North Korea- - - -how concerned should we be?

[4everHis]

I can't decide.

[mlbuchina]

I'm with you. I'm a little more concerned about its allies than it itself.

[starwarsmomma]

You're going to get ALOT of people saying this is NO big deal, they do it all the time, then calm back down, etc... I get what people are thinking, and how the media is downplaying this doesn't help...

 

HOWEVER-- I can tell you that my contacts are taking it VERY VERY VERY Seriously... enough to call me from far away and ask me to make sure I have food, water, and meds -- enough for 2 weeks or more for the family. Also to make sure I had ways to deal with outages... plan to stay indoors...

 

The way it was worded to me is that it's VERY VERY POSSIBLE and it would be very very very good to be prepared. Worst case scenario is I have some extra food and water laying around. No biggie.

 

I am not skipping a mortgage payment or anything. But I am spending extra time in prayer, asking the Lord for guidance on how to proceed.

[starwarsmomma]

I'm with you. I'm a little more concerned about its allies than it itself.

 

That's exactly my contacts concern

 

The US has the ability to deal with NK quickly and swiftly... it's their allies-- China and Russia that is a concern.

 

The CONSEQUENCES of doing so might be very serious. THAT is what people need to prepare for.

 

 

Don't believe the story that China "cant afford" to lose the US buying all their stuff... things are not as they seem.

I cannot say more, sorry.

[Unicorn.]

I'm very concerned, as Navy girl's strike group is very near. I will be very surprised if they come home when planned. Of course, we don't know exactly where she is, nor on which ship at any moment but the last we heard (a while ago) was that she was in Singapore. I imagine they hung a left after that.

 

 

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: I'm sure you are a nervous wreck over all of this. Thoughts are w/ you, Navy girl, and the rest of our service members and families.

[Aslana]

I disagree that our allies are more of a concern. I do believe China will come in, they've already positioned themselves along the border. They hate North Korea more than they hate us. I refuse to get paranoid about this. Yes, something is going to happen. But no, I do NOT believe he is actually going to strike US or anyone for that matter. A simple understanding of history and facts is all I need.

 

Sure, be prepared or in prayer if that makes you feel better. But this is all posturing on North Korea's part. It is not going to come to "epic proportions".

 

Just my opinion. And until everyone who says "I cannot say more" (and I'm not singling you out, Joyfulheart--you aren't the first person who has said that to me) starts saying something, I refuse to get all bent out over this. North Korea's history is just a bunch of bullying posturing and nothing more.

 

Will he try to launch something? Sure.

Will he try to start a fight? Yep.

 

Will he succeed? NOPE.

[Ameena]

Concerned here as well. My dad was a Korean War veteran, and he always said we'd have to go back and deal with them again, since the US didn't really finish what it started & wouldn't allow McArthur to finish either.

 

Add me to the list of those preparing just in case, especially since the next big city up the road {Austin, TX} was identified as a large target. We always try to have at least a several month supply of food just in case, but I'm adding in water.

[Unicorn.]

You're going to get ALOT of people saying this is NO big deal, they do it all the time, then calm back down, etc... I get what people are thinking, and how the media is downplaying this doesn't help...

 

HOWEVER-- I can tell you that my contacts are taking it VERY VERY VERY Seriously... enough to call me from far away and ask me to make sure I have food, water, and meds -- enough for 2 weeks or more for the family. Also to make sure I had ways to deal with outages... plan to stay indoors...

 

The way it was worded to me is that it's VERY VERY POSSIBLE and it would be very very very good to be prepared. Worst case scenario is I have some extra food and water laying around. No biggie.

 

I am not skipping a mortgage payment or anything. But I am spending extra time in prayer, asking the Lord for guidance on how to proceed.

 

Are you in the states? If you can't answer that, then can you say if that warning from your contact would be for people in the states?

 

That's exactly my contacts concern

 

The US has the ability to deal with NK quickly and swiftly... it's their allies-- China and Russia that is a concern.

 

The CONSEQUENCES of doing so might be very serious. THAT is what people need to prepare for.

 

 

Don't believe the story that China "cant afford" to lose the US buying all their stuff... things are not as they seem.

I cannot say more, sorry.

 

 

Russia does seem to be returning to their previous anti-American attitude, but I did read on BBC news this morning that China seems to be getting a little perturbed by N. Korea.

[starwarsmomma]

I am in the US-- my contact is not.

[ocelotmom]

I am concerned. My former military (and reasonably well-informed) husband is not particularly. My friend currently in SK (military spouse) is apparently not at all (and presumably the military does not consider the situation serious enough to evacuate civilians or give warning of such).

[Guest inoubliable]

Meh.

 

Not worried. I imagine it's stressful for military families, but I honestly don't think much will come of this. China already joined in on sanctions against NK after the last few times they ran tests. What is worrisome about China?? I know that they're officially allies of NK, but I don't think that goes very far.

[Word Nerd]

I'm very concerned about my sister who lives in Seoul, and it's been weighing on me a lot. From what I've read and what she has shared, I know that many (most?) South Koreans are not worried at all because they have been through so many other threats before. However, Kim Jong-un is still a relatively new leader, and I don't think it's wise to assume he is exactly like his father and won't follow through on anything. It's almost like a reversed version of the boy who cried wolf—only they'll be the ones in danger if it's real this time. I don't think it's likely that they even have the power to attack the mainland US directly, but they could certainly attack our allies to draw us into a war.

 

I live in Tornado Alley and have for most of my life. Most people I know are cautious, but we don't tend to get all worked up over summer storm warnings. We have been through so many warnings and watches and "false alarms" that it's easy to downplay them. But the potential for what happened in Joplin, Greensburg, and many other places still exists whether we take the threat seriously or not. I worry that this is similar to how Koreans are reacting to the escalating rhetoric. I desperately hope it is rhetoric and blowing smoke, but I'm not convinced that's the case.

[4everHis]

I appreciate the input. I realize that we can't know for sure but I would think 'someone' out there knows more than I do. :tongue_smilie: I've wondered if the media has been downplaying it so as not to give Kim Jong-un the attention he appears to want and wondered if the embassies in question http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/05/us-korea-north-idUSBRE93408020130405 are actually going to evacuate. Would we know if they did?

[Aslana]

Meh.

 

Not worried. I imagine it's stressful for military families, but I honestly don't think much will come of this. China already joined in on sanctions against NK after the last few times they ran tests. What is worrisome about China?? I know that they're officially allies of NK, but I don't think that goes very far.

 

China may be an official ally, but they are more on our side with this particular issue. We owe them way too much money for them to stand back and allow the posturing piglet to do any damage to us or anyone else.

 

No, them being allies of NK does NOT go far. And I'm still not one bit concerned about this. I really think the worry is over much ado about nothing.

 

He's the playground bully who knows he's big, but thinks he's bigger and acts like he's the biggest. He will not get as far as he bellows out.

[Unicorn.]

I grew up during the 70's when we were supposedly under some enormous threat all the time-obviously I never took that seriously either. My opinion has always been not to worry about the nuclear missiles, because if they push a button, then we push a button. I don't think they want that. Also, we have the capacity to deflect before they can reach the U.S., so those have never really made me worried. What I do worry about, is more of the kind of thing that happened on 9-11. Smaller, but large scale incidents- tainting water supplies, collapsing power grids, etc. Nuclear weapons....not so much.

 

(Not that I spend a lot of time worrying about those either, just that they would be a bigger concern.) I do worry about "being at war" somewhere, as ds wants to be a marine, but that's because, well, he wants to be a marine!

[Pawz4me]

China is an "ally" to NK only in the sense that they want to keep things as stable as possible there so they don't have to deal with refugees. And even they are apparently getting fed up with the verbose little bully.

[4everHis]

I'm very concerned, as Navy girl's strike group is very near. I will be very surprised if they come home when planned. Of course, we don't know exactly where she is, nor on which ship at any moment but the last we heard (a while ago) was that she was in Singapore. I imagine they hung a left after that.

 

Stressful! I'm so sorry and yet very grateful for those that choose to stand in that gap.

[TammyinTN]

I'm concerned..the young gun seems to have something to prove, and we don't know at what length he will go to. I am glad to see that General Thurman is there. We had the pleasure of meeting him at Fort Irwin and he's good and very level headed. I imagine the soldiers and families have stepped up the NEO exercises and have their plans in place should they need to evacuate quickly. I just hope he will settle down and that a strong US show of force will keep in him in check.

[4everHis]

I'm very concerned about my sister who lives in Seoul, and it's been weighing on me a lot. From what I've read and what she has shared, I know that many (most?) South Koreans are not worried at all because they have been through so many other threats before. However, Kim Jong-un is still a relatively new leader, and I don't think it's wise to assume he is exactly like his father and won't follow through on anything. It's almost like a reversed version of the boy who cried wolf—only they'll be the ones in danger if it's real this time. I don't think it's likely that they even have the power to attack the mainland US directly, but they could certainly attack our allies to draw us into a war.

 

I live in Tornado Alley and have for most of my life. Most people I know are cautious, but we don't tend to get all worked up over summer storm warnings. We have been through so many warnings and watches and "false alarms" that it's easy to downplay them. But the potential for what happened in Joplin, Greensburg, and many other places still exists whether we take the threat seriously or not. I worry that this is similar to how Koreans are reacting to the escalating rhetoric. I desperately hope it is rhetoric and blowing smoke, but I'm not convinced that's the case.

 

I can imagine that this would be more stressful for you. Hoping with you that the guy is just blowing smoke.

[Aslana]

Oh, I don't believe for a moment that he's blowing smoke. He's serious and he WILL try to do something. But that's the key word--try. He may succeed on the small scale, but he will not succeed any further. He'll only do greater damage to himself and his country than he would do to anyone else.

[GWOB]

I'm very concerned, as Navy girl's strike group is very near. I will be very surprised if they come home when planned. Of course, we don't know exactly where she is, nor on which ship at any moment but the last we heard (a while ago) was that she was in Singapore. I imagine they hung a left after that.

 

 

Hugs Margaret!

[Word Nerd]

Oh, I don't believe for a moment that he's blowing smoke. He's serious and he WILL try to do something. But that's the key word--try. He may succeed on the small scale, but he will not succeed any further. He'll only do greater damage to himself and his country than he would do to anyone else.

 

 

It's the small scale success I'm concerned about.

[Aslana]

 

It's the small scale success I'm concerned about.

 

I get that, I really do. I just don't think it's something to be worried over.

[Spy Car]

Concerned here as well. My dad was a Korean War veteran, and he always said we'd have to go back and deal with them again, since the US didn't really finish what it started & wouldn't allow McArthur to finish either.

 

What was known at the time—and subsequent military history has confirmed—was that the Chinese (who had some troops in Korea already) were prepared to sent in the Red Army in mass to support North Korea if American troops attempted to push north to the Yalu river as General MacArthur proposed. Then we would have been in an all-out ground war in Asia with China, which would have been a stupendously bad idea.

 

MacArthur was aware of China's certain response. His plan was to hit China with a massive thermo-nuclear strike.

 

Thank goodness MacArthur was relieved of his command. His plan was insanity.

 

Bill

[Spryte]

What was known at the time—and subsiquent military history has confirmed—was that the Chinese (who had some troops in Korea already) were prepared to sent in the Red Army in mass to support North Korea if American troops attempted to push north to the Yalu river as General MacArthur proposed. Then we would have been in an all-out ground war in Asia with China, which would have been a stupendously bad idea.

 

MacArthur was aware of China's certain response. His plan was to hit China with a massive thermo-nuclear strike.

 

Thank goodness MacArthur was relieved of his command. His plan was insanity.

 

Bill

 

 

Yikes.

[DianeW88]

I'm not worried.

[Mom in High Heels]

Eh. I have several military spouse friends in Korea, and a few civilian friends who work for the gov't and they haven't been told to be prepared to leave. If it were really that serious, the US would evacuate them. Unless they get evacuated, I'm not that worried about it. Of course, I live in Germany, so it's no threat to me personally at the moment. Of course we also have loads of military and civilian friends in Guam, Japan and on the west coast of the US, but none of them are too worried right now either.

 

This guy is a bully who's trying to prove he's big and bad. Will he do something? I don't know. It's entirely possible that he will try. He might succeed on a small scale, but I think that would be tantamount to suicide. I don't think the rest of the world will stand for it. China wouldn't, and even if the Russians are pissed at the US, I don't think they'd stand for it either.

[Ameena]

What was known at the time—and subsequent military history has confirmed—was that the Chinese (who had some troops in Korea already) were prepared to sent in the Red Army in mass to support North Korea if American troops attempted to push north to the Yalu river as General MacArthur proposed. Then we would have been in an all-out ground war in Asia with China, which would have been a stupendously bad idea.

 

MacArthur was aware of China's certain response. His plan was to hit China with a massive thermo-nuclear strike.

 

Thank goodness MacArthur was relieved of his command. His plan was insanity.

 

Bill

 

I know. My dad was a forward observer & Ranger and was across the line into China when they called the last pull-back. Barely made it back. But even knowing that, he always said we'd have to do it over again. While I don't 100% agree with what McArthur had planned, I do agree that the US should have done something rather than just calling a cease-fire.

[Spy Car]

 

 

I know. My dad was a forward observer & Ranger and was across the line into China when they called the last pull-back. Barely made it back. But even knowing that, he always said we'd have to do it over again. While I don't 100% agree with what McArthur had planned, I do agree that the US should have done something rather than just calling a cease-fire.

 

There wasn't really another viable option to calling a cease-fire (that essentially resulted in a "tie" that left the DMZ basically where it was when the war started). What was the alternative?

 

A land war in Asia with China would not have been a good option, nor would a nuclear war have been a good option. These were MacArthur's plan. It wasn't like there were great alternatives to a cessation of armed hostilities and containment.

 

Bill

[myfunnybunch]

I'm not terribly concerned about the plans that have been broadcast to the world. I am more concerned that the grandiose posturing is both to send a message to the North Korean people about N. Korea's supremacy in order to prepare them for some kind of military operation, as well as to deflect the world's attention, and that N. Korea is going to do something nasty but we don't know what it will be yet. I'm on the fence about China's involvement. Our Chinese exchange students have unanimously said that China is tired of N. Korea and does not support Kim Jong Un. In our most recent conversation with one of our students, she said that a) they don't want a bunch of North Koreans pouring into China, and b ) most of the Chinese people think that N. Korea is crazy and a bully. Of course, popular sentiment isn't necessarily an indication of what the Chinese government might actually do, but her sense was that China would be more likely to intervene to contain N. Korea's craziness. She said something along the lines of "No one wants a crazy neighbor. He's too unpredictable."

[Spy Car]

I'm not terribly concerned about the plans that have been broadcast to the world. I am more concerned that the grandiose posturing is both to send a message to the North Korean people about N. Korea's supremacy in order to prepare them for some kind of military operation, as well as to deflect the world's attention, and that N. Korea is going to do something nasty but we don't know what it will be yet. I'm on the fence about China's involvement. Our Chinese exchange students have unanimously said that China is tired of N. Korea and does not support Kim Jong Un. In our most recent conversation with one of our students, she said that a) they don't want a bunch of North Koreans pouring into China, and b ) most of the Chinese people think that N. Korea is crazy and a bully. Of course, popular sentiment isn't necessarily an indication of what the Chinese government might actually do, but her sense was that China would be more likely to intervene to contain N. Korea's craziness. She said something along the lines of "No one wants a crazy neighbor. He's too unpredictable."

 

Yep. China has even begun to support economic sanctions against North Korea. Some of China's measures are "half-hearted" because the thing China fears most (next to a full scale war involving the US) is that the North Korean regime will suddenly collapse, and they will be flooded with refugees and be saddled with a chaotic failed-state on their border.

 

It is in no ones interests, not China's, not Russia's, not South Korea's, not ours, and (really) not North Korea's either, for there to be a Korean War II.

 

Which isn't to say powers haven't been drawn into wars that didn't make a lot of sence. But there is no major power that favors North Korean belligerency. Iran might be happy, but they are not a player in this conflict.

 

Bill

[I.Dup.]

I don't know why we can't know more from these mysterious sources. It's not like we know them or where the information is coming from. Are we at threat of a nuclear weapon or major bio weapon or not? That's what I want to know.

 

My husband's BFF is a former Marine spec ops guy and says that his former unit has been sent over there recently.

[I.Dup.]

It is in no ones interests, not China's, not Russia's, not South Korea's, not ours, and (really) not North Korea's either, for there to be a Korean War II

 

Then why on earth do they keep threatening? Is he just completely foolish and insane with no sense at all?

[ocelotmom]

I don't know why we can't know more from these mysterious sources. It's not like we know them or where the information is coming from. Are we at threat of a nuclear weapon or major bio weapon or not? That's what I want to know.

Generally because giving too much specific information would help pinpoint the source and get them in trouble, or giving further information would be bad for strategic reasons (potential for causing widespread panic, letting the enemy know what we know if it happened to get back to them), or simply because a more general warning is what the person actually needs, or because more specific information isn't actually known (ie. there is good suspicion that *something* is going to happen, but the exact nature isn't known).

 

(Or because the source doesn't actually exist, or the source itself is BSing. Not that I'm accusing anyone here of that, but I've seen it elsewhere :))

[Jayne J]

 

 

There wasn't really another viable option to calling a cease-fire (that essentially resulted in a "tie" that left the DMZ basically where it was when the war started). What was the alternative?

 

A land war in Asia with China would not have been a good option, nor would a nuclear war have been a good option. These were MacArthur's plan. It wasn't like there were great alternatives to a cessation of armed hostilities and containment.

 

Bill

 

Getting involved in a land war in Asia? Classic blunder.

Only slightly better known than never going against a Sicillian when death is on the line.

(Had to. I mean, how often does one see the term "land war in Asia" just hanging there and waiting for a Vizzini quip?)

[Lanny]

They have one (1) opportunity to attack us. They might get lucky and be successful with that attack. If they attack us, they will then be wiped out. The good news is that China does not want this to happen and hopefully they can influence their friends in North Korea to back down. The bad news is that this involves Asians, and there is a matter of them keeping their images intact, which could lead them to attack. If you are on Guam, or in South Korea or Japan, keep your fingers crossed and pray. Life on Guam goes on normally and we have very strategic bases there.

[Unicorn.]

What was known at the time—and subsequent military history has confirmed—was that the Chinese (who had some troops in Korea already) were prepared to sent in the Red Army in mass to support North Korea if American troops attempted to push north to the Yalu river as General MacArthur proposed. Then we would have been in an all-out ground war in Asia with China, which would have been a stupendously bad idea.

 

MacArthur was aware of China's certain response. His plan was to hit China with a massive thermo-nuclear strike.

 

Thank goodness MacArthur was relieved of his command. His plan was insanity.

 

Bill

 

 

Oh, I don't know.... could have been a good thing. maybe Americans would still have jobs, factories.... :leaving: (said tongue-in-cheek, mostly)

 

Then why on earth do they keep threatening? Is he just completely foolish and insane with no sense at all?

 

Because he has to prove that he's a bigger bully than his daddy was.

[Spy Car]

 

 

Then why on earth do they keep threatening? Is he just completely foolish and insane with no sense at all?

 

Mostly the young Kim has to prove his meddle to the old guard, many of whom go back to his grandfather's time. It also useful (although it is a stale tactic) to keep the populace feeling a martial threat from the outside. It is a form of manipulation. It is a way of getting international attention, which North Korean leaders have always savored, and it has been a good way in the past to manipulate aid from the "West."

 

It makes sense in its own crazy way, assuming you are a dictator who wants to cling to power and doesn't really care about "the people." It is "bad guy" logic.

 

Bill

[Pawz4me]

 

Then why on earth do they keep threatening? Is he just completely foolish and insane with no sense at all?

 

 

It's a tactic that's worked well for NK since about the mid-1990's. The leader blusters around for awhile, the U.S. and other western countries offer humanitarian aid. NK gets its aid and quiets down for awhile. Until the leader wants or needs something else, and the process starts all over. You can't blame the guy (too much) for doing what he's been conditioned to do. And of course the U.S. (and other western countries) bear some responsibility for "rewarding" this behavior in the past. But this time it's going too far.

[Parrothead]

For show. Internal politics. Also, yes, all signs do point to him being completely insane.

 

 

From what I've read he is nuts, overweight, has diabetes and high BP. It is hard to say which will get him first, but I don't think he will last long.

[TravelingChris]

First of all, he doesn't have a way currently to put the nukes on a missile long enough to reach the US. So his ideas about hitting Austin, NYC and LA are just that- ideas, not any sort of reality. That doesn't mean he can't cause any trouble because he can. The main thing I am worried about is his trying to do something small but it turns into something big. His missiles aren't very accurate and it is easy enough to see him trying a test and actually hitting a ship or something else. Not because that is what he is trying to hit but because their guidance systems are faulty. Anyway, even if I think a war is less likely, I am not looking forward to seeing what more minor damage he tries like the sinking of the SK navy ship a few years ago. Everything I have been reading is that no one wants this war, including the NKs, but someone might do something that will start it anyway.

[Candid]

Caught this this morning, http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2013-04-05/friday-news-roundup-international They do a good job explaining the ins and outs of this situation.

 

The last time Korea did this people were sure it was a nuke heading for Hawaii, but it turned put to be a cyber attack on DC launched from inside China. http://www.nbcnews.com/id/31789294/

[DianeW88]

For those of us who grew up throughout the sixties and seventies (I was born in 1964), this is NOTHING compared to the omnipresent threat of nuclear annihilation we lived through with the Soviets.

 

Constant news coverage, constant arms talks, constant threats, and those monthly "duck and cover" drills we had to do against an inside corridor of our school so that hopefully we could survive the initial blast. Given that I grew up an hour and a half north of Washington D.C., an hour and a half south of NYC and 30 miles south of Philadelphia....I don't think I had to worry about that. Then we had to make sure that we all knew where our nearest "fall-out shelter" was (my elementary school) and our quickest route to get there.

 

There were days when I seriously would watch the sky for that mushroom cloud (mostly during the Carter administration...Brezhnev and his uni-brow looked especially sinister to me as a child, and our president struck me as a bit too mild mannered), and think that it wouldn't be long before the red phone conversations would end and the button pressing would begin.

 

North Korea's dictator seems like a world leader wanna be who's trying to prove to his countrymen and the world that he needs to be Taken Seriously. A child having a tantrum. "Look at me! I'm powerful! I'll destroy you all!"

 

Yeah. Whatever.

 

If the man manages to hit South Korea from his end of the demilitarized zone in North Korea, I'll be impressed.

 

Otherwise...blah, blah, blah.

[Aslana]

It's a tactic that's worked well for NK since about the mid-1990's. The leader blusters around for awhile, the U.S. and other western countries offer humanitarian aid. NK gets its aid and quiets down for awhile. Until the leader wants or needs something else, and the process starts all over. You can't blame the guy (too much) for doing what he's been conditioned to do. And of course the U.S. (and other western countries) bear some responsibility for "rewarding" this behavior in the past. But this time it's going too far.

 

Which is what started this whole thing. North Korea refused to honor the sanctions the US and others placed on him with regard to military and nukes. It may have been about it in the past, but this time it isn't about humanitarian aid anymore.

 

He's a little fish in a big pond who thinks he should rule the roost. It is simply not going to work--not even if he is able to hit something--that'll be about all he can do. And it won't be with nukes or anything worthwhile. Some people will have gone through worse in hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes.

 

Don't get me wrong--China is NOT happy that they have to "take our side". But they ARE going to take our side because they've had enough. Russia will do whatever China does. And neither wants a fight with us or our allies. So as much as no one is happy in this, they are all going to do something to stop him.

 

And it won't take much. No, I think the "worst" that's going to come out of this is the fall of Communist North Korea. And that's the worst. It may take some time, but I think some citizens of NK are starting realize that their "Dear Leader" or Posturing Piglet as I call him, is just not what he's cracked up to be.

 

As another poster said, he is nuts, overweight, has diabetes and high BP. He's even got a child that no one outside of his special group, knows the sex of. Considering the high value placed on boys, if it were a boy, we'd know that by now too.

 

This is nothing more than the bully in the school yard who realizes he's about to get his arse kicked and starts throwing everything he has at you hoping something works but nothing ever does. It's Achmed the Dead Terrorist (Jeff Dunham) screaming on stage "I kill you!" while people laugh at him since he's already dead and they know he can't really do any harm. That is all this is.

[Mom in High Heels]

It's Achmed the Dead Terrorist (Jeff Dunham) screaming on stage "I kill you!" while people laugh at him since he's already dead and they know he can't really do any harm. That is all this is.

 

 

*Snort* "I keeeel you!" Thanks for the chuckle.

 

 

 

Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro, in an essay in Cuban state media, warned ally North Korea against war, describing the situation on the Korean Peninsula as "incredible and absurd" and "one of the gravest risks of nuclear war since the Crisis of October (Cuban Missile Crisis), 50 years ago.

 

 

When Fidel Castro says to an ally that antagonizing the US is "incredible and absurd" they have truly messed up. Fidel is a nutty windbag, but even he can see this is not a smart move.

[Rebecca VA]

My contacts are telling me that we should worry about Guam.

[StaceyinLA]

I was glad to see this thread. My oldest dd is in Austin with her dh, and texted me all in a panic over something she read about it last night. I don't keep up with the news if I can help it (just because of things like this that I can't do anything about so would prefer not to worry about), but I looked up some info so I could ease her mind. I know she'll be relieved to be home from Austin, just in case.

 

FWIW, my dsil is military and they haven't been warned of anything thus far.

[Sisyphus]

KJE is nutty, but very sane. His behavior has been very predictable, like his dictatorial dad and granddad before him. Regime survival, baby, it's all about that. He has to prove to the old mi,itary guard (from his fathers and grandfathers era) he can play the game. That is what this is, showmanship based on internal nK issues.

 

Think about it- if he provokes too much, his regime is wiped out in about 10 minutes. Those 10 minutes will be devastating for the people of Seoul, but there is zero evidence the north can field a long range missile- let alone a nuclear armed one- that can hit the us. Certainly Austin is safe, lol. There is no benefit to him doing any such large action- regime survival dictates he cannot. Blow up a ship? Bomb and island held by south Korea (or even Japan)? Yes. But full scale war or a move to attack us interests and he's a goner. He knows this!

 

China is a stickier wicket, they have no love for a united, pro us Korea right smack on their borders. Russia doesn't either. Neither want the economic headache of a flood of refugees from extreme sanctions. Neither want to cooperate with the us...or the Kim regime. It's not an easy situation. Personally, I find Russia a bit murkier than China- I do think the lure of our power to buy their plastic dog poo is pretty strong!

 

Saber rattling, dic$ waving, and more of the same, IMO. It's spring, when crops aren't ripe and winter stores are run out. They provoke, promise to stop in return for aid, they get aid, they provoke again next time they need stuff...this is the situation for years and years now. KJE is a bit of an unknown quantity, but no reason to think it's not more of the same.

[Parrothead]

*Snort* "I keeeel you!" Thanks for the chuckle.

 

 

That was my first thought too. LOL

[ChocolateReignRemix]

 

That's exactly my contacts concern

 

The US has the ability to deal with NK quickly and swiftly... it's their allies-- China and Russia that is a concern.

 

The CONSEQUENCES of doing so might be very serious. THAT is what people need to prepare for.

 

 

Don't believe the story that China "cant afford" to lose the US buying all their stuff... things are not as they seem.

I cannot say more, sorry.

 

Whenever someone makes the bolded statement online, I immediately declare "shenanigans".