I've just got one question

[episodic]

Why have we spent trillions of dollars to develop the best military in the world that could put strike team or weapon anywhere anytime - but we keep getting worried about what has been described as missle North Korea keeps raising and lowering. Why don't we just carpet bomb his weapons and be done with it?

 

[xSkyDrAx]

A lot of reasons not discounting the fact that SK will get blown to smithereens by artillery the second the US tries to make a move at NK.

 

[rivan]

Assuming this is a serious question:

We could, but it wouldn't accomplish anything positive in the long run. Rather, it might confirm NK's assertions to their people that we're the aggressors and create national resolve for rebuilding in the name of striking back.

Our desired endgame is bloodless regime change and nuclear disarmament. Carpet bombing NK won't get us any closer to that goal.

 

[rivan]

A lot of reasons not discounting the fact that SK will get blown to smithereens by artillery the second the US tries to make a move at NK.

This too, and who knows how China & Russia would react.

 

[episodic]

A lot of reasons not discounting the fact that SK will get blown to smithereens by artillery the second the US tries to make a move at NK.

I know its not practical for lots of reasons that happened long ago - but we should have never got involved being the world's police. So make a coordinated strike on the whole DMZ. They are described all the time as a country living in the 18th century almost - driving 1950's cars and can't keep the power on. Take out their power production, their food production, and their water supplies. Wait them out. Supposedly we have more than that capability to strike with one massive blow.

 

[Schfifty Five]

Why have we spent trillions of dollars to develop the best military in the world that could put strike team or weapon anywhere anytime - but we keep getting worried about what has been described as missle North Korea keeps raising and lowering. Why don't we just carpet bomb his weapons and be done with it?

That's two questions.

 

[episodic]

That's two questions.

So I got carried away

 

[rivan]

I know its not practical for lots of reasons that happened long ago - but we should have never got involved being the world's police. So make a coordinated strike on the whole DMZ. They are described all the time as a country living in the 18th century almost - driving 1950's cars and can't keep the power on. Take out their power production, their food production, and their water supplies. Wait them out. Supposedly we have more than that capability to strike with one massive blow.

Wars of attrition are no longer socially acceptable; nor are the sorts of excessive civilian casualties that would result. Their million-man army is the only well-fed portion of the country and the rest is in a state of constant famine.

 

[IronWing]

Very dangerous, you go first.

 

[Baked]

Can you play NK in Civ 5? Do a simulation and see what Russia and China will do when NK nukes SK.

 

[episodic]

Wars of attrition are no longer socially acceptable; nor are the sorts of excessive civilian casualties that would result. Their million-man army is the only well-fed portion of the country and the rest is in a state of constant famine.

So whats the alternative, allow every rouge nation to slowly develop crude nuclear weapons and use them as pawns to get what they want? If someone threatens to nuke the US, you'd think that would warrant a response?

 

[SlitheryDee]

Because we're not monsters you monster.

 

[rivan]

So whats the alternative, allow every rouge nation to slowly develop crude nuclear weapons and use them as pawns to get what they want?

It's a gamble and sanctions are put in place to make gaining the tech difficult.

You have to keep the goal in mind - how exactly would any first strike military action (short of full scale invasion, which nobody wants to get wrapped up in) get us any closer to that?

 

[rivan]

If someone threatens to nuke the US, you'd think that would warrant a response?

You added a question

Here's the thing... we're pretty certain he can't nuke us. He doesn't have the range. He's rattling his sabre - many people think he's doing so to solidify his position in the regime and possibly to just buy time to continue weapon development. He's western educated and SHOULD know he would be steamrolled if he actually took aggressive action against us.

He CAN nuke our friends and knows we'd react, but terrible damage could be done by the time we did.

How he handles that knowledge is up to him.

 

[zinfamous]

So whats the alternative, allow every rouge nation to slowly develop crude nuclear weapons and use them as pawns to get what they want? If someone threatens to nuke the US, you'd think that would warrant a response?

NK is in a unique position that allows them to make these empty threats and protestations and play keep-a-way with their nukes.

The Korean War never ended--this is still technically an armistice, with alliances between SK and the USA and NK, China (and who knows how Russia would get involved) should aggression return.

 

[lxskllr]

So whats the alternative, allow every rouge nation to slowly develop crude nuclear weapons and use them as pawns to get what they want?

Yes. It isn't our problem. If it becomes our problem(lets say Mexico starts launching missiles our way), we go in, kill everything that moves, and take the territory for our own use. That's how you fight a war. If you aren't willing to do that, you don't start fights.

If someone threatens to nuke the US, you'd think that would warrant a response?

If it's a credible threat, yes, and see above. DPRK isn't a credible threat.

 

[AstroManLuca]

Take out their power production, their food production, and their water supplies. Wait them out. Supposedly we have more than that capability to strike with one massive blow.

Well, that would succeed in killing their entire civilian population, but what do you plan to do about their military?

 

[Maximilian]

I think this is why SK is so big on starcraft, create a future generation of master strategists to 4 pool NK and win any war they start :sneaky:

 

[episodic]

I guess I just look at how wars have been waged in the past - it seems that in the past, they took out factories, infrastructure, etc - and then that weakened their army. I don't know what the solution is but we invade other countries at a drop of the hat, don't see why this one would end up being much different. If they are as far back in technology as everyone says, should be pretty easy to liberate the north and reunify korea ala east/west germany. It seems if they are allowed to keep pulling this stuff, eventually, they are going to cause a war anyway.

 

[episodic]

It's a gamble and sanctions are put in place to make gaining the tech difficult.

You have to keep the goal in mind - how exactly would any first strike military action (short of full scale invasion, which nobody wants to get wrapped up in) get us any closer to that?

If we can change the regime in Iraq - why not NK?

 

[episodic]

Well, that would succeed in killing their entire civilian population, but what do you plan to do about their military?

Mainly, I was referring to military versions of all of the above. I wasn't talking about going and taking out their major cities. There has to be supply lines to the dmz, power lines, etc.

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

I hope we have something that can blow up any missile in the sky. If we can do that then there is no reason to fire anything back.

 

[IronWing]

If we can change the regime in Iraq - why not NK?

Again, you go first.

 

[Sonikku]

Why have we spent trillions of dollars to develop the best military in the world that could put strike team or weapon anywhere anytime - but we keep getting worried about what has been described as missle North Korea keeps raising and lowering. Why don't we just carpet bomb his weapons and be done with it?

I like where you're going, but it would be a PR disaster. What we need to do is infiltrate the North, take over their weapons (just on the border) and use them to fire on our own allies while making a powerful media spin of "Kim gone crazy". Then we can both save face as well as retaliate with full force.

And, if not, it doesn't matter anyhow. The military budget was always more about keeping the gravy train rolling for the contractors who in turn bank roll the campaigns of the politicians than it ever was about actually fighting a war. So mission accomplished.

 

[John Connor]

I personally don't pick fights, I let the other guy throw down first then it's hell on his nose. Same can be said for NK. They start shit we will bloody their nose. END OF STORY!