Sure glad the adults are in charge
 

North Korea announcing that they'll test a nuke in near future.

Will our preemptive vorpal blade go snickersnack?

2Wolves

Nope, no need to cuz I don't think that North Korea will be launching nukes at anyone, they may test them, but they won't launch them. Like I said on the preemtive strike thread, I think the DPRK realizes serious reprecussions will occur if they launch nukes at someone.

Or they could sell them to anyone who has money.

What does even a pony bomb go for on the open market? Osama would be interested but is probably short of liquid funds just now. A number of the narco kings way down south can come up with $1 to $3 billion. Saddam has yet to find the trailer park of his dreams but when he settles down he may be in the market.

Can we cut the crap and get some professionals working on this?

2Wolves

It's times like this that I wish I lived in a colony on Mars.

Hopefully those bozos test it, realize it was the only one they had and lost the directions for a new one.

http://image.pathfinder.com/time/dai.../korea0616.jpg

Liars.

Kim Jong Il looks like an old lounge singer.

they've said this so many times that i dont know when to take 'em seriously.

bush is not gonna go to war against n.korea as his popularity will drop much more if he pursues an action like this.

i think that public sentiment now is against the war and this mistake would be mortal.

Yeah, unless the DPRK starts launching nukes at other countries I really don't think we're going to war over there.

a fun war, too. all that artilery pointed right at seoul, and the DMZ...

There are some signs the chinese are cracking down on the NK's a bit, shutting off oil shipments, etc...but i hope they follow through. A rogue NK isn't in their intrest either, and it's their farking backyard.

Yeah, the Chinese are often strange, but they know what's good for the stability of the region as a whole...

Stability is pretty much the only thing they care about.

/agree

Def stability - its the whole balance of power. You don't want your side going rogue and lose a possible ally but you also don't want to get on the wrong side.

And if they test it - who cares, China tested it, India tested it, Pakistan tested it (after the U.S. and USSR said they would stop). If they use it duh, its a given. But unless you are 100% insane, you wouldn't do so because no one wants to rule over a parking lot.

And anyways it would be in their own interests to keep what nukes they have rathre than sell them. Whats the point of giving it away when you can use it for yourself and give yourself an extra card to play.

N- Korea need nukes - no way G Bush will invade a country with real WMD !

Yes there is.

You're assuming a rational government, or a rational Supreme Leader. Shakey ground IMHO.

2Wolves

As far as international politics go, these guys are groping themselves and announcing how big the right arm bicept is. I don't see how this will end without the UN folding and giving in to all of whatever the hell North Korea is gunnin for, or we the USA will get our club and smash them, smash to goo! (game reference ahoy!)

1/15th second flashbacks of 8th grade english are always fun...

Kim is not an irrational man - sure he does crazy shit sometimes but he won't be nuking something like S Korea for no reason - not very good for 'unification' anyways.

Shaky ground? Yes - but its probably just another bluff

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/30/in...ia/30KORE.html

I find it interesting that the N.K. diplomat is quoted as using the plural when discussing his countrys nuclear WMD.

The PRC is not happy about this.

2Wolves

It's all smoke and mirrors. I bet in five years UN inspectors will go in and find a bunch of medium range missiles marked filled with sawdust and bailing twine.

But, yeah, Beijing'll smack this down if it gets too out of hand. They're willing to let Kim do his song and dance as long as it doesn't really affect them too much. But if he does something to piss them off they retaliate. Remember that special economic zone ol Kimmy wanted to set up to give market capitalism a 'trial run'? The PRCers slammed Yang Bin away faster than a Falun Gong Usenet poster.

I define the relationship between the PRC and DPRK as one where the PRC is the brains, and the DPRK is the dummy, not in a particular plot mind you, just as friends. The PRC is not trying to make anyone mad, trying to get into the good graces of the US, and then the DPRK comes along and screams "We'll destroy you and your whole Western lifestyle!" PRC groans, smacks DPRK and says "Shut up you fool! You need to be more agreeable if you don't want to start looking like actual skeletons!" Over simplification I know, but I'm sure the PRC cringes whenever the DPRK starts to do something that could upset the region.

NK knows it can't do shit without China's approvaly really - and unless China is supporting NK really theres no reason to be totally worried with NK unless they themselves want a smackdown from every possible direction.

I'd rather call it bluffing right now anyways, Kim has always been known for it right now

If NK feels threatened then nukes aren't necessarily a sign of aggression. A few people are freaking out saying that NK can't be trusted and they're going to invade South etc...

Kim thinks its necessary for his own survival, ie Mutually Assured Destruction (to a lesser degree then in Cold War but still). He's probably justified in his fears of the US and South Korea, and though his extremist actions right now aren't helping the situation, it seems like an understandable knee-jerk reaction of sorts to me.