KAH Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11818005Every time I hear about North Korea, it's some worse shit than the last time, it seems to me. I wonder if this will be the straw that breaks the camel's back, or if it will spiral out of control this time... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tzanth Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 This is crazy! And the fire is on-going... I'm amazed that the South Korean forces on the island that fired back were not able to destroy the source more quickly. South Korea is actually an extremely militarized nation in its own right, despite its popular image as nation of harmless starcraft aficionados. There are only so many provocations it can take. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shryke Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 At the same time, NOBODY wants to deal with the aftermath of North Korea's fall.And the 2 biggest inclusions in that "NOBODY" are South Korea and China. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KAH Posted November 23, 2010 Author Share Posted November 23, 2010 I wonder if this will be the straw that breaks the camel's back, or if it will spiral out of control this time...I see my innate optimism is just bubbling through here...It may be that no one wants to deal with the aftermath, but there may not be a choice in the matter. Were I South Korea, I would try to have a quiet chat with China in order to deal with it as well as can be expected if/when it comes to collapse.If NK keeps at it, sooner or later there will be real war, "measured" retaliation will eventually get out of hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lightning Lord Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 These threads always make me feel warm and fuzzy.And utterly screwed. EB picked a bad time to visit, I guess. She's on a temple stay right now, doubt she even knows whats happening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lightning Lord Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 That said, people here seem a bit more concerned this time around. Friends told me that it's different this time because things don't normally involve civilians.Also the British embassy has sent alerts to its citizens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KAH Posted November 23, 2010 Author Share Posted November 23, 2010 These threads always make me feel warm and fuzzy.And utterly screwed. EB picked a bad time to visit, I guess. She's on a temple stay right now, doubt she even knows whats happening.Yeah...sorry. I can imagine it's not the funniest thing to watch people discussing when you yourself is in the middle of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lightning Lord Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 Yeah...sorry. I can imagine it's not the funniest thing to watch people discussing when you yourself is in the middle of it.No worries. Really. I don't actually believe a full-blown conflict will erupt. There's no desire for it on this side, just anger. And I'm not in the middle of it, I'm a teacher, not a soldier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord O' Bones Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 I'd post "zzzz' but that would be rude.But no really, "zzzz" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Werthead Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 The question is did North Korea feel able to do this because South Korea failed to act when one of their warships was sunk by North Korean forces? Will a feeble (or at least perceived feeble) response this time simply encourage North Korea to take more and more steps?The problem is that no-one wants to provoke a war. South Korea, Japan and the USA would win any such war quite handily, but the death toll on all sides would be horrendous and would trigger the collapse of North Korea, with a massive resulting humanitarian crisis for South Korea and China. But does that mean that South Korea has to just sit there and accept its soldiers and citizens being killed and injured?The current toll is 3 soldiers dead, 17 injured and 3 civilians injured as well. There's no way South Korea can just sit there and accept that, especially since its retaliatory strike so far appears to have achieved jack shit.EDIT: South Korea has just said this is the biggest violation of the armistice since the end of the Korean War and warns of a significant response to any further activity. Seriously worrying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ser Scot A Ellison Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 Here's hoping it doesn't flare further. :I Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cantabile Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 Shit has to hit the fan eventually; everyone sitting on their hands and waiting for North Korea to just fix itself isn't likely to solve anything in the foreseeable future. I've always felt that it's simply been a matter of time before the issue escalates into full-blown conflict. I highly doubt this is it, but time always comes around eventually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Wolf Maid Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 Seriously worried right now. Oh crap. Stay safe, LL and EB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Werthead Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 Shit has to hit the fan eventually; everyone sitting on their hands and waiting for North Korea to just fix itself isn't likely to solve anything in the foreseeable future. I've always felt that it's simply been a matter of time before the issue escalates into full-blown conflict. I highly doubt this is it, but time always comes around eventually.I don't think conflict is inevitable, but it's always been one of two very likely outcomes. The other is North Korea simply disintegrating under a tidal wave of starvation and economic failure (the country is dependent on the black market and humanitarian relief from South Korea, China and the UN to simply feed itself). Both would result in hundreds of thousands (at least) of casualties, but the latter could arguably salvaged far more quickly.That may also be part of the issue. If North Korea is close to the brink, the government may feel it's time to use it or lose it with regards to their military forces. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteHaven Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 Seems like South Korea is now mobilizing the military. Seems like the shit is getting real, then again I doubt that China is interested in a war right now. They don't want US soldiers near them so somehow they have to help NK when the Koreans start killing each other.@Wert: Is there any indication that the NK regime is going to fall? I mean apart from the Western propaganda? China would never allow that. Especially not now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ser Scot A Ellison Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 NK is rather a big pain in the ass for China. Do we know China would back the NK Stalinist regime with which it now has very little in common? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hereward Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 It'll back it as long as the alternative is a heavily-armed US ally on its border. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteHaven Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 NK is rather a big pain in the ass for China. Do we know China would back the NK Stalinist regime with which it now has very little in common?Of course they are a pain in the ass, then again not as much as the US would be after a South Korean victory.I doubt that China wants to see even one US Marine stationed near their border.China may have changed and the ruling class may think that Kim is crazy but I just can't imagine that they'd allow the scenario described above to happen.What is the alternative for them, other then helping NK. Annex it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ser Scot A Ellison Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 China annexing NK would go poorly. However, what if NK collapses and SK takes NK up to the narrows around Pyongyang leaving the mountains and Yalu as a buffer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteHaven Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 China annexing NK would go poorly. However, what if NK collapses and SK takes NK up to the narrows around Pyongyang leaving the mountains and Yalu as a buffer?Ah well I will leave that line of thought to some Think-Thank guy who has more idea about all that stuff then I do ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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