What to do about North Korea?

BB3Lions

I read somewhere NK need a war for economic reasons?

mij

^ I read somewhere the west need a war for economic reasons

I have been told by quite a few people to watch the film "The coming war on China" by John Pilger: The Coming War On China

BB3Lions

Hmmm, makes you think. Philippine sea wars over territory, ISIS in South islands, domination on markets of white goods etc.

rustybin

Except a war would result in the fall of his regime - he couldn't win. The opening salvos would completely decimate N Korea. Some people are genuinely insane. Look at Saddam.

Putin is right - sanctions are completely pointless.

History is littered with wars caused by appeasing complete and utter nutters who are actually encouraged by weak appeasement. The US needs to sit down with China and Russia and agree how best to remove N Korea's nuclear capabilities.

If you give N Korea the benefit of the doubt and agree that they're genuinely worried about American invasion, just have China guarantee their existing borders in exchange for giving up their Nuclear Weapons. Problem solved.

I can't stand Trump, but he's doing the right thing here. If you look at 1939 with Hitler and 1982 with the Argentinians - both argued that they received uncertain signals from Britain about our genuine commitment to defend Poland/Falklands. This encouraged their aggression. You have to be 100% clear with these people - if you cross this line we're going to stop you. And then put your money where your mouth is.

B35

Can't attack NK so the only option is deterrence and try and get China and Russia into talks. Just like the Cold War, tell NK one missile lands on ground and they're vapourised. This is pretty much what's happening anyway. The big risk is miscalculation and Trumps Twitter rhetoric is insane and is stirring panic in his own country, absolutely no need for it.

TranceFan

End of the day if there is a pre-emptive attack, South Korea and Seoul will be in ruins, even if NK fail to get a nuke in the air. So the only solution is negotiation. The elephant in the room is the US presence in SK and endless war games, which are only making a paranoid regime even more paranoid and dangerous. The US presence is a permanent threat to NK, and really holding back any permanent solution to this issue. See it from the NK perspective - you have an enemy that killed millions of your countrymen in the Korean war on your doorstep. Which has a history of aggression (over 30 countries attacked since WW2) behind it. And if the Iraq war told Americas enemies anything - it was you need the bomb to deter US aggression. And nuclear bombers flying over your capital, and your enemy practising military drills regularly to target your regime. Add to that over 10 years of ruinous sanctions against your country for daring to have the same weapons your enemy has (but in far fewer number). Negotiating an end of NK nuclear weapons development in exchange for an end to the military presence of the USA could be one way of getting out of this increasingly dangerous situation. Many in South Korea resent the US presence in their country, but of course this is not covered in our media. Problem is we dont have the right leaders of any intelligence to negotiate on either side..

rustybin

'Not covered in our media'.

It's a conspiracy I tells you!

B35

NK issued a statement today saying Trumps words of "Fire and Fury" meant the US were "begging for war". So NK is saying the US is begging for war whilst the US is saying NK are begging for war. Neither side wants it but the leadership in both are too stupid to do the right things to deescalate. Start by setting up military to military deescalation channels.

EarthRod

Sabre-rattling is another form of willy-waving.

tapzilla2k

It's just part of the over all geopolitical willy waving game.

We've run out of options when it comes to dealing with North Korea, appeasement doesn't work. Usually when Kim Jong Il sabre rattled he had a specific goal in mind that didn't end in total destruction. Kim Jong Un has so far shown none of that. If the regime is on the verge of collapse going out in a blaze of glory tends to appeal to some dictators.