North Korea

Anyone got any thoughts they'd like to share about the situation over there right now....as some of you know, I visit the south quite often and I have many friends there right now and while it hasn't quite reached panic stage just yet....it's getting close with evacuation drills in process....I also have many Korean friends who will have to stay behind..I'm really not sure of the capabilities of this country or it's very young leader but...I'm concerned...any thoughts guys?

All rhetoric, "we have a cow that eats grass, and we're sending it to your country"

Ok, We're sending you the weed wacker!

All rhetoric, though Korea could cause a little chaos, why would they jeopardize there meek economy to be completely destroyed. Only because as a Pawn, China uses them for there gain, as do the higher ups in the Game, use all the Worlds nations as Pawns. It's coming, are you ready?

I agree with Edward that it is largely rhetoric. However, when despots must divert their subjects' attention from their abysmal situation, galvanizing them against an outside enemy is an often favored manner.

They can't deliver to the mainland US, although they could hit South Korea if they really wanted to. On the other hand, not even China would stand behind them if they deployed nukes. They will most likely not go beyond bombing another outlying island, as in the past.

Interesting tidbit: of all the places KJU has identified as a US target --- Austin, Texas! Not Houston, not Dallas, nor Chicago or Los Angeles, not Philadelphia or even Las Vegas. Austin!

I think his Dad did this too when he first got into power. Flex the muscles, freak people out. Maybe he's actually crazy enough to do it... but I'm thinking they won't go through with it. They don't have enough allies with enough force.

Go figure, Larry.. right for you! Why Austin of all places?

I heard on the radio this morning that farthest they could hit was Guam. Which, why bother? Guam is all quiet lol. Leave 'em alone.

They definitely could hit S. Korea but I don't think they will. A nuke in S. Korea would still affect them I'd assume.. so it doesn't sound very smart to me.

The US Navy has a base in Guam and the Military has one in Daegu, South Korea....both within range I think.

Yeah but if you think about it it wouldnt be devastating to our. Military in the grand scheme of things.. I mean obviously its devastating but thats not our whole fleet... so to do something like that to provoke us when the US and our allies could flatten them in no time would be so stupid on their part. Look at Pearl Harbor/Japan.

Then again my strategy comes from watching movies so really I am probably wrong lol.

Yeah but if you think about it it wouldnt be devastating to our. Military in the grand scheme of things.. I mean obviously its devastating but thats not our whole fleet

^^^^

Can't believe you said that...maybe from your safe haven it sounded appropriate but...I didn't really like this one...guess none of your immediate family are posted in either country right now?

Pearl Harbour? Well ..I've already written a poem about the consequences of that one so...won't add anything here.

Never under estimate the enemy...George Washington.

Edit

Also...two of you have laughed at the threat they have made against Austin but....was there a theory behind bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki?

I have a couple of friends and a cousin who have been living in South Korea for a couple of years, and they all seem to be saying that nobody there is really worried. They think the media is suddenly making a big deal over something that's just been a constant in people's lives there for decades.

I don't know how accurate that is in the grand scheme of things (The military doesn't let me in on their intelligence anymore. They didn't think my April Fool's joke was too funny.) but I thought it was an interesting perspective.

Hellon I know it sounded awful but I didnt intend that. Like I said of course its devastating but it doesnt wipe out all our people so we can still counter attack. Its like thinking by knocking off one, the other hundred wont be able to do anything. Im not saying it wouldnt be a big deal. Im saying they are fools to think we wouldnt do anything. I hope that makes better sense.

I have no idea what poem your talking about but it sounds like I dont want to read it. My grandpa was there when it was attacked so I obviously have a different connection.

To be honest I dont know about the theories. My own parents werent even alive when that happened, and our history books tend to get rewritten often so I never know if what I learn is fact or not. I'm not laughing about a threat, I'm wondering why out of everywhere, they pick where Larry lives specifically.

Austin is a few hundred miles from me, but it is just so insignificant that I was amazed Un even had heard of it, much less would target it.

I believe Hiroshima & Nagasaki were chosen because they were militarily important and yet had not been bombed before. The civilians who were killed were sacrificed for the sake of demonstrating the devastation capable from the weapon.

EDIT:
"Four cities were selected as possible targets for the bomb: Hiroshima, Kokura, Niigata, and Nagasaki. The criteria for target selection was that each target should have a high military strategic value, contain a large percentage of closely built frame buildings that would be susceptible to damage by blast and fire, and that the site be relatively untouched by previous bombings.
"Hiroshima was an extremely important military center. The 2nd Army Headquarters was located in the city and it commanded the defense of all of Southern Japan. Hiroshima was also a communications center, a storage point, and an assembly area for troops. The population of the city at the time of the attack was approximately 255,000 people.
"Nagasaki was of great military value to Japan because of the industries located in the city. Ordnance, ships, military equipment, and various other war materials were produced in
Nagasaki and any interruption in the flow of these materials would prove to be very detrimental to the Japanese wareffort. Nagasaki had a population of approximately 195,000 people.
"Also consider that Tokyo had already been heavily bombed. Thus, the bomb's effect would have been relatively less dramatic.
Source(s):
"http://koreajoongangdaily.joinsmsn.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=2900545
"http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/report/1990/HML.htm"

Retrieved on 5 April 2013 from:
http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100203115016AA6kBrX

I know you probably don't mean it this way, but I kind of twinge at the use of the word "sacrifice." To me, a sacrifice is something necessarily done for the greater good. I know it's common understanding that the bombings in Japan were "what ended the war," but I really don't think that made it right. When you do something that burns civilians alive and peels the skin off children and grandmothers, that's straight-up murder, in my book. If bombs like that had been dropped in America, I can bet we wouldn't be saying "well, at least further war was stopped!"

If anything good came out of that stuff, I hope it isn't that we "taught the world a lesson about messing with America." I hope it's that we look with horror on those actions and resolve to never let it happen again.

They sent all the Brazilian people who live there home. I am afraid!

Latest report I heard is that NK has "suggested" that numerous Embassies evacuate their personnel from NK.

Sibs, I meant Sacrifice in the horrific sense.

I've typed around 10 answers now and just can't find one that is adequate to the general thoughts of this thread....leaving it now still wondering about how the other half thinks...

No one can tell the future and if there is any nation that may not act in its own self-interest, North Korea is it. The fact is there are no checks and balances built into the system to prevent suicidal actions. If KJU decided to make such a foolhardy move he's likely to carry enough of the military with him. The personality cult dynamics might be too much of a detriment to overcome with a coup.

As for targets, there are the largest US bases in the East sitting within reach at Okinawa. My daughter and her husband begin a three year tour of duty there this month.