Today North Korea sent a message to the US, in the form of seven ballistic missiles. Obviously, they didn't hit anything, but it is still going to increase tension between the UN and North Korea.
What I'm wondering though, is why in the world they would launch missiles that they know aren't going to get close to the US. Also, North Korea isn't exactly the largest country, and if the US was to go to war with them it would be over very quickly. North Korea wouldn't be able to match the size of the army, and our own nuclear weapons could wipe them off the map if we chose to use them.
How do you feel about the situation? Will the US once again be police of the world, or will we for once make the UN deal with this on their own? Is Kim Jong Il just stupid, or is there a reason he spends millions of dollars to develop missiles, then sends them shooting into the ocean?
SA is the world police?Come on you have got too far with that. Just leave them alone, will you USA ever learn not to kill every living thing in every country that does something stupid??? Leave them alone they wanted to send USA a message not to mess with their business.
Normally, I'd agree. This is different though. They're within striking range of two of our close allies, Japan and S.K, so it does involve us. Second, they've threatened us, and that's going to provoke a response, whether military or not. If it was just a matter of a country firing missiles, I'd say stay the hell out of it, but its not.
Trading partner, so economical and industrial ties. Close as you can get to an ally without saying "we love you" Besides, its a UN issue as well, not just American.
Also, North Korea isn't exactly the largest country, and if the US was to go to war with them it would be over very quickly. North Korea wouldn't be able to match the size of the army, and our own nuclear weapons could wipe them off the map if we chose to use them.
U.S.A won't use the nuclear bomb, b/c it been forbiten seence 1945. U.S.A was a lot stronger then vietnam, but they had a hard time, so it can be the same thing for NK.
North Korea - Are they stupid?
Thats your title right? I think it's wronge saying: Is NK stupid? Do u think everyone in NK sayed "Lets bomb U.S.A!". The country is controled by one dictator. Him only is controling NK. He dosn't care about other people in the NK.
U.S.A was a lot stronger then vietnam, but they had a hard time, so it can be the same thing for NK.
Naw, its completely different combat environment, one we can actually deal with. Vietnam was jungle guerrilla fighting, which we had no idea what to do with. Although, it could get messy when the entire civilian population against us, and R.O.E preventing us from hurting them, even though we know they'd help military forces if they weren't fighting themselves.
Do u think everyone in NK sayed "Lets bomb U.S.A!". The country is controled by one dictator. Him only is controling NK. He dosn't care about other people in the NK.
Actually, they are. They've been manipulated/brainwashed and believe USA is the largest enemy of their country, and that the Korean war is still going on. Plus, they love Kim Jong, so anything he says goes[i]
They've been manipulated/brainwashed and believe USA is the largest enemy of their country, and that the Korean war is still going on. Plus, they love Kim Jong, so anything he says goes
yea, i guess they probebly don't know much of the truth
Naw, its completely different combat environment
maybe it change a bit, but U.S.A reputation is really bad, and if they start a new war, it could end up whit them having a new bad time, but maybe not, i don't really about that. But i still have a doupt
I'm surprised they didn't target a different country.
You know, he should just give up on attacking us at all and move onto a closer country. He's never gonna hit us, so why not target, say Russia? At least they could hit them and wouldn't be wasting their missiles xP
Ok woah... The missiles were fired east into the sea of Japan... not at the US. To say "today North Korea sent a message to the US, in the form of seven ballistic missiles" is a complete fragmentation of the truth. Everyone's been saying "zomg how stupid how is that going to do anything" but no one has even questioned the original poster's statement; the reason it doesn't make sense is because that's not what actually happened! No, I don't agree with North Korea's choice to test these missiles, but they are not an attack on the US.
The missiles were fired east into the sea of Japan... not at the US.
They had already stated that they were going to launch missiles on the 4th of July, and that the US should stay out of it. Why choose that date if they're not directed towards the US? No, they're not an attack, they're a message.
"Are they stupid?" No. First, you must examine their society to understand the motives of the NK leadership. NK is ruled by a Stalinist dictatorship that has lost faith in communism (Stalin and Stalinists did not, but that's another story). As such its leadership is now little more than an armed gang who view their people as ants for personal prestige, power and gain (as opposed to the achievement of a 'socialist paradise'. Of course this is an educated armed gang, composed of very intelligent people. But it is an armed gang nevertheless. Secondly, NK's economy is a failure, just as Stalinist economics were. These two issues give NK two options: either reform of their political and economic system (to effect survival of their regime and power), OR, the acquisition of aid money and resources to effect their survival--via expansionism or intimidation.
South Korea is the obvious target for warfare, but they are too well protected. So the alternative is intimidation. Of course everyone knows NK won't win any wars. But it doesn't need victory. It needs survival.
How does it survive? Foreign aid. China doesn't want a millions of refugees running about its borders because NK collapses. So it does everything it can to keep it alive. For the world as well, the prospect of such a refugee crisis, and the deaths that might follow it, is very unappealing. So you see, NK survives because everyone (the US included) wants them to. NK's saber rattling is not stupidity--it is common sense, a way of reminding everyone that 'look, we have nukes--what happens if we fall from power, what happens to those nukes and weapon depots, guys? Can anyone say anarchy and refugee crisis? Give us some money!'
NK's leadership is pursuing its interests as it sees them. So long as the world sees the prospect of its downfall as more unappealing than all of the other alternatives it's covered.
Reform, by contrast, is undesirable: it brings with it the risk of loss of power and prestige to the ruling class as a whole and its members as individuals. There would be awkward corruption purges and the risk of instability. Hence the NK leadership rejected this option.
These nuke tests could also help in a power struggle between the upper brass within NK. For example, some might be tired of Stalinism; others might wish to retain or guarantee their power. Firing some missiles into the air is a reminder--"we're still in charge here" (whoever "we" is, in the NK political scene). But this is speculative--no one really knows what happens in NK's borders or what its leaders are actually thinking.
He's never gonna hit us, so why not target, say Russia?
First, it's not a question about hitting a countr or not. Why? It's because Jong want's to creat a panic. He didn't shot the missiles for hitting the target, but to scare the U.S.A. It's like a way to say: "We aren't scared of you!". theyre not randomly shooting at countrys, they know U.S.A i powerful, and could be a thread to them.
Yep... that Kim Jong Il is one crazy guy. I think he is being pretty foolish. If he does anything, the whole world will be against him. It wouldn't be too good for NK, and it might result in WW3!!!
but U.S.A reputation is really bad, and if they start a new war, it could end up whit them having a new bad time
If the U.S. went to war, they wouldn't be the ones starting it. What we need to do is lay down the law and say that if they fire another missle that isn't out of protection then we will take out their launch pads. Very simple. If they continue to launch missles then we wipe them off the face of the Earth.
