North Korea Mega Thread

[Matty]

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[BudgieForce]

We seem to have two options, either a hot war or a cold war. With North Korea, we either act now or we never act.

[Beet]

The North Korean Foreign Minister has rationalized their nuclear program as defensive:

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https://asia.nikkei.com/print/article/284567

He also promised not to use nuclear weapons against any country that did not "join the U.S." in military actions against it.

[Beet]

Meanwhile, South Korean President Moon Jae-In has said his country could never accept a hot war:

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https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2017/08/north-korea-sanctions/536082/

[Wiz in Wis]

Meanwhile, South Korean President Moon Jae-In has said his country could never accept a hot war:

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https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2017/08/north-korea-sanctions/536082/

Maybe we sit back and let the Koreans lead on this?

[Illiniwek]

I'm going to end up a hawk on this. War just seems inevitable at this point.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Feels good to not be draft-eligible.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Maybe Democrats will seize the opportunity and pretend to be the anti-war party again.

[BudgieForce]

Maybe Democrats will seize the opportunity and pretend to be the anti-war party again.

If they do this, they have very little to stand on. NK is a very real and present danger to East Asia and the US. It's not Iraq or tribal Taliban in Afghan. If they go dovish on NK, they will be seen as placaters in the worst way, even more than the mid to late 2000s.

No one wants to be responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of South Koreans and endanger the 30,000 troops we have stationed there.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

I'm going to end up a hawk on this. War just seems inevitable at this point.

At which point by the nonsensical and criminal logic of "preventative war" the North Koreans are justified in nuclear strikes on US bases in order to "stop us from attacking them". The "preventative war" idiocy started by Bush has got to stop. Call it by it's proper name: plotting war crimes.

[BudgieForce]

Its far too late to be planning a preventive war. As much as we hate it, the status quo seems like the best option. Let North Korea wall themselves off with nukes if it saves Seoul IMO.

[Hindsight was 2020]

At this point our best bet is to tell China that NK actions will result in SK and Japan getting nukes to defend themselves unless they make it clear to NK that they will not help them in any war that could come

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

Maybe Democrats will seize the opportunity and pretend to be the anti-war party again.

If they do this, they have very little to stand on. NK is a very real and present danger to East Asia and the US. It's not Iraq or tribal Taliban in Afghan. If they go dovish on NK, they will be seen as placaters in the worst way, even more than the mid to late 2000s.

Oh, it is very much Iraq. A nasty regime, with scary weapons that represent a potential future threat lied into an immediate danger because the Republican White House wants a war. The GOP and Trump are too stupid to even come up with a new playbook. But why should they? It seems to be working again just fine.

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Anyone who tries this: Clinton, Bush, Obama, or Trump, should end up the same place Goering did.

[JA]

Its far too late to be planning a preventive war. As much as we hate it, the status quo seems like the best option. Let North Korea wall themselves off with nukes if it saves Seoul IMO.

North Korea won't conduct a nuclear strike unless attacked first because their leadership knows they'll lose in the end. Their first priority, the motivation behind their development of nuclear weapons, is to ensure that the US doesn't conduct another war in Korea in an attempt to topple their regime. The US and those in East Asia may not like the new arrangement in the region, but launching a war because you're no longer free to overthrow a government at your whim isn't a good reason to endanger millions of lives.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

Maybe Democrats will seize the opportunity and pretend to be the anti-war party again.

If they do this, they have very little to stand on. NK is a very real and present danger to East Asia and the US. It's not Iraq or tribal Taliban in Afghan. If they go dovish on NK, they will be seen as placaters in the worst way, even more than the mid to late 2000s.

No one wants to be responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of South Koreans and endanger the 30,000 troops we have stationed there.

No one wants that but you must always be ready to prepare for that outcome. Other than that, it is a fast track to Asian proliferation which opens up a new can of worms.

The neocons and warmongers have been making the same damn argument for twenty-five years. It was a BS excuse for war in 1992, in 2002, in 2012 and it's still bloodthirsty stupidity now.

[Joe Biden is your president. Deal with it.]

China testing ship-based missiles in a show of force demo today https://news.vice.com/story/now-china-is-testing-missiles-off-the-korean-peninsula

Good sign.

So basically...if anything were to happen, nobody would support NK.

[Beet]

China testing ship-based missiles in a show of force demo today https://news.vice.com/story/now-china-is-testing-missiles-off-the-korean-peninsula

Good sign.

SCMP has multiple interpretations of this. Some say it's meant to deter both NK and the US.

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http://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2105832/china-fires-warning-array-navy-drills-korean-peninsula

[pikachu]

Its far too late to be planning a preventive war. As much as we hate it, the status quo seems like the best option. Let North Korea wall themselves off with nukes if it saves Seoul IMO.

Realistically, this seems like the most likely option imo. The US has lived with a hostile power having the capability to launch a nuclear weapon on the US mainland before, and North Korea is never going to launch a missile against any other country because they know that their regime won't survive the war. I don't see why some here are so ready for the US to start a war... 

[Gass3268]

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Jesus...

[Beet]

China testing ship-based missiles in a show of force demo today https://news.vice.com/story/now-china-is-testing-missiles-off-the-korean-peninsula

Good sign.

SCMP has multiple interpretations of this. Some say it's meant to deter both NK and the US.

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http://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2105832/china-fires-warning-array-navy-drills-korean-peninsula

It's geared to NK. This little PRC task force knows it wouldn't fare well or long against a USN CSG. Odds are less for the US in shallower waters in prox to China but that is a different story.

I wouldn't be so sure of that, as the Chinese claim they can take out a US aircraft carrier:

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http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/china/china-tests-new-guided-missile-in-bohai-sea/articleshow/58598767.cms

They have also conducted drills in the area in response to THAAD.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

In spite of the overheated rhetoric, Mattis and McMaster aren't going to let Trump blow up the crazy fat kid's country unless they attack first.

[Yank2133]

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Jesus...

Good luck walking this back.

This is why you don't put mentally unstable/incompetent people in position power.

[TheSaint250]

If North Korea attacks us, I don't see why fire and fury isn't appropriate.  We should avoid war at all costs, but if it comes down to it, as in North Korea attacks us, Trump is right.

People who are complaining about retaliatory strikes are wrong.

[Yank2133]

If North Korea attacks us, I don't see why fire and fury isn't appropriate.  We should avoid war at all costs, but if it comes down to it, as in North Korea attacks us, Trump is right.

People who are complaining about retaliatory strikes are wrong.

Everyone knows this.

The issue is Trump's threat. He played into NK's hands with this kind of talk that he won't follow through.

He is to dangerous and stupid to be president. Get him the **** out of there.

[Deblano]

China testing ship-based missiles in a show of force demo today https://news.vice.com/story/now-china-is-testing-missiles-off-the-korean-peninsula

Good sign.

Good on China.

North Korea must continue to be isolated without any allies to run to.