I hear North Korea has fitted a nuke to a missile capable of reaching the U.S.

[Conky]

Originally posted by: vegetation
Keep in mind the people of South Korea don't want NK liberated. A crapload of millions of poor people would come over destroying the great economy that SK has worked hard for. NK will sooner or later just become another market communist country, similar to VN or China. Give it time, reforms are already starting but an internal shake up will occur without having to sacrifice any US lives.

South Korea didn't work for anything. They profited from trading with the US. They would be as worthless as NK if left to their own devices.
:beer:

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Seems people were more afraid of Saddam than NK. Americans were so easily manipulated on Iraq. I don't think we will attack NK now after we got our pound if Saddams surrogate flesh. We don't even really care about Bin Laden anymore if we did at all. We just needed to kick SOMEONES ass.

If NK were to hit the US though we would launch if for no other reasons than to prevent a second launch, and because Americans would want a ton of flesh for that act.

 

[0roo0roo]

KHAN!!!!

 

[rahvin]

Originally posted by: QuitBanningMe
1. Please educate yourself on MAD. You do not understand the policy or theory;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutually_assured_destruction

2. If we don't attack we have shown far more will power. Other countries of limited nuclear capability would not be any more inclined to use their weapons. Countries capable of inducing a MAD scenario carry the knowledge that nothing less than a full scale attack would be implemented without hesitation if they were to shoot first with a full scale attack.

3. MAD is also a last resort as most countries including the US would try to "win" a nuclear war. It would likely be initiated in a second phase by SSBNs.

4. Yes I know the effect of kt range weapon would be rather small and I know which way the wind blows. That isn't what it is about. Hell China still maintains a 200 mile "barrier" for American forces on its coast. Just yesterday they refused to set up a "red phone". They are not our buddies. They do not trust us and a nuclear attack on NK would be unwise and unnecessary provided China was cooperating. The only logic behind nuking them is "anybody that nukes us will get nuked". In this case it is faulty logic.

5. No one understands completely why China entered the Korean war. It is still debated. If you have figured it out let everyone know.

6. I didn't say (I think) China would handle it. I said they should be conviced to. That is the best thing that could happen in such a situation. Whose side China is on would be determined by how things were handled.

1. I'm quite aware of what MAD is and I don't need someone anonymous writter on the internet to tell me what I already know. I'm also well aware that MAD extends beyond total destruction of both countries and is the principle in use for any country that chooses to use nuclear weapons against one of the superpowers. Although destruction is not complete on one side there is still destruction and major loss of life. The principle itself is still in effect for the non-super power nation.

2. Failing to attack after being hit does not show strength, it's a sign of weekness and is one of the primary reasons the terrorists felt emboldened after attacks on the embasasys, the USS Cole, the World Trade Center (the first time) and Mogadisu. That show of weakness is exactly the reason we are fighting them on such a broad front today and to allow a nuclear strike against our interests (possibly with millions of casualties) without response would be tatamount to surrender.

3. There is no winning in a true MAD situation and we wouldn't even try nor would any of the capable nations.

4. If this isn't about Chinese soil being nuked then what was your point in trying to provide me a map of NK when I'm well aware of the area in question? NK is not a puppet regime of China and our retalitory nuclear strike on NK would necessitate strong words from China but there would be no action on the part of the Chinesse millitary.

5. It's still debated by who? China warned the coalition forces as they approached the Chinese border that if we approached the border there would be action on the part of China. China was convinced that the forces would continue to advance into China and it didn't help the matter that McArthur had publically discussed exactly that. After the Chinese issued the ultimatum about UN forces approaching the border McArthur called them "our little buddies" and disregarded the warnings. Hell after the Chinese snuck 300,000 troops accross the border and ambushed the UN troops 30 miles from the border McArthur tried to get authorization to Nuke China and he was removed from command as a result. (The original UN mandate for action in Korea called for a return to the 49th Parallel, when we advanced into NK we went beyond the UN mandate.)

6. And how exactly do we convince China to handle it? They won't "handle" it now and keep telling the US its our responsibility to negotiate with a leader who breaks treaties before the ink is dry.

 

[konakona]

Originally posted by: Crazyfool

Originally posted by: vegetation
Keep in mind the people of South Korea don't want NK liberated. A crapload of millions of poor people would come over destroying the great economy that SK has worked hard for. NK will sooner or later just become another market communist country, similar to VN or China. Give it time, reforms are already starting but an internal shake up will occur without having to sacrifice any US lives.

South Korea didn't work for anything. They profited from trading with the US. They would be as worthless as NK if left to their own devices.
:beer:

if you gonna spread FUD (luckily, no one seems to care), at least provide some factual evidence. besides if you want to get technical, so did all western european states through marshall plan. heck, america was built on exploitation of forefarthers of those whose culture ATOT seems to hate so passionately. some of you people take it as granted when you can comfortably work 5 days a week 8 hours a day.