North Korea

[firstfloor]

If China had not come in to support the communist north in 1950 it is quite likely that Korea would have been one country and doing very well by now. As it is, the North are fiercely independent and simply want to be left alone to follow their own path. The Korean War was never officially ended and the North Koreans still have a siege mentality which we in the West generally do not understand. They are enormously proud of their achievements in rocketry and nuclear weapons and they feel that this is what they need to guarantee their independence.

How should the West react?

[Meh Gerbil]

I've never been able to figure out why North Korea is our problem.

[Sparko]

I've never been able to figure out why North Korea is our problem.

mostly because we have a treaty with South Korea to protect them and North Korea keeps threatening to invade them, and plus the Great Leader is a total paranoid nutjob with delusions of grandeur who goes around threatening the USA and every other country with nuclear war.

[guacamole]

Also, you really don't want to have uncontrolled nuclear proliferation.

fwiw,
G.

[Sparko]

Also, you really don't want to have uncontrolled nuclear proliferation.

fwiw,
G.

really?

[Faber]

They are enormously proud of their achievements in rocketry ....

North_Korean_Rocket_Explosion.jpg

[firstfloor]

I've never been able to figure out why North Korea is our problem.

[Meh Gerbil]

Do you remember Waco?

A while back David Koresh was teaching his people all kinds of paranoid things and abusing children. Anyways, one of the things he taught was that the government would come for all of them one day. It was one of those wack-job conspiracy theories that didn't have a shot at coming true until an idiot by the name of Janet Reno took office. Most people would back away from ordering troops to materialize the wild fantasies of a pervert like Koresh but Reno wasn't interested in understanding her opponent, only in crushing him.

You've suggested making North Korea feel safe.
That is exactly the right approach.
Aggressive military action only allows him to say, "See, I told you they'd come for us!"

Unfortunately, the oligarchs who run this country need lots of money, cocaine, and hookers.
Because of this we'll be at war until such time as the people revolt and throw the traitors out of power.
Until then, enjoy the fireworks.

[rogue06]

Do you remember Waco?

A while back David Koresh was teaching his people all kinds of paranoid things and abusing children. Anyways, one of the things he taught was that the government would come for all of them one day. It was one of those wack-job conspiracy theories that didn't have a shot at coming true until an idiot by the name of Janet Reno took office. Most people would back away from ordering troops to materialize the wild fantasies of a pervert like Koresh but Reno wasn't interested in understanding her opponent, only in crushing him.

You've suggested making North Korea feel safe.
That is exactly the right approach.
Aggressive military action only allows him to say, "See, I told you they'd come for us!"

Unfortunately, the oligarchs who run this country need lots of money, cocaine, and hookers.
Because of this we'll be at war until such time as the people revolt and throw the traitors out of power.
Until then, enjoy the fireworks.

They could have easily arrested Koresh during one of his frequent trips into town but decided on a big raid instead to distract attention from an ATF sexual harassment scandal going on at the time

[Darth Executor]

Do you remember Waco?

A while back David Koresh was teaching his people all kinds of paranoid things and abusing children. Anyways, one of the things he taught was that the government would come for all of them one day. It was one of those wack-job conspiracy theories that didn't have a shot at coming true until an idiot by the name of Janet Reno took office. Most people would back away from ordering troops to materialize the wild fantasies of a pervert like Koresh but Reno wasn't interested in understanding her opponent, only in crushing him.

You've suggested making North Korea feel safe.
That is exactly the right approach.
Aggressive military action only allows him to say, "See, I told you they'd come for us!"

Unfortunately, the oligarchs who run this country need lots of money, cocaine, and hookers.
Because of this we'll be at war until such time as the people revolt and throw the traitors out of power.
Until then, enjoy the fireworks.

If North Koreans are so scared why did they sink a South Korean ship for no good reason a couple of years ago? Seems to me they're not quite the victim you're trying to portray them as.

[Meh Gerbil]

They could have easily arrested Koresh during one of his frequent trips into town but decided on a big raid instead to distract attention from an ATF sexual harassment scandal going on at the time

We have a winner!

Until such time as people realize that the oligarchs consider us to be disposable trash they'll continue to get away with this nonsense.

[Sparko]

North Korea feels safe enough to threaten using nuclear missiles against South Korea and bragging that it can hit the USA too. Feeling Safe isn't the answer. They already feel safe because Kim Jong Un is a narcissistic nutjob who thinks he can take on the USA and win. Making him feel less threatened will only feed his ego and encourage him to try. The answer is for China to step on his head.

[Meh Gerbil]

If North Koreans are so scared why did they sink a South Korean ship for no good reason a couple of years ago? Seems to me they're not quite the victim you're trying to portray them as.

North Korea isn't a victim.
The leader they have is a dangerous and delusional maniac.

I just don't see how feeding into his end time prophecy is helping.

The dude needs to be black bagged and simply disappear.
A tiny American Flag should be left on his nightstand.
I don't mind reigning this guy in but I don't want to feed his cult either.

[Sparko]

North Korea isn't a victim.
The leader they have is a dangerous and delusional maniac.

I just don't see how feeding into his end time prophecy is helping.

The dude needs to be black bagged and simply disappear.
A tiny American Flag should be left on his nightstand.
I don't mind reigning this guy in but I don't want to feed his cult either.

I agree with this. and if we weren't afraid China would step in and do something stupid, we probably would do it too.

I think this whole coal deal with China is pretty smart.

[demi-conservative]

I've never been able to figure out why North Korea is our problem.

Cos South Korea, also Japan, are protectorates of US of A!! So you're supposed to protect them from crazy-neighbor-who-has-nukes!!!