WTF Are the North Koreans Smoking Now?

[Korto]

Someone slipping idiot-juice in the Japanese water supply.

[weemadando]

All very informative Skimmer!

What would it take for Japan to make pre-emptive missile-strikes on North Korean missile positions?

A complete reversal of nearly 70 years of strict, non-interventionalist, self defence Japanese policy, to say nothing of them committing political suicide in the Asian region by attacking Korea. Again.

[ChaserGrey]

All very informative Skimmer!

What would it take for Japan to make pre-emptive missile-strikes on North Korean missile positions?

A complete reversal of nearly 70 years of strict, non-interventionalist, self defence Japanese policy, to say nothing of them committing political suicide in the Asian region by attacking Korea. Again.

And overnight magical acquisition of missiles that could actually do the job. Even a manned strike package would be iffy, and it's not something they train for.

[The Xeelee]

After WW2 Japan has been careful to not be seen as an aggressor.

[Darth Herobrine]

All we need to do to keep this from getting out of hand is to threaten North Korea with an Alpha Strike against its nuclear facilities. That should get Kimmy to back down.

[Sea Skimmer]

Japan bought a bunch of guided weapons not that long ago for no other purpose then to have something to drop on North Korean missile sites.

[Thanas]

All we need to do to keep this from getting out of hand is to threaten North Korea with an Alpha Strike against its nuclear facilities. That should get Kimmy to back down.

Troll or idiot?

[Flagg]

All we need to do to keep this from getting out of hand is to threaten North Korea with an Alpha Strike against its nuclear facilities. That should get Kimmy to back down.

Troll or idiot?

It can't be both? I think it's both. I want to believe.

[Tanasinn]

Unfortunately, recent history shows that the Norks do not respond to threats well, and because of their unique position, the civilized world is forced to tolerate the acts of war (suicide squads, kidnapping, shelling of populated islands, sinking of ships, assassinations) that stand a fair chance of occurring if you provoke fat boy too much.

[gigabytelord]

He could just be using sarcasm, at least that's what it sounds like to me.

[Sea Skimmer]

Closer to reality then you might think, the US didn't just agree to South Korea building its own missiles past MTCR limits for nothing. Pulling US forces out of Korea, redeploying the remaining ones away from the DMZ, planning (abortively, because of North Korean provocations) to hand over military control of the joint forces command to the ROK, the ROK massively downsizing its own army, massive offers energy and food and monetary bribes ect... all got everyone exactly nowhere with the North Koreans. If anything worse then nowhere, it's all actively made the situation worse. Armed force really is the only way to deal with them, its just a question of do we shoot first or not. If things looked bad enough and the ROK had the means, they'd surely do it. I wouldn't be surprised if they soon begin building enormous numbers of short and medium range conventional missiles precisely to create such an option.

[Stark]

Unfortunately, recent history shows that the Norks do not respond to threats well, and because of their unique position, the civilized world is forced to tolerate the acts of war (suicide squads, kidnapping, shelling of populated islands, sinking of ships, assassinations) that stand a fair chance of occurring if you provoke fat boy too much.

Would you prefer war y/n? What would your estimated distance from the front line of this war you desire be?

[Darth Herobrine]

All we need to do to keep this from getting out of hand is to threaten North Korea with an Alpha Strike against its nuclear facilities. That should get Kimmy to back down.

Troll or idiot?

It can't be both? I think it's both. I want to believe.

One word: SARCASM
Also, I forgot to add a smiley

[Tanasinn]

Unfortunately, recent history shows that the Norks do not respond to threats well, and because of their unique position, the civilized world is forced to tolerate the acts of war (suicide squads, kidnapping, shelling of populated islands, sinking of ships, assassinations) that stand a fair chance of occurring if you provoke fat boy too much.

Would you prefer war y/n? What would your estimated distance from the front line of this war you desire be?

It should be pretty obvious from reading that post that the answer's no. The real bugger with the Norks is that they get shooty regardless of what diplomatic tack is taken with them.

[Darth Herobrine]

So true. The Kim Dynasty is rather trigger-happy.

[Simon_Jester]

It seems to me a bit like living next to a paranoid hermit who thinks the black helicopters are coming for him some time next week, and periodically fires a pistol into the air to make the voices go away. Oh. And there are no police to call; international law doesn't come with police.

You can do it, especially if you pile up enough sandbags on the wall of your house that faces his property. But it's not a happy situation and it's very hard to avoid thinking that the hermit's responsible, even if he is mentally ill and doesn't know any better.

[Dr. Trainwreck]

To continue the hermit analogy, the best you can do is to realize which ones of his fears have merit and which don't, then use this knowledge to get closer to him, and then coax him to go to a psychiatrist.

And come on, it's not like the Norks have any reassurance about their country. I don't mean the brainwashed people; even the leaders, even if they haven't smoked their product (yet), don't know either. America is safe, Japan and Korea are guaranteed as well. The Norks' only possible ally is China, but they won't blow away their trade with the west for half a peninsula ruled over by idiots.

[Simon_Jester]

To continue the hermit analogy, the best you can do is to realize which ones of his fears have merit and which don't, then use this knowledge to get closer to him, and then coax him to go to a psychiatrist.

Although the analogy starts to break down here. North Korean rulers are probably pretty happy with the status quo; they get to live like ancient god-kings with every reasonable luxury and the total devotion and obedience of millions.

The hermit gives you a better chance to persuade him, because he has no real interest in the status quo- he's only doing it because he's scared, not because he's scared AND stands to benefit personally from keeping the outside world at bay.

[EnterpriseSovereign]

The US has said they'll defend South Korea in the event of an attack, one of the big questions is, will the Russians/Chinese step in on the side of the North, and does the North know this? Because it's easy for the North to throw threats around if they think China has got their back.

[Darth Herobrine]

North Korea can't count on support from China. The PRC is backing away from the DPRK like a tourist from an angry rhino. Russia wouldn't help them at all 'cause they know what happens when you mess with the USA. Also, China doesn't want to risk us cutting off our trade with them.

[Simon_Jester]

North Korea can't count on support from China. The PRC is backing away from the DPRK like a tourist from an angry rhino. Russia wouldn't help them at all 'cause they know what happens when you mess with the USA. Also, China doesn't want to risk us cutting off our trade with them.

You're looking at it the wrong way.

Russia isn't overly concerned with "messing with the USA," but they don't have any reason to care what happens to North Korea.

[ChaserGrey]

North Korea can't count on support from China. The PRC is backing away from the DPRK like a tourist from an angry rhino. Russia wouldn't help them at all 'cause they know what happens when you mess with the USA. Also, China doesn't want to risk us cutting off our trade with them.

You're looking at it the wrong way.

Russia isn't overly concerned with "messing with the USA," but they don't have any reason to care what happens to North Korea.

The NKs aren't noted for being especially grateful to their allies either. A good deal of stuff I read suggests that China's backing off at least in part out of frustration that their backing doesn't seem to have gotten them any influence over what North Korea actually does. In particular, rumors are that they really, really did not want North Korea to do this most recent nuclear test.

[Borgholio]

In particular, rumors are that they really, really did not want North Korea to do this most recent nuclear test.

It's not a rumor. Why do you think China took the totally unexpected step of voting FOR the latest round of sanctions? They're not too happy with what the fatboy is doing right now.

[Broomstick]

Oh, please, can we dispense with the penis measuring?

Meanwhile, I'm wondering if the Norks are going to have a hissy-fit since they got bumped from the US headlines yesterday afternoon. They do so love attention.

[EnterpriseSovereign]

Oh, please, can we dispense with the penis measuring?

Meanwhile, I'm wondering if the Norks are going to have a hissy-fit since they got bumped from the US headlines yesterday afternoon. They do so love attention.

I know Kim Jong Un has been portrayed as a man-child (in ITV media anyway), but still...