Korean War Part Deux

[Tony]

So, apparently North Korea is terminating their end of the deal when it comes to the 1953 assistance that ended the Korean War.

www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aS17xp.yHokM&refer=home

www.dane101.com/breaking_news/2009/05/27/breaking_north_korea_ends_53_armistace

news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8069457.stm


The U.S. doesn't need another war to fight. Its troops are spread too thin over too great a distance. And on top of that they cancelled the Raptor program leaving them with ~200 less fighters than they had wanted.

[Silvion]

The thing is that the U.S. are the only likely candidate to actually do something about it. Russia and China won't do anything and the rest of the countries isn't really able to.

[Temanin]

I think you hit the proverbial nail on the head there. Unfortunately, the United States are one of the few countries in a position to actually be able to smack these folks around a bit. As Silvion said, Russia definitely won't do anything and, though China did yell at North Korea again a bit to little effect, I don't see them applying much real pressure. More than likely, however, all of this is just a plot to bring attention back to the little country. Kim Jong-il is constantly doing such things whenever the media starts looking at something other than him. The nuclear tests are a little alarming, but I simply can't imagine a country would be stupid enough to actually use them. A nuclear strike would, in my opinion, actually garner responses from various countries and I don't think North Korea would want that. He can't be that stupid.

[Delerious]

The United States won’t do anything. They’re to busy looking for weapons of mass destruction where they don’t exist, remember? As opposed to where they actually are.

The nuclear tests are a little alarming, but I simply can't imagine a country would be stupid enough to actually use them.

I think nuclear explosions the size of Hiroshima can be considered a little more than “a little alarming”. As for the country being stupid enough…the country itself isn’t. However, we are talking about a man who, in the past, has kidnapped film directors and made them remake Godzilla and has an unhealthy obsession with Elizabeth Taylor.

[Temanin]

Yeah, I agree. The "a little alarming" remark was mainly meant as sarcasm. It's quite troubling, to be sure. And I'd also agree with you about old Kim Jung-il. Maybe I'm just experiencing a bout of wishful thinking. He's definitely screwed up, I'm just hoping he's not crazy enough to do something that will get his entire country destroyed.

[Delerious]

In a possibly selfish way, I’m more concerned about the consequences it may have for other countries. However, if he does take action, what right do countries like America or Britain have to intervene? It is true that they are powerful but they too took part in a very questionable war to which, at the time, many countries thought it was okay for reasons they themselves couldn’t fathom. Perhaps it all happened too quickly but it certainly took a good few months before they truly started to voice the “hold on. What just happened?” thoughts. America and Britain would, of course, attempt to justify their ludicrous actions, but they would forever – most definitely - be shrouded in hypocrisy. In all honesty I don’t know much about France’s nuclear testing history, but - from what I’ve read – British and American governments did not seem quite as worried. Why?

And Kim Jong-il is crazy enough. He seems like a guy who believes the world only exists with him in it and, worryingly, his health is a little fickle.

And Tony has gone orange.

[Tony]

But you have to look at the history of nuclear arms. When the US used it during WWII it was to avoid attacking the Japanese homeland which would have cost them millions of troops. They were hoping that by dropping these two bombs it would scare Japan into surrendering. What they did not know were the long term effects of using such weaponry since it had just been invented. It was during the Cold War through more testing they found out what could really happen and that is why they don't want other countries to use nuclear arms.

It is of my opinion that all such arms should be destroyed as to avoid such catastrophies that may befall humanity due to the recklessness and irrational thoughts of a person in power.

I have, to go with the ranking icons.

[Delerious]

It is of my opinion that all such arms should be destroyed as to avoid such catastrophes that may befall humanity due to the recklessness and irrational thoughts of a person in power.

Thankfully, it is also the opinion of the majority; the silent majority. Unfortunately, government authorities are often more perilous thinkers of greed and power. Let’s not be naive: if the US were desperate enough, if they were greedy enough and if the other country was far away enough, they would think a lot less about initiating in any nuclear attacks themselves, consequences be damned. The Cold War ended in 1991, but France continued testing until 1996. The US weren’t exactly knocking France’s door down, were they? No, they were knocking politely whilst giving the rest of the world a sardonic smile. France is always a probable ally.

they don't want other countries to use nuclear arms

Provided those other countries are perceived as potential enemies.

I have, to go with the ranking icons

Cool. What does orange mean?

[Tony]

Its kind of a yellow than an orange. And if you look at the rank icon it matches. Its just used to differenciate between them all. Tem is blue, Victor is green, and everyone else is normal.

[Silvion]

Kim Yong-il is a madman. We can talk about "no country is crazy enough to use nuclear arms", but I am quite sure Kim'll throw an ICBM at the U.S. immediately when he is able to. It is really disturbing that N-Korea is succesful in testing ballistic missiles now. In the past they always missfired, but now they are getting close to having real ICBM's.

As Delerious said, the most worrying aspect is that his health is fickle. A crazy guy like Kim will definately want to go out with a bang (literally speaking).

[Temanin]

France was within its rights to test up until 1996. The end of the Cold War didn't bring an end to nuclear weapons testing; though it did limit a bunch of the stuff the US and Russia were doing at the time. Most treaties drafted during the Cold War limited escalation; they didn't apply blanket bans on nuclear weapons. That was actually covered by the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty which was adopted in 1996, which is probably why France stopped testing then. I'd agree, though, that the reason we weren't too overly concerned was probably because we saw them as a more likely ally than enemy.

And yeah, like I said, I guess it's just a matter of wishful thinking on my part that the silly little fellow won't do something stupid. Makes you long for the days of assassins and such again, you know? International law be damned.