The North Korean Situation II

[Matt]

Not to mention that Kim Jong-Un isn't really running the show at all.

[Kelly]

Nope, Aunt and Uncle are running the show....

[Kelly]

Originally Posted by the_ultimate_evil

the problem with that is, the country already believe the family are living gods. if someone takes him out it'll be easily spun in to martyrdom and used as an excuse for any agenda the next guy has

Some don't, in fact, I would put that number at quite a few. I have friends that have done a lot of mission work in that area, and the people are more savvy of the outside world than many would think. When you have a machine gun stuck in your face a good portion of your life, you tend to let them think you believe a lot of things. What you really believe is that if you speak up/out, you will be shot....they believe that above all else.

[Matt]

Originally Posted by Kelly

Some don't, in fact, I would put that number at quite a few. I have friends that have done a lot of mission work in that area, and the people are more savvy of the outside world than many would think. When you have a machine gun stuck in your face a good portion of your life, you tend to let them think you believe a lot of things. What you really believe is that if you speak up/out, you will be shot....they believe that above all else.

Yeah, I don't buy that the people are part of a brainwashed cult that worships the Kims. I think a good many would prefer reunification. The majority, even. The North Korean people live in constant fear. The way that dictatorship works....it is unlike any other. Your neighbor could be spying on you. Your family even. So you go through the motions and act like a good citizen. I dare say that a good portion of the North Korean people would welcome liberation. This isn't like Iraq, where you have warring tribes waiting in the wings to take power. This is a place where the people are completely and totally oppressed through fear and cruelty.

[chamber-music]

Originally Posted by Kelly

Some don't, in fact, I would put that number at quite a few. I have friends that have done a lot of mission work in that area, and the people are more savvy of the outside world than many would think. When you have a machine gun stuck in your face a good portion of your life, you tend to let them think you believe a lot of things. What you really believe is that if you speak up/out, you will be shot....they believe that above all else.

This

Numerous north koreans who have escaped have said they were fully aware the regime was full of ****.

Plenty of them aren't brainwashed they are just saying and doing what they need to in order to survive.

[Thundercrack85]

I'm not convinced Kim Jong-un is a figurehead. Clearly he has to share power, but all dictators do. Kim Jong-il was in a similar position when his dad died.

[Matt]

But when Kim Jong-Il took power, he was a nearly 55 year old man who was a key player in his father consolidating and maintaining his power. Kim Jong-Un on the other hand, is a 27 year old kid who has been pampered and sheltered for most of his life and is reportedly none too bright.

[Thundercrack85]

His father did groom him. I wouldn't dismiss him too quickly. The first week in power, he had a number of generals rounded up, relocated, and or shot. Then the successful rocket launch, and a series of nuclear tests.

Is it all his doing? Who knows. But so far, he's doing great, by his daddy's standards.

[Kelly]

Nah....I still think the uncle and military are actually in charge. I have a feeling he is playing the roll of dictator, watching his favorite action movies, listening to his rock music and living well, but not really making many decisions. I don't believe his father groomed him at all, which is why the uncle is the one in charge.

[Thundercrack85]

Based on?

[Kelly]

Just from the stories I read when he first came into power....and there really has not been any proof that he had made any of these decisions, most of these decisions would be made by the military, of which he has had absolutely not contact with in his upbringing, he was never actually IN the military, he was given his title in the military without actually ever serving in the military ever...even a day. Whereas the uncle has close ties to the military....and the analysts at the time of the turn over of power, for the most part saw the power in the aunt (sister of his father) and uncle, her husband....

[Marvolo]

North Korea has vowed the final destruction of South Korea in a UN meeting. :yawn: Oh, and they are claiming self-defense as the reason for nuclear testing.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...121837868.html

This is getting sad in a very pathetic way.

[Fading]

You know though, even if bluster with no back up, eventually something has to be done. You can't have a continual threat of "blowing off the map" towards other countries by a nuclear dictatorship. Even if they never acted on it, standing up in the UN and declaring things like that get hard to ignore even if you know the threat won't materialize.

If I were to say I was going to shoot a politician in front of TV cameras, I'd probably be being questioned by FBI right now. If I had a nuke (even a weak one), or any kind of bomb, I'd probably have been shot. NK is eventually going to make everyone else run out of patience with threats of extermination.

[Marvolo]

Originally Posted by Fading

You know though, even if bluster with no back up, eventually something has to be done. You can't have a continual threat of "blowing off the map" towards other countries by a nuclear dictatorship. Even if they never acted on it, standing up in the UN and declaring things like that get hard to ignore even if you know the threat won't materialize.

If I were to say I was going to shoot a politician in front of TV cameras, I'd probably be being questioned by FBI right now. If I had a nuke (even a weak one), or any kind of bomb, I'd probably have been shot. NK is eventually going to make everyone else run out of patience with threats of extermination.

They are long over due for the ***** slapping of the century.

[Thundercrack85]

Originally Posted by Fading

You know though, even if bluster with no back up, eventually something has to be done. You can't have a continual threat of "blowing off the map" towards other countries by a nuclear dictatorship. Even if they never acted on it, standing up in the UN and declaring things like that get hard to ignore even if you know the threat won't materialize.

If I were to say I was going to shoot a politician in front of TV cameras, I'd probably be being questioned by FBI right now. If I had a nuke (even a weak one), or any kind of bomb, I'd probably have been shot. NK is eventually going to make everyone else run out of patience with threats of extermination.

Nuclear weapons make you immune from prosecution.

[Dr. Evil]

First, China seems to be tired of the shenanigans of North Korea, second hell just froze over, in that China and the US actually agree on something:

http://news.yahoo.com/u-china-tentat...022644209.html

[Matt Mortem]

I imagine things will be coming to a boil soon. I have a buddy stationed in South Korea right now. Hope everything can be resolved, but I doubt it. NK seems too crazy.

[craigdbfan]

North Korea threatens nuclear strike on U.S.

North Korea on Thursday vowed to launch a pre-emptive nuclear strike against the United States, amplifying its threatening rhetoric hours ahead of a vote by U.N. diplomats on whether to level new sanctions against Pyongyang for its recent nuclear test.

An unidentified spokesman for Pyongyang's Foreign Ministry said the North will exercise its right for “pre-emptive nuclear strikes on the headquarters of the aggressors” because Washington is pushing to start a nuclear war against the North.

[JewishHobbit]

Yeah, I just read that on Yahoo news. The last thing we need is another war but it's starting to look unavoidable at this point. Something needs done with North Korea.

[Destructus86]

People keep brushing off NK as a joke (and to be honest, they do kind of make it easy to joke)

But never underestimate a crazy regime with extremist beliefs.

[Matt Mortem]

Originally Posted by Destructus86

People keep brushing off NK as a joke (and to be honest, they do kind of make it easy to joke)

But never underestimate a crazy regime with extremist beliefs.

and nukes

[NickNitro]

Umm.......I'm not going to lie, I'm a bit scared.

http://news.yahoo.com/furious-over-s...092213643.html

[NickNitro]

Uh....should I start packing my stuff? Hows England this time of year?

[thalidomide]

You guys should nuke them first!

[Matt Mortem]

I'm not too concerned. The US could probably delete NK at anytime if we so choose. I don't know why they honestly think taking on America would be a smart thing.