North korea

[dirtycopper]

What does everyone think the best solution is?

I know mine.

[matt_s]

I think the psyche of the N. Korean leadership has a massive inferiority complex that is conflicting with their need to maintain/save "face" with their international peers. I don't have a good solution though. I can poke holes in all of my ideas.

[HoosierHelen]

I think the psyche of the N. Korean leadership has a massive inferiority complex that is conflicting with their need to maintain/save "face" with their international peers. I don't have a good solution though. I can poke holes in all of my ideas.

I believe the N. Korean leadership is so unstable, they don't even know what their own intentions are. They are playing the shock game to keep the eyes of the world focused on them...because of their instability they are indeed dangerous. We need the cooperation of China and Japan in whatever measures we take.

Gads! The last thing this world (and our country) needs is one more war! But...here we go again...a very possible confrontation.

[hairypumper]

Time to test our ICBMs.

[hairypumper]

I sure hope noone took that seriously.

[Night Fire]

Time to test our ICBMs.

This is like many of my ideas.
The real problem is this is backlash from Bush war on terrorism and the invasion of iraq. Did it really make the world safer?
My thoughts run along the line of 1 man 1 bullet, but we see where a failed effort got bush in venezuala

[JohnBoy44]

What does everyone think the best solution is?

I know mine.

geeee, what is your solution then, mr tightlips??

[blue adept]

Cut off all diplomatic and economic dialogue. Stop sending them aid, and make it difficult for allies to do so. In general, starve em out!

[JohnBoy44]

Cut off all diplomatic and economic dialogue. Stop sending them aid, and make it difficult for allies to do so. In general, starve em out!

I'd basically ignore them. They are China's puppet and China's problem.
The US needs to stop having its chain yanked and worry about its own problems.

[HoosierHelen]

I'd basically ignore them. They are China's puppet and China's problem.
The US needs to stop having its chain yanked and worry about its own problems.

I agree with wishing that the US could stay out of this JohnBoy.

My question is ... How do you see N Korea as China's problem? Personally, I can't imagine N Korea attacking China, or provoking China directly?

[JohnBoy44]

I agree with wishing that the US could stay out of this JohnBoy.

My question is ... How do you see N Korea as China's problem? Personally, I can't imagine N Korea attacking China, or provoking China directly?

North korea only exists because China lets it. Going back to the Korean war.
China is huge, powerful, and can turn off the power to them anytime it wants.

[HoosierHelen]

North korea only exists because China lets it. Going back to the Korean war.
China is huge, powerful, and can turn off the power to them anytime it wants.

Again, I agree with what you say here....I'm still looking for how N. Korea is presenting a problem for China?

[blue adept]

North korea only exists because China lets it. Going back to the Korean war.
China is huge, powerful, and can turn off the power to them anytime it wants.

And we being China's largest client as far as purchases go, should be able to push China in the direction we want them to go.

[JohnBoy44]

Again, I agree with what you say here....I'm still looking for how N. Korea is presenting a problem for China?

why are "we" afraid of North Korea by the same token??

[HoosierHelen]

why are "we" afraid of North Korea by the same token??

My take on it is that once N. Korea has marketable nuclear weapons, they are very likely to sell them to the Al Quida or any country willing to pay the price. Something the US and most of the free world are greatly opposed to.

And we being China's largest client as far as purchases go, should be able to push China in the direction we want them to go.

Agreed again, Blue. So now, the USA is in a position to PUSH China, which indeed is a large problem for the US. Our leverage with China is limited due to our dependence on them for both banking and manufacturing (not to mention their size)

[JohnBoy44]

My take on it is that once N. Korea has marketable nuclear weapons, they are very likely to sell them to the Al Quida or any country willing to pay the price.

based upon what?

[HoosierHelen]

based upon what?

Their reputation. Do you recall their large scale counterfeit operations a few years ago, where they were selling very well make US monies?

[JohnBoy44]

Their reputation. Do you recall their large scale counterfeit operations a few years ago, where they were selling very well make US monies?

a lot of different countries have counterfeited our money. i think we're being led to into a quagmire with North Korea by non thinking alarmists. We already have two quagmires we can't afford.

[HoosierHelen]

a lot of different countries have counterfeited our money. i think we're being to into a quagmire with North Korea by non thinking alarmists. We already have two quagmires we can't afford.

Once again, I agree with you, we have two quagmires we can't afford now. I also agree we need to be diligent to NOT be reacting to alarmists.

I tried to google a story I remember seeing...maybe a year ago where the US discovered N Korea selling arms to Al Quida, but wasn't successful in finding a link. I did find a few refering to their conterfeiting efforts and accusations of drug trafficking. One is below. Of course anyone can write a book and the creditability drops when I see Bush's name included in some of it's statements.

http://books.google.com/books?id=UZg...esult&resnum=6

I hope you are correct that China will handle it...I certainly don't want to see the US getting into this. It's hard to know the truth of so many allegations with N Korea being such a closed country.

[james_t]

And we being China's largest client as far as purchases go, should be able to push China in the direction we want them to go.

According to Bill Clinton's speech in Kendallville last summer it's quite the opposite - China (as well as several Middle Eastern countries) have undue influence on our policy because of the amount of US debt they hold.