North Korea threatening to wipe the US off the map

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   Useful Knowledgeposted 14 years ago

   North Korea is threatening to "wipe the Us off the map." Do they have the weapons to do this? Do you think we can intercept thier missiles?

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      AEvansposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Yes they have weapons, however we are great interceptors and the media certainly does cause chaos don't they?

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      benparkerposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Its alot easier than people think to smuggle nuclear weapons than people think.People in America just dont understand that we're not invincible...there are more women in the chinese women's military than the total U.S. population combined!!! even though we are all blessed to be in this country...alot of other countries think we're a curse...How many americans are willing to die for their beliefs? not many. people are more likely to buy name brand clothes to fit in with their peers..

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      Drew Breezzyposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I say we wipe them before they wipe us, sound good?
      
      craziness !

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   ledefensetechposted 14 years ago

   No they don't have enough weapons to do this.  We can intercept one or two of their missiles (maybe), missile defense is a young tech and it's never been used to take out an ICBM in a "real" encounter.  Until it does and can be replicated, it's just theory at this point.
   
   Most of the nonsense coming out of North Korea is for domestic consumption.  Apparently Il the Elder has anointed a successor, Little Il.  By whipping up a frenzy over nuclear weapons and standing up to the Demon US, he's consolidating the people behind his successor.  What we need to be concerned about his how our leaders are going to use this situation to push agendas we've resisted in the past under the guise of "keeping the American people safe".

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      tksenseiposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      No it's not. The NK people are utterly and completely cowed and brainwashed at this point. The screaming and stomping of feet is for international consumption. NK has learned that this is a very successful approach for them to get what they want.

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   Useful Knowledgeposted 14 years ago

   I have been following the situation on the news. I think "if" they had the capabilities, it would definitely be a scary situation.

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   ledefensetechposted 14 years ago

   The problem with nuclear weapons is that the genie has been let out of the bottle. People will strive to develop the weapon and for smaller countries I can see the allure.  Right now they have no defense from anyone with nuclear weapons if one of those nations decides to invade.  Living in the West, I'm not too sure we understand that frame of mind.
   
   What is scary is when someone like Big Il gets a hold of those weapons.  The best defense we have against that right now is MAD.  It worked during the Cold War and it will have to serve as a stopgap until we can develop something better.

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   RKHenryposted 14 years ago

   I'm not too sure about this;
   
   but has one of their long range missiles finally made it out of their controlled air space?  Has a missile made it passed their controlled borders? Seriously, I don't know. 
   
   I think before they will have the ability to wipe Hawaii off the face of the earth, they are more likely to wipe themselves out first.

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   ledefensetechposted 14 years ago

   What's troubling is that their missiles are gaining a longer and longer range.  Sooner or later they will have the capability to hit anyplace in the world.  After all, since other people have developed this capability, so can they.  It's old technology.  Unlike the US who has to develop new technology to counter the threat posed by NK.
   
   It's one of the reasons I don't like the whole embargo and sanction thing.  First it won't work without China on board, which I don't think will ever happen.  Second it gives people a false sense of security.  Just because the UN passes a resolution doesn't mean that they have the power to enforce it.  The world watches is not a deterrent to these guys.
   
   We need to focus on countering their capability now, rather than let ineffective diplomacy take it's sweet old time.  By then it will be too late.

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      RKHenryposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Do you honestly think that China is going to let them get that far?  China hates their guts.  I think China is just waiting for them to f'up, to make their move.  They are far more likely to accidentally hit China first, than before one of their missiles reaches us in 10 years.

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         ledefensetechposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         China has always moved to defend their borders.  That means China and Vietnam in the West and South of their country.  Did you know that Vietnam forbade any Chinese "advisers" during their war with us?  That's why they went with the USSR.  They didn't want to be puppets of Beijing.  Now you have a point with NK being the puppets of China, but Kim is playing his own game.  Think about the difference between East Germany and Yugoslavia.  Tito was anything but a pawn to Moscow, but Moscow still supported and subsidized him.  In many ways China is playing with fire regarding NK.  It's not beyond the realm of possibility that NK will one day use their weapons against Beijing.

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            RKHenryposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            You do like to intermix Vietnam in a lot of your discussions.  I don't see how that relationship matters to North Korea and China's.  Nor too the subject matter at hand.  So they didn't want to be a puppet?  So Vietnam didn't let them come in as advisers.  I missed the connection ledefensetech.  My bad.
            
            But still, Kim is a wack-o.  It is quite apparent that he beats to his own drum.  The whole entire world recognizes that.  Yes, China is playing with fire with NK.  But we all know China believes it's people to be expendable when it comes to playing chicken.  But does that mean that Korea is most likely to strike them first by accident, or hit Hawaii right out of the gate in 10 years or so?

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               ledefensetechposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               There's no way to tell at this point.  Most likely it won't be Big Il, but Little Il who makes the choice ten years from now and he's a relatively unknown quantity at this point.

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                  RKHenryposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                  Yeah.  There we go.  I think you are exactly right on that one.  What of this youngest son of his?  Right now he's in a progressive western prep school right?  I personally think he'll be assassinated by one of his brothers- quickly after Kim dies.

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                  tksenseiposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                  http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/world/20090619TDY05306.htm

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               tksenseiposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               How do you mean?

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            tksenseiposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            It is far, far, far beyond the realm of any reasonable expectation.

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         tksenseiposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         What makes you think China hates their guts? For the entire history of NK China has arguably been their most important ally. They now provide them with essential resources, not to mention the political cover to continue to exist. I reckon China is tired of the position they find themselves in over this, but "hates their guts" is too much, I think.

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         tksenseiposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Does this strike you as 'gut hating'?
         
         
         http://english.chosun.com/site/data/htm … 00502.html

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   dawei888posted 14 years ago

   N. Korea wipe us off the face of the earth? No way. Maybe just maybe they could hit Hawaii if they were lucky. I think they're mostly talk. Time will tell. Eventually there will be some sort of war or their regime will implode internally.

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      RKHenryposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Yeah that is what I think.  As soon as the old man is gone, China will move in if not sooner.  They are just looking for a "politically correct" opportunity.  Goes with their humanitarian causeway.

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         tksenseiposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         "Move in" how?

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            RKHenryposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            First, are you educated in Chinese history?  Do you carry formidable historical knowledge concerning with and including their past 60+ years tactical take over activities?  Why?  I refuse to converse with you anymore. 
            
            You never offer up a good strong educational debate.  You bring nothing to the table for me.  Their is nothing to draw conclusion over, and their is nothing to be learned by you.  You bring nothing educationally responsible to the table.  I want to grow and learn.  You want to be snide, hateful, irrationally aggressive, passionately stubborn to the point of sheer ignorance.  I refuse. 
            
            Yes! It is fact, that since you and I have been engaged in a wide variety of conversation- my email has been flooded with emails YOU'D find rather humbling I'm sure. I'm sick of reading them and politely responding back to them.  I told you what I'd do.  And you have been played perfectly.  A real fine sport too.  Whereas I greatly appreciate the numerous gain of fans, and fanfare-  you simply are not worth the trouble it takes to click open yet another TK, hate filled, RK rock on email.  Thanks but no thanks.

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               tksenseiposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               Yes I am and yes I do, thanks for asking.

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         ledefensetechposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         I'm not so sure about that.  Sure they could pull a Tibet and invade, but what about the South.  I'm not sure they'd be to happy and they might decide to contest it.  Which would bring us in and China isn't about to deal with all of that.  Maybe in a few decades.  China tends to think long term.  Unlike us, they've had 5,000 years experience with civilization and have learned the value of patience and getting your ducks in a row.  I'm sure they're happy with NK as a buffer against anyone's territorial ambitions and will keep the status quo until they secure the energy reserves they need and can finish pulling themselves up by their bootstraps.

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            RKHenryposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            See, ledefensetech you bring up another strong point here.  One, I simply do not have a strong response too. So I ask you, what of South Korea? 
            
            It is my personal opinion that China once was collectively counting on North Korea's take over of South Korea.  But Kim being Kim, screwed it up and got personally side track with his ambitious attention needs.  But if North Korea was to somehow effectively cause harm within the Chinese North Korean border, South Korea no South Korea could stop them from a "politically correct" advancement. 
            
            What to do, what not to do.....  I imagine China already has a plan of attack.  I don't think it is one that the USA will agree with.  But what could the USA do about it?  Start another "Korean conflict", involving us against China?  We couldn't afford it.  They're the banker.

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               ledefensetechposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               China has to be very careful about how they act.  If they alienate too much of the world, they risk losing access to the raw materials they so desperately need.  A land grab in North and/or South Korea would hurt that immensely.  Don't forget about Russia.  China and Russia have fought over the Amur river in the past.  The last such conflict was about forty years ago.  China has the manpower but not the resources, Russia has the resources but not the manpower to exploit them.  If China goes around throwing it's military around, there's no telling how Russia is going to react.  And now Russia and China have nukes.  That changes the situation a bit. 
               
               International politics doesn't happen in a vacuum.  There are always plenty of players in any sort of a game like the one China and NK are playing.  As a stragegist you have to try to figure out how all the players are going to react based on not only their material resources but how strategists in those countries think they can react.  It's not the easiest thing in the world.  Plus it's very easy to make a mistake.  It's those mistakes that can doom entire peoples.  Have you ever read The Art of War by Sun Tzu?  If not, do so.  Every Chinese general has and Sun Tzu talks a lot about how war should be the last resort of any nation because wars can bankrupt you and destroy your nation. 
               
               On the balance I'd rather have China trading for what it needs, rather than try to go all Japanese and invade for what they need.  Trade can act as a brake on the territorial ambitions of nations.  Then again that doesn't always work.  In 1939 Germany's largest trading partner was...wait for it....France. So that doesn't always hold true.  But what I do know is that after being treated as the world's whipping boy during most of the 19th and 20th centuries, you can count on the Chinese to do whatever it takes to become an industrial power and safeguard their borders.  That's about the only assumption you can make regarding the strategy of China.

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                  RKHenryposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                  You're not by chance a woman are you?  You don't have to answer that.

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                     ledefensetechposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                     Do you think a woman would be able to strategize like that?  Please.  OK, Lita, that was a joke, drop the shears. 

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                        RKHenryposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                        Damn, and I'm straight.  All well.... good one on Lita!  She is going to tear our eyes out and remove our fingertips when she gets off work.  ledefensetech, good chatting with ya.  I'm outta here.

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   VENUGOPAL SIVAGNAposted 14 years ago

   It is just a wishful thinking. And everyone has the liberty to dream. Let Korea be united first and then talk of wiping off maps. Can they face South Korea?

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   VENUGOPAL SIVAGNAposted 14 years ago

   Empty threats use to come out of countries which have insane leadership. Even Osama threatens like this. Then he hides somewhere in caves. If he has the potential to do that, he would have already done it. Even Saddam Hussain issued several threats on US, Israel, etc. Because these people dont have the potential power, they keep on singing threatening songs.

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    tksenseiposted 14 years ago

    Is there even anything to 'negotiate' with here?
    
    
    http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,529006,00.html

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    newcash101posted 14 years ago

    I feel that no one is going to wipe anyone off the globe because you can never benefit from going against someone with the same or similar power and willing to use it.
    Right now I'm more concerned with the swine flu than some man talking crazy.

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    ocbillposted 14 years ago

    Well, Wikipedia has them in progress of conceiving an ICBM missile. It could reach the west coast 4500 miles or a bit more, right?. A shower of them would be as they claim "impossible to intercept" all of them. So, u going on a trip? if out there

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    tksenseiposted 14 years ago

    http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2B … 96507.html
    
    
    
    Be interesting if all this had the effect of somewhat improving relations between Japan and SK.

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    tksenseiposted 14 years ago

    http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/ … 629a4.html
    
    
    
    Also important that the abduction issue was raised.

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    logic,commonsenseposted 14 years ago

    They are just testing Obama.
    They want to see if he has any balls.  Or if he is a bag of hot air.

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    earnestshubposted 14 years ago

    The problem is that North Korea has a madman running the place. Nothing to be gained talking to crazies like sick Kim or the idiot who is running Iran either. These people are certifiable.

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       tksenseiposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Too true.

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