North, South Korea exchange artillery fire across border
SEOUL, South Korea – South Korea fired dozens of shells Thursday at rival North Korea after the North lobbed a single rocket at a South Korean town near the world's most heavily armed border, the South's Defense Ministry said.
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/08/20/...cmp=hplnws
Don't care stay out of it that's Korea and China's mess to deal with
This could get ugly. It will be interesting to see how the current administration handles this.
Quote:This could get ugly. It will be interesting to see how the current administration handles this.
Why would the current administration handle this? It's not our problem to handle. If we stepped in, China would step in on behalf of North Korea, and
that would get ugly.
This isn't the first time North and South Korea have taken half-hearted potshots at each other, nor will it be the last.
Quote:Why would the current administration handle this? It's not our problem to handle. If we stepped in, China would step in on behalf of North Korea, and that would get ugly.
This isn't the first time North and South Korea have taken half-hearted potshots at each other, nor will it be the last.
There are a few things to consider here. If North Korea escalates this into an all out conflict, we are compelled to be involved due to treaty obligations not only with South Korea, but Japan as well. Also, if it breaks out into a major conflict, there is a very good possibility that not only China but Russia would get involved.
Now consider this. If South Korea and Japan are involved in a conflict that also involves China and Russia, what is that going to do to our current weakened economy?
Quote:There are a few things to consider here. If North Korea escalates this into an all out conflict, we are compelled to be involved due to treaty obligations not only with South Korea, but Japan as well. Also, if it breaks out into a major conflict, there is a very good possibility that not only China but Russia would get involved.
Now consider this. If South Korea and Japan are involved in a conflict that also involves China and Russia, what is that going to do to our current weakened economy?
Can you imagine the manufacturing boost we'd get from a land war in Asia?????
Quote:There are a few things to consider here. If North Korea escalates this into an all out conflict, we are compelled to be involved due to treaty obligations not only with South Korea, but Japan as well. Also, if it breaks out into a major conflict, there is a very good possibility that not only China but Russia would get involved.
Now consider this. If South Korea and Japan are involved in a conflict that also involves China and Russia, what is that going to do to our current weakened economy?
You're catastrophizing, and your answer seems to assume that China and Russia want World War III to break out. That's really the heart of all of this: just because the USSR is no more doesn't mean that the concept of Mutually Assured Destruction went with them. If a nuclear war were to break out, no one would win. For that reason, any efforts to launch a full-scale attack by one Korea or the other would be swiftly met by a firm slap across the face from their own allies and an order to knock it off or risk losing support.
My original point still stands. North and South Korea prodding at each other by lobbing crap across the border is nothing new. It happens, the two sides posture for a couple of days, then everyone goes on about their day. As much as North Korea hates the existence of South Korea (and vice versa), neither side is dumb enough to start World War III.
Here's some basic info on North Korea versus South Korea. Neither the US nor China will support their respective allies in an offensive war. And neither the North or the South can fight off the other Korea and their ally without support from their own ally. So neither side will actually do anything.
On top of that, even is a true war was started, neither side would have anything to gain. North Korea doesn't stand a chance against the South so anyone in power there realizes they would lose everything. And if South Korea wins they'd suddenly have to support 24 million extra people which would destroy their economy for the next 10 years minimum.
So to summarize; neither side will ever actually do anything because both sides realize the gains will always be nullified by the losses.
With that Whack Job Kim Jung Un in power, you never k now what he's going to do. He's already put troops on the front lines telling them to prepare for war
Quote:With that Whack Job Kim Jung Un in power, you never k now what he's going to do. He's already put troops on the front lines telling them to prepare for war
Were you asleep during Kim Jong-Il's reign? Because he did the same thing in 1994, and didn't stop enforcing that order until December of 2011. Even then, it wasn't so much that the order was rescinded as it was that he died.
Quote:With that Whack Job Kim Jung Un in power, you never k now what he's going to do. He's already put troops on the front lines telling them to prepare for war
If he ever gave the order to attack the military leaders of North Korea would just get rid of him.
Quote:Here's some basic info on North Korea versus South Korea. Neither the US nor China will support their respective allies in an offensive war. And neither the North or the South can fight off the other Korea and their ally without support from their own ally. So neither side will actually do anything.
On top of that, even is a true war was started, neither side would have anything to gain. North Korea doesn't stand a chance against the South so anyone in power there realizes they would lose everything. And if South Korea wins they'd suddenly have to support 24 million extra people which would destroy their economy for the next 10 years minimum.
So to summarize; neither side will ever actually do anything because both sides realize the gains will always be nullified by the losses.
You look at it from a different prospective. To say that the U.S. would not support South Korea is simply wrong. We not only have a military base in South Korea, but we also "practice" going to war with North Korea.
Another thing to consider. Sure North Korea would probably be annihilated if an all out war broke out, but look at how close Seoul is to the border. It's a very dangerous situation.
Would China or Russia get involved in the conflict? That's a question. China has been slowly distancing itself from North Korea, but they are still major trading partners. The same could be said about Russia, but look at what Putin is doing right now.
Japan is caught in the "crossfire" and could possibly be in danger.
You are right about one thing though. A war which would most likely end up with the South Koreans winning it would be devastating to them economically, and that has implications globally.
Quote:With that Whack Job Kim Jung Un in power, you never k now what he's going to do. He's already put troops on the front lines telling them to prepare for war
Umm... there have been troops on the front lines preparing for war for decades.
Quote:You look at it from a different prospective. To say that the U.S. would not support South Korea is simply wrong. We not only have a military base in South Korea, but we also "practice" going to war with North Korea.
Another thing to consider. Sure North Korea would probably be annihilated if an all out war broke out, but look at how close Seoul is to the border. It's a very dangerous situation.
Would China or Russia get involved in the conflict? That's a question. China has been slowly distancing itself from North Korea, but they are still major trading partners. The same could be said about Russia, but look at what Putin is doing right now.
Japan is caught in the "crossfire" and could possibly be in danger.
You are right about one thing though. A war which would most likely end up with the South Koreans winning it would be devastating to them economically, and that has implications globally.
They don't practice going to war with North Korea, they practice going to war with China. South Korea is more than capable of handling the North on their own. Russia won't get involved, they have virtually no interest in North Korea, their worries lie with Europe.
As for China; they don't care for North Korea except for one crucial point: Buffer zone. If Korea was united under the government of what is now South Korea then China would have US military bases sitting within miles of their border with the Korean peninsula. They want to avoid that at almost all costs, hence their support of the North's current regime.
The situation is much the same as the Cold War and MAD; the only winning move is not to play.
Do you have any evidence proving your claim that the U.S. does not "practice" going to war against North Korea and does "practice" going to war with China?
Given Putin's recent activities, do you not think that he would be interested if North and South Korea went to war?
I somewhat agree with you regarding China. Lately North Korea has fallen out of their favor, but they still want the same "buffer" that you talk about.
I for one hope that it doesn't escalate, but if it does it will get ugly quicker before it gets better. Strangely, the U.S. has been silent about this situation.
Quote:Do you have any evidence proving your claim that the U.S. does not "practice" going to war against North Korea and does "practice" going to war with China?
Given Putin's recent activities, do you not think that he would be interested if North and South Korea went to war?
I somewhat agree with you regarding China. Lately North Korea has fallen out of their favor, but they still want the same "buffer" that you talk about.
I for one hope that it doesn't escalate, but if it does it will get ugly quicker before it gets better. Strangely, the U.S. has been silent about this situation.
I seem to recall a year or two ago a similar rattling of sabers involving shelling of an island or some such event? Was it longer ago than that?