NK nuclear test

[tsondaboy 0]

How stupid do you have to be to attack with no more than a dozen of 1 kiloton nukes an opponent that has more than 10000, 100 kiloton warheads and is craving for a reason to use them.

[farquah 0]

I didn`t know whether I should have been laughing or crying at the news the other night. They interviewed a chinese man and his opinion on the DPRK nuclear test,

 

"The United Nations Security Council should be congratulating the DPRK on their scientific achievement..."

 

Well done N.Korea have a collective pat on the back from us all!

 

Its all coming to a head now but this has been sat on since the 1980`s when the construction of a 200MWa nuclear reactor and reprocessing plant and a series of high explosive detonation tests.

There are ways to look at it in light of previous stresses in the same area, for example during the famine. Kim Jong Il recognized that he needed to do something to avoid a complete collapse of his economy and his regime. In typical North Korean fashion, he undertook a combination of extortion, using the North's new nuclear capabilities to try to extract promises of help and aid from the world, and more criminal activity involving drug smuggling and counterfeiting. Therefore could be a sign that N.korea is again an internal crisis as much as ever.

The six party talks were expected to fail form the get go, North Korea is genuinely starved for cash, extraordinarily isolated, and truly paranoid. I expect this to be a major turning point now for N.Korea to be opened up to the rest of the world.

[BagOfCrisps 24]

Just read something (oops lost it) on the Guardian I think that said it is not yet confirmed that it was a nuclear device anyway - could have been either a fake or just a failure.

[Davo 1]

The ultimate cry for attention or a clever ploy? It's easy to write the Norks off as a bunch of loons because, well...they are in many ways.

 

Even so, this could turn out in the favor of preserving the regimes' legitimacy and negotiating power. 50 years of stalemate seems to put "military solutions" off the table from the US point of view. The fact that they lack missile delivery capability, at least for now, is kind of reassuring.

[damian 0]

 Quote:

``If the Bush administration makes more provocations, both New York City and Tokyo will be blazed,’’ Kim said. He added the North is targeting the United States but does not want to wage a war against the South as long as Seoul takes a neutral position.

How the hell did we end up with people saying things like this a few days after testing a nuke device?

NK have been nutbags for decades, no doubt. But Bush and his mates have led us into this present situation. Thanks GWB, your invasion of Iraq on the basis of a lie was a really silly thing to do. Iran is about to step up and call you out, following NK's lead.

The alliance with control of the remaining oil in 10 years time wins. Thats the game. We nuke or we 'lose', I think its that simple. We need the oil and simply don't have any. Sadly I think deep down most people know that this is a resource war that unfortunately has to be played out to the ugly conclusive scene. It doesn't have to happen, but with current world leadership and the reality of man, its most likely going to.

This isn't just some continuation of the killing seen on tv. Nor is it a diplomatic pissing event that will come and go.

What next? There is still hope that NK are bullshitting about having the bomb.

[Rag-Doll 0]

http://www.theage.com.au/news/opinion/attack-or-learn-to-live-with-it/2006/10/11/1160246195469.html

 

Interesting article here - basically either do something about it or stop ya bitching.

[Ocean11 0]

> If Kim is the unstable menace he appears

 

Good article apart from this bit. He has demonstrated quite a high degree of stability, especially given the position he inherited.

[Rag-Doll 0]

Agreed. For all that he looks like a complete nutter, he's playing a pretty fair game.

[pjem 0]

I'd say some other well known leaders are more "nutter" than him. He's dangerous but so are others.

 

"We nuke or we 'lose', I think its that simple."

 

Grim.

[js 0]

That article is basically using the first-strike principle.

 

The best way to pull wayward nations into line is the same as treating disobedient children:

 

1. Coerce them with treats if they do what they're told. E.g. In NK's case - food shipments (NOT money) if they can prove economic change, etc.

2. Scolding if they refuse or don't deliver = removal of military capability through minimal strategic hits.

 

The old candy vs big stick.

 

I'm saddened that the UN is so corrupt. Where has all the leadership and civic responsibility gone - to the pockets of industrialists and their political party prostitutes AKA Bush, Rumsfeld, Blair ... Howard.

[Ocean11 0]

> The best way to pull wayward nations into line is the same as treating disobedient children

 

That is, if you're the kind of parent who can't be arsed to give a good example yourself.

[bushpig 0]

Which is exactly how the US and it's allies are wouldn't you say O11?