http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21972936

Well chubby cheeks new boy seems to be proving his manhood by ‘threatening’ the US. Is it a viable threat? could they get the missiles there? Would the fall apart somewhere over the pacific? Given that very slowly they are getting to the point they could fling a thing anywhere on the planet. And they are also close to successfully building dangerous things to fling, and they are run by a crackpot regime that seems to have their population in constant terror/hysterics etc. Would the world be better dealing with them now, than later. I once found a stream of NK state TV. Turns out there is a really fine line between hilarity and terror.

My own course of action would be to send a bunch on very tough SAS types to storm the palace, take Cheeks prisoner, and one very stern British Nanny to put him over her knee and smack his bottom. Other solutions welcome. But where as Burma just seems happy to control burma (albeit with horrific cruelty), North Korea seems to want go out in flames and take us with them.

Surely diplomacy is wasted on people this mental?

Discuss.

If they make a reckless provocation with huge strategic forces, the Korean People’s Army (KPA) should mercilessly strike the US mainland, their stronghold, their military bases in the operational theatres in the Pacific, including Hawaii and Guam, and those in South Korea,”

so if you attack us we will attack you

Its largely rhetoric [ albeit rather loopy] for the domestic market.
no matte rhow detached he is or his people [ they are far more detatched than he is] he knows that to attack the US is to sign his and his regimes death order so he wont actually do this.

I think it plays into this hands to make us think he is bat shit mental as who wants to pick a fight with someone who is like this?

I doubt very much will happen beyong aggressive pointless postruing [ from both sides ] tbh.

Israel attacking Iran is a far greater concern tbh

They’re just paranoid (justifiably given recent history) that the US will invade, and are sabre rattling. China won’t allow a US invasion of a country right on it’s own border. NK will back down in time; they’ll have to. This is their last big stand against western imperialism. They know they’ll have to bow to China sooner or later.

I’d worry about something else to be honest, rather than believing all the hysterical sensationalist media.

I don’t think their paranoia can be described as justifiable, there’s no chance at all at present that anyone will consider invadijng North Korea. I think Jong-un’s mental state is a fascinating question. He was been raised in a bubble. While his generals and others may be more in touch have they dared to tell his father? Tell him? Its crazy how little we know about NK.

No, at the moment I don’t think there’s a threat at all.

But later, when they have their ICBM technology sorted, and nukes to put on top of them, and they are still run by mentaly unstable indoctinated paranoids raised in a bubble of lies…

I reckon there’s a good chance China will go in before then tbh.

Would the world be better dealing with them now, than later. I once found a stream of NK state TV. Turns out there is a really fine line between hilarity and terror.

I guess the things that would be crossing politicians minds would be –

A) If you take out the government you then have a duty of care to provide another government.
B) NK has few natural resources.
C) Any government installed by a foreign government would need a bottomless pit of money to invest in the place.
D) South Korea really isn’t that keen on being rejoined with NK because of C
E) There is no political opposition within the country that could form a government.
F) The level of brain washing within the country is such that any foreign involvement would probably not be as welcome as some might imagine.
G) Iraq and Afganistan are still ongoing cock-ups – it’s not a vote winner.

there’s no chance at all at present that anyone will consider invadijng North Korea

because they are bat shit mental with nukes and the worlds largest army [ as a 5 of population]
If they had no weapons and no army what would happen – they are paranoid but they have abit of a point – a bit like claiming iran or israel are paranoid – they have very good reasons to be paranoid

I don’t think their paranoia can be described as justifiable, there’s no chance at all at present that anyone will consider invadijng North Korea

Oh no; the US won’t dare piss China off. And NK is a slightly different proposition to Iraq, as NK does actually have WMDs! More likely that China will flex it’s might and ‘influence’ NK. The US has wanted an outpost next to China for decades. The Chinese would probably prefer they didn’t. Hence NK is merely a pawn in the game.

But ‘NK is mad’ makes for sexy exciting headlines, which sells newspapers/online/tv advertising space.

There was an interesting article online somewhere yesterday (can’t remember where) about this. They have to be seen to be doing something to respond to the annual South Korea/US wargames that take place every March/April which they see as tantamount to an invasion (or a good way of concealing it when they “accidently” drop a small nuke on them) and to be fair, Pyongyang have been aggresively responding to that for years. its nothing new.

It’s new Dear Leader that’s the interesting one, he’s risen rapidly through the army ranks without actually doing all that much so general thought (according to this article) was that he needs to consolidate his position and prove his worth for the job to avoid a military coup against him.

They released a badly photoshopped picture yesterday showing their military might but it turned out to be the same hovercraft cloned 5 times… Fail.

They released a badly photoshopped picture yesterday showing their military might but it turned out to be the same hovercraft cloned 5 times… Fail.

Well, someone released a badly photoshopped picture of some hovercraft. Whether or not it was actually Pyonyang, is a matter for further discussion. It’s common for one ‘side’ to attempt to denigrate the other, with propaganda. Western media does an excellent job of demonising particular nations and cultures, so take anything you see with a large pinch of salt, is my advice. The media are as guilty of stirring up resentment and fear as anyone.

Which then leads to people on internet forums posting thread titles such as “North Korea – would sooner be better than later”.

They have tested nuclear weapons but that’s a long way from having a weapon miniaturised for use in a ICBM. Hence the concerns on their simulatanious development of long range rockets. Coupled with dubious leadership, failing economy, falling standards of living and food shortages makes the threats plausible if not deliverable. The proven capability of the west to destroy North Korea with just conventional weapons is fact. If North Korea used a nuclear weapon anywhere there would be a response in kind swiftly followed by a leadership changing campaign. Bye bye fat boy.

However, the global economy is bankrupt. Nothing like a good ole fisticuff to:

A) Take the minds of the populous away from ‘where to put my savings’, into one of ‘will we see tomorrow?’
B) Give the politicians another situation they cant control, but at least they can create this one all by themselves.
C) Devalue all global currencies at the same time.
D) Spend spend spend on lots of exploding things.

A tad extreme as far as how to get rid of this annoying recession, but is definately an option that has worked before.

Happy Easter!!

I think it’s reasonably common for dodgy regimes to threaten the states isn’t it? There’s been more than one film made about precisely that.

Someone should point out to these chaps that there’s a few things they need to do to avoid getting invaded by the Americans:

1) Have no oil
2) Don’t go calling them nasty names in public
3) Don’t harbour individuals who might consider carry out some terrorism against America

We should note that the UK is guilty of number 3

The strong should always yield to the weak….the wise to the unwise etc. Got to remember both sides need bogey men, so they can be “protected”.

Nahh … Young Chubby Dear Leader is just growing up normal like playing war games rather than computer games. Well, done to him.

I think both side should use bigger and more powerful atomic nuclear super doper death to all maggots the mother of the almighty bomb to annihilate all maggots. For example … opps … the rockets fell short of the intended distance/destination and drop into some where very populated … oopps it becomes a clear patch of land … service done! Less maggots!

The best strategy is to make sure Dear Leader rules forever and ensuring his population does not spill into the world. I mean do you want more people to consume the world? They are controlling themselves so why are you intervening?

They released a badly photoshopped picture yesterday showing their military might but it turned out to be the same hovercraft cloned 5 times… Fail.

So badly photoshopped that Agence France-Presse and Getty Images, two world leaders in photo news, distributed it to clients throughout the world. If only some elements of the western media were a bit more reliable than the North Korean government, eh ?

BTW ‘fooling the enemy’ isn’t something unique to North Korea, eg, the men in this picture aren’t particularly strong it’s more a case that the Sherman tank is really rather light – and of course wouldn’t be much use in battle.

BTW ‘fooling the enemy’ isn’t something unique to North Korea, eg, the men in this picture aren’t particularly strong it’s more a case that the Sherman tank is really rather light – and of course wouldn’t be much use in battle.

Which is rather the point, you only need to fool bomber pilots and bomb-aimers at altitude. Meanwhile the real tanks are causing havoc elsewhere.
You can’t photoshop the results of the oppositions high-altitude PR aircraft recce flights. Korea is indulging in propaganda, as much for the home market as anything else; I doubt if there’s a single NK citizen who would recognise a photoshop job in the way that westerners can, we’re much more media savvy. And cynical.

I doubt if there’s a single NK citizen who would recognise a photoshop job in the way that westerners can, we’re much more media savvy. And cynical.

But not Getty Images ? Who’s business and reputation depends on providing reliable and genuine photographs to news providers throughout the world, and who presumably look at lots of photos everyday.

Btw it wasn’t the “same hovercraft cloned 5 times”

http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2013/03/is-this-north-korean-hovercraft-landing-photo-faked/100480/

And I wouldn’t get too bogged down on the importance of whether the photo was faked to increase the number of military hovercraft North Korea has by two or three, if they can get their hands on five then I’m sure they can probably get their hands on eight of them they really want too.

There are several issues…

Firstly, the true power-brokers in NK are the Generals, who are treading a very fine line in order to retain power. Jong Un is little more than a figurehead with a script.

Secondly, the reason for the brinkmanship is foreign aid. Because NK has spent so much of it’s own GDP on it’s military and nuclear projects, they don’t have enough left over to feed the population. The plan has been for blackmail all along.

Thirdly, their closest ally – China – is rapidly losing patience with the regime and if NK goes too far, China will cut off aid which really will leave them in the doodoo.

Secondly, the reason for the brinkmanship is foreign aid. Because NK has spent so much of it’s own GDP on it’s military and nuclear projects, they don’t have enough left over to feed the population. The plan has been for blackmail all along.

This article suggests that NK isn’t actually doing that badly at the moment :

http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/03/its-not-a-hermit-kingdom-and-4-other-myths-about-north-korea/274488/

“The assumption is that Pyongyang desperately needs economic assistance from the outside world and the only way to get it is for the North to give up its nuclear weapons. Wrong again. North Korea did come close to being a failed state during the 1990s because of mass starvation. But Pyongyang weathered that storm. The regime is firmly in the saddle and its new leader has enacted measures to vitalize party control. The economy has stabilized and even improved. Despite sanctions, trade has expanded significantly, not just with China but also with South and Southeast Asia, Africa, and Europe to the point where the North may have even enjoyed a current account surplus in 2011. “[/b]

I have no idea whether it’s true or not.

and the worlds largest army

Is meaningless really

Korean war machine

check this out. Look at pic number 30 ha ha fat chicks with camo in their hats.

http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2013/03/north-korea-puts-its-war-machine-on-display/100481/

Mig 21, free flight rockets, long range arty, T54 tanks LOL all circa 1950 – 60 vintage.