Who wants info on N. Korea

[Ducimus]

I think if we contain north korea, and wait long enough, it will collapse on itself. No continuation of the war (it technically never ended), will be neccssary.

Then again, thats probably why their lashing out. the DPRK has mastered the art of brinksmanship. They've rattled sabers for years, and they'll continue to do so.

Ive been to the ROK twice. Korea is in an intresting situation. Both Koreas want a united country. The problem is, both want it THEIR way, and, both have something the other needs.

North Korea (DPRK) from my knowledge has alot of land and probably raw resources that South korea needs.

South Korea (ROK) has lot of industry, and has been (to quote some friends of mine) trying to become a "first world nation, in one generation". The south is crammed. They've been building up like gangbusters.


Its an intresting situation. Some claim we (the US) are their to keep the north from invading the south. Others claim the exact oppsoite, that we're they're to keep the south rolling into the north. Korea is a nation that has some 50 years to prepair for a resumption of the conflict which technically never ended. Ive been as far north as the DMZ and as far south as Pusan. Its an intresting country. Dotted with emergency bunkers, concentina wire, and expressways that double as emergency runways for aircraft. Korea has 3 expressways, all of which run north to south.

[LoBlo]

In the program above they mentioned the casualties of the first Korean war toped 1million people on both sides (35000 of those American). It also estimates that a current conflict, in which one side would actually win over the other, would incur an estimated 100,000+ American casuaties... even worst than the 60,000+ casualties of Vietnam, and those estimates are probably conservative.

N. Korea knows that its economy is in poverty and its people are peasants... it also knows that this represents an eventual powder keg in which it will inevitably face insurrection and revolution from its own citizens, or interference from outside to the point its regime topples. The development of nukes is a direct result of the governments need to ensure it can maintain power as long as possible.

The best possilbe resolution for N. Korea would be the modernization of its economy and infrastructure as exemplified by the currently exploding Chinese economy. But, as shown in the article above, despite the fact that the Clinton administration were making progress toward the beginning of that goal (at least making it a possilbly foreseaable goal) as soon as the Bush administration took control the headway made was lost and the situation on the pennisula is at a low point it had not been at in decades... bah.

The Bush administration refused to even open up diplomatic talks with N.Korea and forbid any of its statemen from doing so... and even as a Texan that voted for Bush, I myself can see that this is just plain idiocy...

It will be interesting to see how future US administrations develop a relationship with N. Korea; whether they will reinitiate the previous policies of the former Clinton administration, continue with the current "none relationship" of the Bush administration, or adopt some new and unique stance. We'll just have to wait and see.

[Ducimus]

Frankly i think we'd be better off completely withdrew from the penninsual, and let the Koreans solve their own problems. The cold wars over, theres absolutley no reason for us to be there anymore.

They can blow each other into little bits for all i care. It's their civil war, not ours. The marjoity of their populace doesnt want us there anyway.

[Ishmael]

Here's my idea to solve the North Korean crisis. Since North Korea is the world's only communist monarchy, Kim Jong Il inheriting the throne from his father, Kim Il Sung, the solution is obvious. Go out and dig up the bodies of all the old communists, Marx, Engels, Lenin,Trotsky,Stalin, Mao, Ho Chi Minh, all of them. Then you could ship the bodies to North Korea where they would be hooked up to generators. That way they could power the entire country while these guys were spinning in their graves. So all hail King Kim II. We could make up a fancy tin crown with little red stars and hammers and sickles for decorations.

[tycho102]

Originally Posted by Ducimus

Frankly i think we'd be better off completely withdrew from the penninsual, and let the Koreans solve their own problems...The marjoity of their populace doesnt want us there anyway.

I agree, 100%, except for the spelling. Get every last service member out of South Korea. And while we're doing that, get them all out of Japan, as well. They don't want us there, I don't want us there.

We'll support South Korea as much as they have supported us. Trade agreements, all around.

[Ducimus]

Originally Posted by tycho102

I agree, 100%, except for the spelling. Get every last service member out of South Korea. And while we're doing that, get them all out of Japan, as well. They don't want us there, I don't want us there.

We'll support South Korea as much as they have supported us. Trade agreements, all around.

I'd take it a step further, Close down all the bases in Korea, Japan, AND Germany, bring all those units back to the United states and reopen those bases here. Military bases are GREAT for local economies. I see no reason why we should continue to indirectly support other nations in this manner.

[STEED]

Originally Posted by Ducimus

I think if we contain north korea, and wait long enough, it will collapse on itself.

There has been some forecast on that one, North Korea has got no more than another 20 years before the whole system collapse's on it's self. But of couse as we all know these boffins don't always get it right.