They're not a member of nuke meeting anymore. So to stop them, you'll have to use force, and that's gonna be war. Told you, americans can't afford to go to war with n.korea. It'll be a losing battle like in Vietnam.
I no follow you? How do you stop them from building nukes? Well personally, I think South Korea should have prevented it. But since they didn't and N. Korea is a threat to us (and have threatened us) now, we should have stopped them.
How? Sanctions? Bombing their nuclear facilities? That's my point. There isn't a way to do it (without pissing off everyone in the world - most importantly Russia and China). I think China is more at fault here. They've enabled the NK's for far too long. China has the only land border with NK, it could have blocked any ground shipments into the country easy enough and forced NK to stop the program, if it really wanted to. NK isn't really a direct threat right now. They cannot mount a nuke onto a missile (yet). Their missile that can supposedly reach us, failed miserably a few months back. They are a direct threat to Taiwan, Japan and S Korea right now. I think Japan should get a military together and prepare for the worst.
america cant win so they wont move this time. N koreas nuke capabilitys are mediocre but still dangerous. The furthest their nukes can reach is japan or south korea. But this means that they cud easily destroy any massing of troops
Well, yeah. I admit, I don't know very much about what attempts have been made to stop them in the past or what the repercussions of doing what you mentioned would be. But I do know that this has been a threat for a very...very long time and the fact that it has come this far means we have failed. China?!?!? China never does anything that would even remotely help us. Even if it benefits them more.
Wasn't the last attempt to appease the NKs back in the 90's. Bilateral talks. We gave them light water reactors? As long as they promised not to reprocess the rods? That turned out well, as we know. I'm not totally sure NK's test is a sign of failure. Since it failed (as is generally acknowledged) it seems to be more a cry for help. Looking for attention, concessions, etc and may be a sign ignoring them is working? Guess that's a little rosey. But still, right now, its a regional problem. And the region needs to step up and take some control over their part of the world.
As I recall, the last time liberals wanted to go to war with a country, they got their wish, and changed their minds.
Like I said, I don't know much about the history of it all. Is that true? I was in Mexico last week/weekend so I didn't watch or read the news (other than CNN in the airport). And I haven't watched or read much this week either. Last I heard it was a successful test. I know their rocket test failed but we've had a few rockets fail in the past as well. It doesn't mean that the program is a bust.
So, taking this a step further... if we want to do something, we should do it now, before the get their nuclear weapons program out of the lab and int o production. Of course, we won't. It is politically unviable. And domestic politics always trump foreign politics.
Certainly doesn't mean its a bust. But, if it was indeed a failure, NK is the first country to ever fail at an attempt to explode a fission device. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/09/AR2006100901246.html From the article: A french paper went further and almost called it a dud. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2006-10/12/content_706398.htm Put it together, though. You have 4 test fired missiles. The short range ones were off target (if I remember right). The long range missile bombed out entirely. The nuke test failed. It's not really a sign that this is an issue that is desperately needing attention. The immediate targets here: Japan, probably since they are putting sanctions on NK, S Korea and Taiwan are all in position to make things happen.
War is not a option but what North Korea did was definately something unacceptable. I wonder how close is world war III
I think Will agrees (will can correct me) that the regional countries there (Japan, etc) need to step up and put the big boy pants on though. I agree that action needs to be taken, but what? Sanctions (China and Russia are STILL against them)? Bombing the nuclear facilities? Wouldn't NK just retaliate the blow the shit out of the South? Not sure what a solution here is.
That the salon article? Just highlights the problems being faced here, but I don't think it really suggests any solutions. Meanwhile, while the leaders of all these countries sit pondering, more nuclear material is being refined, for either another test or worse, selling it to the highest bidder. I, for one, would be in favor of a complete blockade around NK, inspecting every ship in or out of the country. I'd also be in favor of totally cutting off aid (food, medicine, everything) to the country until it learns to play nice.
If by a country having Nuclear weapons it prevents them being bullied by other bigger countrys it's much to be encouraged. Nuclear weapons (or as Bush might say Noocular weapons) are obviously evil but have always acted as a very good deterrent.
The Atlantic - http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200610/kaplan-korea I agree. But wouldn't that be a humanitarian nightmare? Millions of refugees and possibly millions of deaths as well. The people of N. korea have been on the brink of starvation for a while now. The ultimate bargaining chip!