North Korea

[Gardiner 1st MRB]

Making ANOTHER threat towards the United States, this time a lot more directly.

United States promises action after North Korean threats

Honestly, North Korea seems to do this a lot. But if for some odd reason they actually try and do something against the United States or South Korea I say

[Englebretson 1st MRB]

[Armstrong 1st MRB]

Is anyone else besides me getting sick and tired of this North Korea-Iran show here? If you notice, everytime one of them dies down in terms of media attention, the other one jumps back up? That's what I've noticed over the last couple of years. We'll hear about NK testing out missles, there'll be a big scare and it'll die off, then Iran raises up the rhetoric about their nuclear projects, and then it'll die down again and switch back over to Korea within a few months tops.

Can't we sort this shit out instead of having people all over the world live constantly looking over their shoulder for one of these guys to do something? If North Korea does anything stupid, the only one they have to turn to is China, and I doubt even they would support North Korea firing a nuke at the U.S. or any of the other major nations. As for Iran, the Ayatollah (whom is basically the leader over there, screw the President) condemned the use of nukes as being against Islam, so I doubt they'll use them unless pushed really hard by Israel.

I just think this back and forth between the two countries needs to stop, its getting to the point of ridiculousness why the these countries can't stop acting like a bunch of kids in the playground and reach some sort of arangement.

[Griswold]

Right now North Korea relys on China to support their country. If North Korea shoots a nuke a the U.S., either the chinese buckle to the U.N. Security council or the States will attack the both of them. If anyone shoots a nuke at the States, they are going to get a huge ass whooping. You will see recruitment shoot up and within a year's time of a nuke being shot at us, that country wont exist at all anymore.

And since we are a permenant resident on the security council, politically russia and china will buckle to the Security council or face WWIII with the Western World + Nato vs Russia,China,NK.

Trust it wont end well for any country supporting NK or NK itself

[Armstrong 1st MRB]

Of course, any country who uses a nuke against any country in this day and age will instantly become a Pariah. I don't think the majority of the world's population wants a nuclear wasteland for a world, much less a country.

[Alvarez]

Kim Jong-Un just sent a "Message of Solidarity" to Bashar Al-Assad in Syria... Making Assad look bad. Nobody wants to touch N.K. with a 10-foot pole, not even him.

[Gardiner 1st MRB]

Right now North Korea relys on China to support their country. If North Korea shoots a nuke a the U.S., either the chinese buckle to the U.N. Security council or the States will attack the both of them. If anyone shoots a nuke at the States, they are going to get a huge ass whooping. You will see recruitment shoot up and within a year's time of a nuke being shot at us, that country wont exist at all anymore.

And since we are a permenant resident on the security council, politically russia and china will buckle to the Security council or face WWIII with the Western World + Nato vs Russia,China,NK.

Trust it wont end well for any country supporting NK or NK itself

I'm not sure North Korea even has W.M.D.s but even if they launch any type of missile at the United States it will be the same result as you said.

[Morton]

Last time I researched this they where believed to have nuclear arms that are the technological equivalent of our early nukes from the late 40's early 50's. No idea if this is still true.

[Griswold]

that what they say on all the news outlets, nukes equal to those that destroyed Hiroshima, Nagasaki.

[Gardiner 1st MRB]

Interesting, I really, really, really, hope that isn't true. Jong-Il was already a insane and sadistic leader and the last thing I want is for his son to carry out "Daddy's last wishes."

I find it interesting how the U.N. can just sit back and watch an entire country of people starve and suffer from their leader and the U.N. does nothing because China is still holding North Korea as a buffer zone.

[Peaker]

It's just part of their eternal posturing, really, NK won't do anything, their current leader might play the part of the crazy people's leader, but he's keenly aware of the geopolitical situation his country is in. It's a cycle, NK postures with it's WMDs, talks start again, they get some foreign aid and a lifting of some embargoes, then talks break down because of either the US or NK, and the whole process begins again.

As for Iran, I support Israeli airstrikes to deny them nuclear capability, but an actual invasion of Iran would be 10 000 times worse than what the Iraq and Afghanistan wars were. Their army is of better quality, their terrain is harsher, they control the strait of Hormuz, which if blocked would threaten a big chunk of the world's oil supply. Basically, it's posturing, but of a different kind. The US would be dumb to commit to an Israeli ground war in Iran, a war they can't afford if they want their currency to be worth more than nuts and bolts. Iran is also changing from the inside, their youth is fed up with the old order, so we might see changes in that part of the world soon enough, though I don't know if it's gonna be on the scale of what many Arab Spring countries have gone through.

[Armstrong 1st MRB]

I sincerely hope we can sort out these problems with nukes and useless posturing between countries when we have bigger problems, namely our environment, and the growing social divide between the rich and the poor.

[S. Richards]

I wouldn't mind being recalled to kick some ass. Conventional uniformed warfare would be a nice change in this day and age.

[Penkauskas 1st MRB]

I say bring it! We got a couple of the USAF Boeing YAL-1 airborne lasers and the "Ground-Based Midcourse Defense system". If they do launch an ICBM at us, it'll never reach our shores.

Though not initiating another world war would be cool too.

[Gardiner 1st MRB]

Though not initiating another world war would be cool too.

Don't worry, I'm 99.9% sure Israel and Syria/Iran will take care of that for us soon enough.

[Armstrong 1st MRB]

I actually doubt that now that Netenyahu is no longer in complete control of Israel, and since the Ayatollah of Iran has spoken out against the use of Nuclear weapons, stating that they are against Islam, so I doubt we'll see Nukes going off if anything does break out. In any case, even if Iran has a nuke, they won't be stupid enough to launch it against a country that has thousands more than whatever they have. Nah, I think we'll just keep seeing the Arab Spring's effects continue in the Middle East, Egypt and Syria will eventually become something other than a dictatorship, and NK will continue to act all big in front of everyone else because they have no other way to sustain themselves than to scare people into giving them handouts.

Edited January 29, 2013 by Armstrong 1st MRB

[Zorbanos 1st MRB]

nd since the Ayatollah of Iran has spoken out against the use of Nuclear weapons, stating that they are against Islam, so I doubt we'll see Nukes going off if anything does break out

This is irrelevant. The whole idea behind the Iranian nuclear crisis is that Iran is lying about attempting to gain nuclear weapons. Talk is cheap, they can say whatever they want, the evidence paints a different picture. This is the same government that controls most of their nations media outlets, leading to propaganda and censorship. Their government lies and makes empty promises and threats consistently, i wouldn't expect their supreme religious and political figure to be any different.

[Armstrong 1st MRB]

Even the most nefarious political leader with an ounce of intelligence in their skull is smart enough not to do something that would be tanatmount to their own destruction. Regardless of how many nukes they have, there is no logistical way their arsenal outmatches that of any other nearby. Since that would mean that they cannot cause as much damage as their potential enemies around them, logic would dictate that they would find ways other than nuclear war, leaving aside the fact that whoever uses one first will be a Pariah among the world's nations. There is a reason why not one has been used in war since Hiroshima and Nagasaki, world opinion has judged that the damage is not worth the power it enables. That doesn't mean that fear cannot be utilized, which is exactly the mess we are in now. No country has the cajones to truly call NK or Iran's bluffs with nukes, so they'll keep getting their way until they either give in to reason and accept UN Inspection in Iran's case (which is doubtful unless their minds change), or if North Korea cleans up its administration (which is even more unlikely given the propaganda and military power that their leaders wield).

[Zorbanos 1st MRB]

yeah i mean at the end of the day, an Iran with nuclear weapons just makes them the meanest kid on the block in the middle east, as far as regional powers go. i think theyre crazy enough to let one slip into the hands of extremists, thats whats really scary.

Who even knows why NK wants Ballistic nukes. They cant fuck with us and they know that, idk why they wanna just prove they have a big dick

[Griswold]

yeah i mean at the end of the day, an Iran with nuclear weapons just makes them the meanest kid on the block in the middle east, as far as regional powers go. i think theyre crazy enough to let one slip into the hands of extremists, thats whats really scary.

Who even knows why NK wants Ballistic nukes. They cant fuck with us and they know that, idk why they wanna just prove they have a big dick

First off, iran would still be considered a small power in the mid east for a couple reason. UN Fines have been slowing eating away at their economy. India and Pakisstan both have nuclear weapons as well. They be smaller range missiles but they have harnessed nuclear power none the less.

As for NK, i have no fucking clue as to why they are even trying to build Nuclear weapons. They people there are starving, their economy is literally at a stand still, and is literally one of the most bi-polar countries in the world. they cant make up their minds about shit. At one point they were willing to halt their program to feed their people, then said "fuck it, we dont need the food" and started the program back up again.

And this is why we are scared of these countries not because they shoot a nuke off themselves, but the fact that they might sell a missile on the black market to the highest bidder and that missile or bomb would then be used by a terrorist organization to attack a country.

[Armstrong 1st MRB]

And why didn't that happen when the Soviet Union split? Terrorists could have probably been able to get a hold of a stray nuke easy if they had wanted to when the Soviets dissolved. Its because nukes are not the best terror weapons for small groups like them. If they set off one, they'll just turn the public opinion of that country into a frenzy against them. So maybe if they want to frame a country and start WWIII, but still, you have to would how no extremist group has not gotten hold of one yet, or used one if they do have one.

[Captain Giraffe BAR]

The only thing that is going to happen in Korea is starvation. People will keep starving either until they're too pissed to stay subservient or too weak to do anything about it. America doesn't need another war, and there's no reason whatsoever for us to get involved in Korea, especially if the government refuses to do anything about the ongoing genocide in Syria.

[Captain Giraffe BAR]

And why didn't that happen when the Soviet Union split? Terrorists could have probably been able to get a hold of a stray nuke easy if they had wanted to when the Soviets dissolved. Its because nukes are not the best terror weapons for small groups like them. If they set off one, they'll just turn the public opinion of that country into a frenzy against them. So maybe if they want to frame a country and start WWIII, but still, you have to would how no extremist group has not gotten hold of one yet, or used one if they do have one.

It really wouldn't have been that easy for terrorists. The only thing of any value anybody stole in Russia after the USSR voted itself out of existence was enormous oil profits that were stolen from the Russian people.

[Englebretson 1st MRB]

[Morton]

I do enjoy Engles brilliant geopolitical posts.