. How many wouldn't fail and blow up in their faces, probably 0.

[willardhaven]

It's troubling to think of, but what can we do? Nuclear disarmament and friendlier foreign policies are important options but nobody will try them. An article I read (I forgot what it was called) stated the U.S. could have "whiped" out starvation and illiteracy with the money spent in Iraq. Imagine what the U.S. would look like to the world if it did that.

[fatherofcaitlyn]

It's troubling to think of, but what can we do? Nuclear disarmament and friendlier foreign policies are important options but nobody will try them. An article I read (I forgot what it was called) stated the U.S. could have "whiped" out starvation and illiteracy with the money spent in Iraq. Imagine what the U.S. would look like to the world if it did that.

Answer: Terrible.

You can't sell happy people weapons and their repressive governments wouldn't buy advanced weapons systems to keep their unarmed, happy subjects underfoot.

[willardhaven]

That's good though.

[depascal22]

That's good though.

Bad for the US economy though.

[willardhaven]

I'm sure there would be plenty of residual funding for renewable energy and technological advances (the only positive aspect of defense spending). Using the Iraq money for smarter investments would not harm the U.S.

The "war on terror" was and is a terrible investment, I knew that when I was 17.

[depascal22]

The war on terror was a horrible investment but war in general is good for the world economy. I know it sounds bad but there would be alot of people agitating for war even if there's complete world peace and a one world government.

[willardhaven]

I don't think the answer to the war/prosperity dilemma would be easy, just as dealing with North Korea is not easy. Responding to Jong Il is difficult because it's easy to fuel the fire and cause violence to escalate.

Usually I just throw my arms up and walk away from these discussions. It's easy to lose sight of your daily life when you think about the dismal progression of the world.