This North Korea bomb thing

[LOL!]

I don't get this NK bomb thing at all. Why do governments bother to condemn this action by the North Koreans? Why does the UN do its huffing and puffing, then quietly shut up?

The way I see it is that NK will do whatever they damn well please and no one is going to really stop them. If they set off nuclear bombs in tests on their own territory isn't a that a good thing? They are simply using up their fissionable (fissile?) material.

Of course we would like to not let them sell their technology to others, but that seems easy to do. Simply sink every ship that leaves North Korea in an accident. I think you could even pay some Somalian pirates to help you out with that. Or you can let counterfeit parts that don't work so well be imported.

Or if you cut off their money for outside trade, that might work as well. They might get mad and force the issue, but so what?

I imagine that technological drawings can be passed in diplomatic pouches, but can't all internet, phone, and satellite communication be accidently scrambled or cut off?

Anyways, what's the big deal with this? I would not make any government press releases and just let some accidents happen. What are your ideas?

 

[mf15]

I dont know what to do about the bomb, but I spent a year there in 1971 sometimes
on the DMZ sometimes not. They are very nasty, mean and tough. The leader perhaps is slightly off balance. The problem is the bomb in conjunction with their new missile technology, at some point it will be able to reach the USA. When this happens it creates a lot of leverage on their part. Of course they tend to sell technology to other rogue states which creates other problems. So this could be a real mess.
Old Mike

 

[harley]

Anyways, what's the big deal with this? I would not make any government press releases and just let some accidents happen. What are your ideas?

Government's stock in trade is hot air. Even if they do all the clandestine stuff like in you post, they still need to strut and preen. It's like me, I have to breathe, drink, and eat. They have different requirements.

I allocate 1% of my worry quota to things like this. I understand that some of these governments/dictators are unbalanced, but we made it through some pretty whacked out leaders in our country and our erstwhile enemy's in the past. Hopefully we'll make it through this batch too.

 

[dex]

So, you would be OK with Cuba doing the same thing - missiles and all.

 

[mickeyd]

Not trying to get political here, but it's obvious to me that the NKs (and Iranians) are testing the new American President as VP Joe Biden said that they would. He needs to be strong and take decisive action and forget about the UN and their wordy documents, as well as the European folks that have been tap dancing around this for 5+ years.

NK with deliverable nukes is an untenable situation that must be addressed ASAP.

 

[Notmuchlonger]

What would the UN do? Besides the US couldn't stomach handling NK. Good luck trying to recruit for that.

 

[mickeyd]

What would the UN do?

They would probably issue dozens of resolutions that condemn NK and threaten to talk mean about them in public as well as send a few "observers" to NK to solve the problem.

 

[JOHNNIE36]

Can someone tell me why we have the UN? It was just an excuse to erect a nice building in New York. It's a joke organization. It's time again to watch out for ourselves as nobody else is going to do that. Problem as was mentioned some time ago, is that we couldn't take on another war at this time; however, what if we sent in a big Air Force boming raid on their WMD's (there's that word). Here we go again.
What are they going to do about it? It's like "we told you not to do that".

 

[Notmuchlonger]

Can someone tell me why we have the UN? It was just an excuse to erect a nice building in New York. It's a joke organization. It's time again to watch out for ourselves as nobody else is going to do that. Problem as was mentioned some time ago, is that we couldn't take on another war at this time; however, what if we sent in a big Air Force boming raid on their WMD's (there's that word). Here we go again.
What are they going to do about it? It's like "we told you not to do that".

I suspect the American public has about zero tolerance for another war. Perhaps N K might just invade Sk...Who would stop them?

 

[dex]

I suspect the American public has about zero tolerance for another war. Perhaps N K might just invade Sk...Who would stop them?

Maybe the 28,000 US Troops and South Korean army stationed on the border.

 

[FIREd]

NK was and still is the most dangerous country in the so-called "axis of evil". Yet, among the 3 "evildoers", it's the one country we have been most lenient with over the past 6 years. When it comes to NK, I don't recall talks about regime change, military invasion or even tactical military strikes. I think it has a lot to do with the close relationship NK has with China and Russia...

 

[Notmuchlonger]

Maybe the 28,000 US Troops and South Korean army stationed on the border.

You mean the speed bump stationed at the border?

 

[Radiophilejapan]

I can tell you that people and government in Japan are outraged and scaried. The prior missile tests proved enough range to reach anywhere in Japan and the seemingly succesful nuke test now, albeit the TV reported 1/10 of the destruction power of Nagasaki's, allied to what someone had laready referred here - an offbalance leadership there...it may be time to divest my positions in Asian stocks and start packing as well...

 

[JPatrick]

When it comes to NK, I don't recall talks about regime change,..

Regime change is already being planned, only it is being done by the current nut case, and includes his extended family of equals.
Apparently one of the front runners is a 26 year old who has been rumored to have poor judgement..No really?? He's perfect for the job.

 

[harley]

So, you would be OK with Cuba doing the same thing - missiles and all.

I didn't say I was OK with it, I said I didn't worry too much about it. I use my worry on things I have some slight chance of influencing. Once our elections are over, we're pretty much locked on course for a while. Unless, of course, they want me to slip on my black ninja pajamas and take the NK leadership out.

As far as Cuba, I'm more worried they'll be requesting statehood in the next few years than I am about missiles.

 

[REWahoo]

This thread is closed as it became a partisan political discussion and is unrelated to FIRE.