North korea situation heating up

Butterfly

Butterfly

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Albuquerque, New Mexico USA
North Korea reportedly has conducted another nuclear test and the sabre rattling has heated up again, and evidently Trump is considering sanctions on China and is meeting with military advisors about what to do in Korea.

Is anybody but me concerned about this?
 

Butterfly said:
North Korea reportedly has conducted another nuclear test and the sabre rattling has heated up again, and evidently Trump is considering sanctions on China and is meeting with military advisors about what to do in Korea.

Is anybody but me concerned about this?
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Yes, in general, but even more so as a military parent.

A few weeks ago, I received an email update from some social site I don't belong to, saying 'a majority' of Americans favor sending in troops... beyond me where they got this info, but nobody asked me!
From what I heard, the previous Korean War (before I was born) was bad enough for Americans- plus NK didn't have those weapons back then, either.
Sending in American troops would be a damned awful idea- and so is all the mouthing-off on the part of the politicians. From Hillary to Trump, they've been baiting Kim-whats-his-name, and it seems the only individual that's ever done any good was DENNIS RODMAN!!!

Sorry, but between one kid in the military and a country (this one) that I don't want blown to bits, I'm very stressed over the entire situation.
 

Actually, three months ago Hillary was asked about North Korea and said it was an extremely complex and delicate problem that was going to need more than just good diplomacy. She said that what bothered her the most about the current situation at the State Dept. was that there didn't seem to be a cohesive, thoughtful strategy for dealing with Kim beyond knee-jerk reactions to each military testing.

I believe she made the specific point that the one really bad idea would be to force Kim into a corner by playing one-upmanship against him.

Rodman's accomplished nothing meaningful in NKorea. He's like a bad joke.

NKorea can be bombed into submission. The problem is you'll lose South Korea. The major populations, including the capital city of Seoul, are right near the DMZ, within easy reach of standard NKorean missiles. The entire northern half of SKorea can be destroyed within minutes, faster than any US defense can react.

NKorea is extremely mountainous country. Like Afghanistan, sending in just manned troops to win a war would be suicidal. It didn't work in the '50's and it won't work now.

It's really up to China and Premier Xi. They're the only ones with any true economic power over NKorea. It's one of the few lessons the Chiefs of Staff did manage to impress upon Trump, and why he's soft-pedaled his formerly vigorous campaign insults against China ever since. China doesn't want a militarized united Korea right next door. That's why they've propped up the Kim regime for so long. It's their buffer. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...do-about-north-korea-donald-trump-kim-jong-un

To get China's help, it has to be worth their while. Self-interest guides their diplomacy just as it guides ours. Kim is pushing China hard, so it will be interesting to see what Xi does in reaction. The London Guardian U.S. was just discussing that today, in fact.

China is angry, but what can it do about North Korea?
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...do-about-north-korea-donald-trump-kim-jong-un
 
I'm somewhat concerned, but have no solutions to this problem. Economic sanctions don't seem to be helping the situation. Kim strikes me as a dangerous person who does what he wants regardless of the outcome globally. How do you deal with a world leader like that?
 
It's been a terrifying situation for a long time. If he would kill his brother, and other family members, he obviously could not care less about his people dying. He only needs them for adulation and protection.
 
I wonder if hacking their computer systems might be a possibility---the ones that launch the missiles. Cyber warfare. What do you think?
 
It concerns me that the United States appears to be speaking on behalf of S. Korea, China, Japan, etc... when they talk about the threat from N. Korea.

IMO we should speak for ourselves and let other countries do the same. Of all the countries involved it seems to me that we have the least to lose and yet we make most of the noise and most of the smoke.

I would also like to see China or the United Nations attempt to arrange a meeting with the countries involved to sit down with N. Korea and attempt to find some common ground. IMO such a meeting is long overdue and might help us to get a better understanding of this relatively new world leader and his vision of how he would like to see this play out between his country and the rest of the world. If being recognized and having a place at the table is rejected and the threats continue then I think we need to stop the saber rattling and wait until we have an actual event against the United States that gives us cause to take limited but laser focused action against Kim Jong-un and his military. I really do not feel comfortable about waging an all out war on the people of N. Korea.
 
Agree, Bea. They keep saying Kim wants to be "recognized, taken seriously, as a world power." I wonder just exactly what Kim thinks that means. I guess I lack the knowledge to understand just what that entails.
 
NancyNGA said:
Agree, Bea. They keep saying Kim wants to be "recognized, taken seriously, as a world power." I wonder just exactly what Kim thinks that means. I guess I lack the knowledge to understand just what that entails.
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I don't really understand it either but I think we have an obligation to go through the process to find out what his expectations are. I would feel much better if this had been done when Kim took control of N. Korea and before Trump made so many inflammatory comments about him and his country. I fear that if we do make some small diplomatic progress the media will drag out file footage of all the comments Trump made and use them to fan the flames, it seems like war gets higher ratings than peace.
 
Well let the other nations speak up let them politely advise Kim to stop his testing and programs see where that gets them, would the UK be willing to take a 1st strike, I bet not and any other country also. Put your family in the sights of Kim's threats, still wish to let him strike ? About everyone I know and have known would rather prevent injury and harm than fight back afterwards.
If someone issued threats against me I might have some negative comeback also, remember Kim could stand down if he wanted to, I bet he will not. So we are faced with a read dilemma here do we take a 1st strike hit and sit back waiting or ?
President Trump could defuse the situation or destroy it and the haters would make no difference, same for him curing cancer, yet if Obama had it in his terms they would never said a word either way, sick people there.
 
I don't think Trump's fiery rhetoric helps the situation any. And now he is threatening some kind of trade sanctions against China because he doesn't think they are doing enough to contain Kim. Reportedly Trump's military advisors think that's a terrible idea, since this is not the best time to piss off China. I do wish Trump would adopt more of a "speak softly and carry a big stick" approach, but I doubt that will happen.
 
Ok Butterfly speak softly yes, big stick yes, no laughable Obama threats but stick to what he says, we agree so far?
either way then what's your take on the plan to deescalate this? Are you willing for your country to take a 1st strike? Or any country.
I detest fighting and war after being in one, not a good thing but I sure would rather see Kim stopped before he could hit us. Sanctions sure have worked so well have they not!

Ok left 1 out the stick what should he do with that big stick? Scribe a line in the sand? Or whoop an enemy with it? When you make an enemy tired of being whooped they will usually subside. How large of stick will he need? Can you just imagine all the different plans being considered?
 
Kim sure acts like someone who is preparing for war - much like Japan prior to WWII - and I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if he pulled a sneak attack just like Japan did. I think he'ss just keep going until he whips himself up into enough confidence to do it. He's nuts.
 
helenbacque said:
I am deeply concerned because the two major players in this situation have both proven themselves to be mentally unbalanced.
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One of the commentators on the TV news...I can't remember who...said it best. "Kim Jung-un is extending his Middle Finger to Trump, and daring him to act". It's almost as if we are witnessing two drunks getting ready to have a fight in a bar....and both are armed. When/if the bullets start flying, there Will be a lot of bystanders shot.
 
My older brother was stationed in Seoul in the 60s and came home with a Korean bride (Kim Su Poon?), may she rest in peace. So I have 2 nephews and 1 niece who are half Korean in heritage. So I do worry about this, a lot. I think our President Trump is doing the best he can to let NK know that any first strike on their part would in fact be suicidal. Long term, NK will have nukes, and there really isn't much we can do about it. Economic sanctions only hurt the common folks in NK, not the leaders, so I am not a fan of those. Why starve innocent people? If/when China wants to do something, they will, but not before it is in their own self-interest.
 
Don M. said:
One of the commentators on the TV news...I can't remember who...said it best. "Kim Jung-un is extending his Middle Finger to Trump, and daring him to act". It's almost as if we are witnessing two drunks getting ready to have a fight in a bar....and both are armed. When/if the bullets start flying, there Will be a lot of bystanders shot.
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I tend to agree with you there - uber macho bully swaggering. Unfortunately for both countries, one of them may take it so far he won't feel he can back down.
 
How did the world react to the crisis about N.K. setting off atomic bombs. There might have been a momentary blip in the stock market. Otherwise normal trading. The UK's response was... Ger response was.. (NK) "reached a new dimension", French respon...... Russian.......
 
A key issue here is China. During the 1950s Korean war China backed the North Koreans with troops and material, can we trust them to not do that again? Will the Russians stay out of it?
 
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