SEOUL, South Korea - North Korea (news - web sites) test-fired a missile into the sea Monday in what was seen as an attempt to raise tension further in the standoff over its nuclear programs and pressure the United States into negotiations.
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having worked closely with Koreans before, i must say they are very unusual people. maybe we should just leave and let them work out their own peace because otherwise we will end up in a war again. the best thing that could happen there is that north and south reunite and the craziness gets modified just a bit. i really think that we don't want that to happen because the rampant nationalism of N. Korea is infecting S. Korea in a very bad way. i know that Koreans really dislike the Japanese(understatement) and that could lead to trouble if a new unified Korea was nationalistic and a military threat. still, its worse for our position to interfere in their affairs, as this is very insulting to them.
its kind of pathetic though to hear all this rhetoric from N. Korea- where they constantly threaten to nuke our cities and carry out these threatening acts. its like a street tough telling you he will punch you really hard while youre holding an AK47 to his face. if they ever nuked us, there would be nothing left of their entire country.
its kind of pathetic though to hear all this rhetoric from N. Korea- where they constantly threaten to nuke our cities and carry out these threatening acts. its like a street tough telling you he will punch you really hard while youre holding an AK47 to his face. if they ever nuked us, there would be nothing left of their entire country.
So they are holding a gun to our head, trying to get us to give them money eh 
It reminds me of a story I heard a while back. A guy was holding up a drug store and the barrel of the gun fell off, he still demanded the drugs and the druggist jumped over the counter and beat the hell out of him.
It reminds me of a story I heard a while back. A guy was holding up a drug store and the barrel of the gun fell off, he still demanded the drugs and the druggist jumped over the counter and beat the hell out of him.
DS,
I don’t think we can just sit back and let the Koreans work it out. All the major powers want the U.S. to deal directly with the N. Koreans, and they are demanding direct talks with the U.S. and nobody else. Obviously their intent is nuclear blackmail.
True the Koreans dislike the Japanese, but did you know that Japan is N. Korea’s largest trading partner, accounting for 25% of all N. Korea’s exports? N. Korea is doing exactly what Japan did in the late 30’s and early 40’s. Their economy was worsening, and feel that military power through threats is their way of making things better.
Personally, I feel the N. Koreans should not be allowed to continue on this path, and that they should be dealt with in the harshest way.
I don’t think we can just sit back and let the Koreans work it out. All the major powers want the U.S. to deal directly with the N. Koreans, and they are demanding direct talks with the U.S. and nobody else. Obviously their intent is nuclear blackmail.
True the Koreans dislike the Japanese, but did you know that Japan is N. Korea’s largest trading partner, accounting for 25% of all N. Korea’s exports? N. Korea is doing exactly what Japan did in the late 30’s and early 40’s. Their economy was worsening, and feel that military power through threats is their way of making things better.
Personally, I feel the N. Koreans should not be allowed to continue on this path, and that they should be dealt with in the harshest way.
Was the Roman Empire really that bad? I mean I guess anything that lasted for thousands of years and didnt blow up the planet could not of been all That Bad. Lets just take over the world it probably be a better place afterwards. Kinda like the Star Trek series, no money no possesion wars, just explorers. I am down with it sign up below to join my army for World Peace Through World Domination 
.
.
World Peace through World Domination.
I like it
Where do I sign?
I like it
Where do I sign?
Sounds like a good idea but to tell you the truth every time I've done it I always ended up screwing it all over. Oh yeah, at first I'm a benevolent ruler. I feed the poor tend to the sick and less fortunate, so peaceful and pleasant. Love is in the air. Then it starts, so slight. I have to quell an argument, stop a dispute settle an indiscretion define a border, you know little stuff. But one day, I'd get up on the wrong side of the bed and someone steps over that line, they piss me off...uh oh. You don't mess with "BIG J6P". I may only be 5'7" and go a little under 135 but I rule here. I am goodness. I am justice. I am love. Don't "F" with me.
So I destroy, beat and break things.
Then I come to my senses but alas its too late, crap.
I start over again and again but it always ends the same.
So I destroy, beat and break things.
Then I come to my senses but alas its too late, crap.
I start over again and again but it always ends the same.
j6p no leadership role for you then.
Aw...man, just give me one more shot at it. I'll get it right this time, I promise....honest
there is no such thing as world domination. it will never happen. humanity can barely tolerate the amount of domination we have presently without resorting back to anarchy.
Homer, the N. Koreans are just saving face. they feel like they will force us to the table by provoking us- which is precisely why we shouldn't acknowledge them at all. are you against a unified Korea? don't you feel like that would be a much better solution than us going to war again? what did the first war accomplish? ask the average S. Korean how they feel about us being in their country and you will find out we should just leave them with their own problems.
Homer, the N. Koreans are just saving face. they feel like they will force us to the table by provoking us- which is precisely why we shouldn't acknowledge them at all. are you against a unified Korea? don't you feel like that would be a much better solution than us going to war again? what did the first war accomplish? ask the average S. Korean how they feel about us being in their country and you will find out we should just leave them with their own problems.
DS,
The S. Koreans WANTS the U.S. involved in this particular crisis, and so does Russia and China, due to N. Korea not wanting to talk with any other nation. I’m all for a unified Korea, but it won’t happen under the leadership of the north, and I don’t see the leadership of the north relinquishing power to make this happen. That being said, a unified Korea won’t solve THIS crisis, as this crisis is so dangerous and imminent.
As far as S. Korean goes, sure they want unity with the north, but under their terms and not the terms of the north. Some CIA 2001 statistics about both countries:
N. Korea:
Population- 22,224,195
22.8 deaths/1,000 live births
GDP- purchasing power parity - $21.8 billion
Growth rate- -3%
Per Capita GDP- purchasing power parity - $1,000
S. Korea:
Population- 48.324 million
6.02 deaths/1,000 population
GDP- purchasing power parity - $865 billion
Growth rate- 3.3%
Per Capita GDP- purchasing power parity - $18,000
Granted those figures are a couple years out of date, but that isn't that much of a change
North Korea is so backwards, and without weapons of mass destruction, nobody would pay any attention to them. They are too weak and puny, both militarily and economically to pose a threat to anyone, and they are using nuclear blackmail to gain respect and concessions from the U.S. and the world.
The S. Koreans WANTS the U.S. involved in this particular crisis, and so does Russia and China, due to N. Korea not wanting to talk with any other nation. I’m all for a unified Korea, but it won’t happen under the leadership of the north, and I don’t see the leadership of the north relinquishing power to make this happen. That being said, a unified Korea won’t solve THIS crisis, as this crisis is so dangerous and imminent.
As far as S. Korean goes, sure they want unity with the north, but under their terms and not the terms of the north. Some CIA 2001 statistics about both countries:
N. Korea:
Population- 22,224,195
22.8 deaths/1,000 live births
GDP- purchasing power parity - $21.8 billion
Growth rate- -3%
Per Capita GDP- purchasing power parity - $1,000
S. Korea:
Population- 48.324 million
6.02 deaths/1,000 population
GDP- purchasing power parity - $865 billion
Growth rate- 3.3%
Per Capita GDP- purchasing power parity - $18,000
Granted those figures are a couple years out of date, but that isn't that much of a change
North Korea is so backwards, and without weapons of mass destruction, nobody would pay any attention to them. They are too weak and puny, both militarily and economically to pose a threat to anyone, and they are using nuclear blackmail to gain respect and concessions from the U.S. and the world.
N. Korea is so isolated that we shouldn't care about their threats. in fact, if we had no troops in S. Korea, we wouldn't be the target of their threats at all. i just don't see what there is to gain from dealing harshly with them. they obviously don't value treaties, so short of war there are few options. the best option is reconciling with the south without our interference. look at what happened in Germany.
if they really think the threat of a nuke is going to make a difference, they need to realize that we've lived under the threat of nuclear destruction for years. i could care less about their nukes. don't we have a missile shield being developed for precisely this reason?
do you really think they would nuke us? that would be suicidal and absolute insanity. i say let the S. Koreans deal with them and lets get the hell out of there for good. the Cold War is over, why are we still sitting on that DMZ? the S. Koreans are pressing for us to get out as it is. give them what they want.
if they really think the threat of a nuke is going to make a difference, they need to realize that we've lived under the threat of nuclear destruction for years. i could care less about their nukes. don't we have a missile shield being developed for precisely this reason?
do you really think they would nuke us? that would be suicidal and absolute insanity. i say let the S. Koreans deal with them and lets get the hell out of there for good. the Cold War is over, why are we still sitting on that DMZ? the S. Koreans are pressing for us to get out as it is. give them what they want.
Bombers in Guam lol.
If N Korea does anything I agree no worries. The worse probably would be for them to nuke S Korea or Japan, we nuke them, China gets pissed, hits us, we hit them, Iran hits us, we hit Iran, UN gets pissed, Russia hits us, we hit Russia, UN turns on us, hits us, we blow up the world.........We Win! No worries here.
But seriously its not about how they are a lil country that would get owned by us, its the threat of them being a pawn or the match that lights the fuse for other troubles. And I like how they just want to talk to us. Not the UN? If I have been reading correctly, just the US.
If N Korea does anything I agree no worries. The worse probably would be for them to nuke S Korea or Japan, we nuke them, China gets pissed, hits us, we hit them, Iran hits us, we hit Iran, UN gets pissed, Russia hits us, we hit Russia, UN turns on us, hits us, we blow up the world.........We Win! No worries here.
But seriously its not about how they are a lil country that would get owned by us, its the threat of them being a pawn or the match that lights the fuse for other troubles. And I like how they just want to talk to us. Not the UN? If I have been reading correctly, just the US.
DS,
I agree with you, and that we shouldn’t have troops in S. Korea. But that isn’t relevant to the current threat now. Our troops are there, and the threat is there, so where do we go from here?
It’s not about whether or not N.Korea can nuke just us, but what about the nations within their reach? Russia has the largest land mass of any nation; China has the largest population of any nation with the third largest land mass; Japan has the second largest economy; S.Korea and Taiwan are in the top 15 economies of the world. The importance of the region can’t be overlooked, as the largest populations and some of the largest economies are in reach of N.Korea’s missiles. Our missile shield is in the testing stages, so it can’t be relied on.
You can’t compare N.Korea to the nuclear standoff we had during the Cold War. The Soviet Union was actually a stabilizing force in the world, as it created a balance of power. Also, the Soviet Union wasn’t isolated, starving, and their backs against the wall. N.Korea is unstable, and could pose a threat in the manner JoJo was talking about, by being the match that lights the fires. After all, terrorists need weapons, N.Korea needs cash, and even a simple business partnership could be a disaster.
I agree with you, and that we shouldn’t have troops in S. Korea. But that isn’t relevant to the current threat now. Our troops are there, and the threat is there, so where do we go from here?
It’s not about whether or not N.Korea can nuke just us, but what about the nations within their reach? Russia has the largest land mass of any nation; China has the largest population of any nation with the third largest land mass; Japan has the second largest economy; S.Korea and Taiwan are in the top 15 economies of the world. The importance of the region can’t be overlooked, as the largest populations and some of the largest economies are in reach of N.Korea’s missiles. Our missile shield is in the testing stages, so it can’t be relied on.
You can’t compare N.Korea to the nuclear standoff we had during the Cold War. The Soviet Union was actually a stabilizing force in the world, as it created a balance of power. Also, the Soviet Union wasn’t isolated, starving, and their backs against the wall. N.Korea is unstable, and could pose a threat in the manner JoJo was talking about, by being the match that lights the fires. After all, terrorists need weapons, N.Korea needs cash, and even a simple business partnership could be a disaster.
ok Homer, i see your point. i just see the solution as being part of the greater problem of Korea being divided. you have the sane Koreans living in the south, and the unstable Koreans in the north. i just think we should pull out and give them a shot at reuniting- that is a much better solution than war. part of the unstable behavior coming out of N. Korea is directed at us due to our interest in keeping the peninsula divided. there has been a lot of reconciliation between north and south in recent years and we are seen as opposing reunification by our diplomacy.
i agree that we have to do something about N. Korea's nuclear program. i think the UN would be the best way to get some serious pressure on them to change their ways. like you said, we have a lot of great powers and peoples that have no interest in N. Korea behaving like this, so passing sanctions or a resolution should be a breeze. it just can't be seen as a standoff between us and N. Korea, because its not. their actions are a threat to the world and we need the world to get involved. now, if the world were to drag its feet like its doing with Iraq, i would say lets take care of it, sooner rather than later, ourselves. i can't see the world not being freaked out by N. Korea's saber rattling though. we will probably see the UN do something very soon.
you made a good point about them selling nukes to terrorists- that scares me quite a bit.
i agree that we have to do something about N. Korea's nuclear program. i think the UN would be the best way to get some serious pressure on them to change their ways. like you said, we have a lot of great powers and peoples that have no interest in N. Korea behaving like this, so passing sanctions or a resolution should be a breeze. it just can't be seen as a standoff between us and N. Korea, because its not. their actions are a threat to the world and we need the world to get involved. now, if the world were to drag its feet like its doing with Iraq, i would say lets take care of it, sooner rather than later, ourselves. i can't see the world not being freaked out by N. Korea's saber rattling though. we will probably see the UN do something very soon.
you made a good point about them selling nukes to terrorists- that scares me quite a bit.
Well DS, I’m in agreement with you that the U.S. should not be defending S. Korea, as they are many times stronger than N. Korea, and the public of S.Korea don’t want our troops there anyway. Unfortunately, there is a giant bureaucratic nightmare to overcome before any changes can be made.
But that poses an interesting question, would it be easier to unify with or without a U.S. presence? I have no idea myself.
But this is just another example of how inconsistent the world community is. The world insists the U.S. go through the U.N. to resolve the crisis in Iraq, blaming the U.S. for it’s direct approach. But with N. Korea, the U.S. is being pressured to do it alone, just because the North wants it that way.
But that poses an interesting question, would it be easier to unify with or without a U.S. presence? I have no idea myself.
But this is just another example of how inconsistent the world community is. The world insists the U.S. go through the U.N. to resolve the crisis in Iraq, blaming the U.S. for it’s direct approach. But with N. Korea, the U.S. is being pressured to do it alone, just because the North wants it that way.
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