North Korea dusts off nuke plans

Just as a reminder,

Clinton explains the value of nuke free NK

Quote:That isn’t the nuclear-free future Mr. Clinton promised in 1994, when he claimed “the entire world will be safer” thanks to a deal that required Pyongyang to “freeze and then dismantle its nuclear program.”..........Put yourself in Kim Jong Un’s Gucci loafers. Your economy is in worse shape than usual, you’re unsure of your grip on power, and you’ve recently executed your fourth defense minister in three years. What’s a young dictator to do?

WSJ OpEd

Would the world really be pissed off if the US, SK, and Japan rolled through NK and liberated an obviously and excessively oppressed population? Given the refugee problems that China faces and their shaky economy I doubt they would oppose too loudly, and I honestly don't believe NK is more than an afterthought to Russia either. The only countries that I would think to be upset would be a few middle eastern countries that are trying to acquire NK's nuclear research but what the hell could they do about it?

After seeing how Iran made out like an bandit with its recent nuke deal, can't say I blame NK for dusting off its nuke plans. No telling what that crazy a$$ nation will get in return.

(09-16-2015 07:54 AM)VA49er Wrote:  After seeing how Iran made out like an bandit with its recent nuke deal, can't say I blame NK for dusting off its nuke plans. No telling what that crazy a$$ nation will get in return.

If there were ever a country where nation-building could work it seems like it's NK.

Interesting article, though a few year old, about the cost of war with NK. http://foreignpolicy.com/2013/04/15/the-...rth-korea/

I'd rather spend a little more to remove the threat than be bled slowly for far more over the next 25-30 years in aid that is abused by the regime.

(09-16-2015 07:54 AM)VA49er Wrote:  After seeing how Iran made out like an bandit with its recent nuke deal, can't say I blame NK for dusting off its nuke plans. No telling what that crazy a$$ nation will get in return.

(09-16-2015 07:47 AM)200yrs2late Wrote:  Would the world really be pissed off if the US, SK, and Japan rolled through NK and liberated an obviously and excessively oppressed population? Given the refuge problems that China faces and their shaky economy I doubt they would oppose too loudly, and I honestly don't believe NK is more than an afterthought to Russia either. The only countries that I would think to be upset would be a few middle eastern countries that are trying to acquire NK's nuclear research but what the hell could they do about it?

I do not think that:

1 China wants to share a border with a free & prosperous united Korea.
2 SK wants to fund what west Germany had to fund when they reunited.
3 Russia does not want a small border with a prosperous united Korea after all NK does not make them look as bad in the world view & they can make money by ignoring sanctions with them.

(09-16-2015 07:54 AM)VA49er Wrote:  After seeing how Iran made out like an bandit with its recent nuke deal, can't say I blame NK for dusting off its nuke plans. No telling what that crazy a$$ nation will get in return.

NK has shown no interest in money. The leadership is rich & does not care about its people. In my opinion if Iran wanted a bomb that badly, they would have worked with NK to get one.

(09-16-2015 08:02 AM)dcCid Wrote:  I do not think that:

1 China wants to share a border with a free & prosperous united Korea.
2 SK wants to fund what west Germany had to fund when they reunited.
3 Russia does not want a small border with a prosperous united Korea after all NK does not make them look as bad in the world view & they can make money by ignoring sanctions with them.

1. China needs to be looking at this from an economic standpoint. China is SK largest trading partner and SK is China's third largest. NK is also a costly neighbor for China in terms on humanitarian issues and black market trading and smuggling.

2. There is a sizable reunification movement in SK.

3. NK is still an afterthought to Russia, especially with the Iranian and Syrian developments.

(09-16-2015 08:04 AM)dcCid Wrote:  

(09-16-2015 07:54 AM)VA49er Wrote:  After seeing how Iran made out like an bandit with its recent nuke deal, can't say I blame NK for dusting off its nuke plans. No telling what that crazy a$$ nation will get in return.

NK has shown no interest in money. The leadership is rich & does not care about its people. In my opinion if Iran wanted a bomb that badly, they would have worked with NK to get one.

Source this. NK has received billions in aid (most of which the government ends up with) over the years in exchange for various concession related to their nuclear program and other 'saber-rattling'.

(09-16-2015 08:08 AM)200yrs2late Wrote:  

(09-16-2015 08:02 AM)dcCid Wrote:  I do not think that:

1 China wants to share a border with a free & prosperous united Korea.
2 SK wants to fund what west Germany had to fund when they reunited.
3 Russia does not want a small border with a prosperous united Korea after all NK does not make them look as bad in the world view & they can make money by ignoring sanctions with them.

1. China needs to be looking at this from an economic standpoint. China is SK largest trading partner and SK is China's third largest. NK is also a costly neighbor for China in terms on humanitarian issues and black market trading and smuggling.

2. There is a sizable reunification movement in SK.

3. NK is still an afterthought to Russia, especially with the Iranian and Syrian developments.

Got interested in NK a couple of years ago and read a few books on life there written by escapees. The books also talked about attitudes by China and SK governments and people. I admit I was a tad shocked about what has gone on in NK in my lifetime & even today from a human rights perspective. So some of my opinions are shaded by what I read.

1 China is doing fine in the world economy & they want to reduce unrest at home. They criticized the UN human rights abuse on NK & called it biased. They automatically repatriate NK's back to NK in violation of treaty's they have signed. They make a profit on the cross border trade & serve as a middleman in passing NK goods off as Chinese goods to get around world sanctions. This allows NK goods to be sold worldwide. They also like a border buffer with SK & the west for better control of their own population..

I read they are loosing patience however with the current leader & do agree that over time as they become more intertwined with the free world they may change.

2 Yes there is, but from what I read there is also hesitation and indifference for many people in SK. Fewer people there remember their relatives in NK as time goes on.





1

Yeah reunification efforts will lose steam as the younger generation has less connection than previous generations have had.

(09-16-2015 08:04 AM)dcCid Wrote:  

(09-16-2015 07:54 AM)VA49er Wrote:  After seeing how Iran made out like an bandit with its recent nuke deal, can't say I blame NK for dusting off its nuke plans. No telling what that crazy a$$ nation will get in return.

NK has shown no interest in money. The leadership is rich & does not care about its people. In my opinion if Iran wanted a bomb that badly, they would have worked with NK to get one.

NK starts babbling about war this and war that whenever it wants something. NK is interesting in money, just obviously getting it from somewhere else and keeping it for the elite.

(09-16-2015 08:29 AM)200yrs2late Wrote:  Yeah reunification efforts will lose steam as the younger generation has less connection than previous generations have had.

My thought process and logic had difficulty understand what I was reading. Made me realize that Americans have a very different reality than much of the world. When I get around to it will post the books I read on the History thread. Have also read articles on the web and in the WP since then. Still have trouble comprehending how this can still be going on in todays world, but same with many other things.

(09-16-2015 08:55 AM)dcCid Wrote:  

(09-16-2015 08:29 AM)200yrs2late Wrote:  Yeah reunification efforts will lose steam as the younger generation has less connection than previous generations have had.

My thought process and logic had difficulty understand what I was reading. Made me realize that Americans have a very different reality than much of the world. When I get around to it will post the books I read on the History thread. Have also read articles on the web and in the WP since then. Still have trouble comprehending how this can still be going on in todays world, but same with many other things.

So That is the Reason Middle Eastern Muslims have Hate for Each other dating back to what happened a Thousand Years ago ! They just can Move on with life and drop the distant past conflicts.

(09-16-2015 07:54 AM)VA49er Wrote:  After seeing how Iran made out like an bandit with its recent nuke deal, can't say I blame NK for dusting off its nuke plans. No telling what that crazy a$$ nation will get in return.

Fortunately, the new leader of NK would probably be satisfied with a few dozen porn dvd's, a truckload of vodka, and an all you can eat southern fried buffet.