Korea Unrest

[Barrykgerdes]

Don't forget the Korean war is not over (after 60+ years). There was only a cease fire not an end.

Barry

[Tandum (Robin)]

I spent 3 months in North Korea in the mid 80's. I choppered down to a site 10Kms from the border and landed in the village square. The end of 4 'barracks' walls faced the square and each had a motif of Uncle Sam bayonetting korean babies, stealing stuff, etc etc. I was in this village for a month and the loud speakers ran all day every day yabbering some sort of rubbish, I'm sure. We could hear explosions going off all the time, I was told it was land mines, but it was definately mortor fire.

They are as brainwashed as the Japs in WW2 and I'm sure if the west can stop the goverment from selling drugs and weapons to prop themselves up, the dictatorship will just naturally collapse. I also think they need to pressure China, after all the goverment was initially installed by the Russians.

[Kal (Andrew)]

^^^

I remember reading an article a few years ago where someone spoke of life for a common person in North Korea. One thing I remember is that every house had a radio installed in the kitchen that could not be switched off, or have the channel changed, and played for several hours every day - basically forcing the propaganda into every house. At night time when the power was cut (due to chronic energy shortages) the person they blamed was the Americans.

[The Mekon (John Briggs)]

Originally Posted by astroron

Limited War excuse me, but isn't there a limited war going on in Afghanistan,just about ten years long now and with no end in sight
There is no such thing as a limited war in the Korean Peninsular as it could easily spiral out of control into a Big War.
I find this type of talk offensive as no war is easily justified

No war is easily justified, but I am sure you would agree that WWII was justified to destroy the Nazi regime.

To me the only difference between Km Il Sung and Hitler is that Hitler was more discriminatory in who he persecuted. The NK regime just persecutes the whole population - some more than others.

I cannot see how the USA justified the Iraq war to get rid of Saddam, whereas will do nothing against North Korea. This is the most wicked regime in the world.

[multiweb (Marc)]

Originally Posted by The Mekon

This is the most wicked regime in the world.

Burma would take the cake IMHO. They've been plotting along under the radar for a while now. Absolutely nothing has changed in that region. Poor buggers living there are just being culled. There's no other word for it. Behind every oppressing regime there is a money trail. Cut that and everything else falls into place.

[AstralTraveller (David)]

To read the press one would think that the shelling was a random act. The closest thing to an explanation has been the conjecture that it was part of a power-play within the regiem. Looking a Wiki gives a different perspective. Sth Korea and the US have 70,000 troops in a military exercise which involves live fire a few km off the Nth Korean coast and the day before the shelling Sth Korea announced it was considering asking the US to station tactical nuclear weapons in Sth Korea.

I'm not defending Nth Korea but this is scarsely pouring oil on troubled waters. I reckon the way to effect positive change is to be totally friendly and open with the north. Open up trade, communication and travel (especially travel) and see how long the status quo survives. That would be the best for all concerned.

Tandum, who has ever stopped anyone from selling drugs and arms? The US government couldn't even stop the CIA doing that.

[Octane (Humayun)]

You would think that with the situation as it stands at the moment, that, the US and South Korea would perhaps postpone their scheduled war games. It's not about bowing to pressure, more than it is to do the right thing; North Korea will use any excuse they can to start shelling again, or worse, begin a full on incursion, and war. Would it not make sense to not fan the flames any further? A little respect (I know it is hard to give any respect to a sychophantic and despotic regime) on both sides might see this through to a peaceful conclusion.

H

[Barrykgerdes]

Its colloquial term is "sabre rattling"
The Maori's call it a "Haka"

Meant to frighten possible opponents into do something rash.

Everone tries it in some form. Look at our cricketers. They sledge the opposition to rattle them them go for the juggular

Barry

[ngcles]

Hi Barry & All,

Originally Posted by Barrykgerdes

Its colloquial term is "sabre rattling"
The Maori's call it a "Haka"

Meant to frighten possible opponents into do something rash.

Yeah I think you've got it mostly right Barry. The whole thing I think is alarming but not likely to go much further. The U.S aren't doing the right thing at the moment to de-escalate the thing and equally, neither is China.

You must realise that North Korea is a hard-line Stalinist regime that reflects the scenario and conditions portrayed in the novel "Nineteen-Eighty Four" by George Orwell -- particularly as to the leadership-cult surrounding its dictators. Remember; Ministry of Truth, Ministry of Peace, Ministry of Love, Ministry of Plenty etc ... Kim Jong-Il who has been leader since the mid-eighties is ailing and his grip on power is loosening. He has already anointed his successor -- his third son Kim Jung-un. Apparently his first son is a bit of a girls-blouse and was passed over.

26 year-old Kim Jong-un entered the military with a promotion straight to the equivalent U.S rank of four-star general in September 2010 and is now firmly in position within the party to succeed his father who is expected to pass-on soon. He is said to be very much like his father in every way (ie a psychopath). His nick-name is "Brilliant-Comrade".

Logically, to consolidate and cement his growing power and the succession plan of his father, what he needs is a "courageous, brilliant military victory" where he can be seen to (and be reported to) almost single-handedly save North Korea from the evil forces of bourgeoisie capitalist Uncle Sam and his imperialist South-Korean running-dog puppets to boost his public profile within the state-run propaganda machine (see: Ministry of Truth) that will have the effect of elevating him to "God" status -- and to be venerated. I think this is what it's all about. I don't think they really will risk a live war with the South or the U.S because they know China won't join in because to do so China must declare war on the U.S -- their largest export market. A bad move for China. North Korea knows China won't be in it and that without China's backing, they couldn't win (while he's a psychopath, he's not dopey). Having been in China last year, I spoke to several people about how China views North Korea and uniformly, they see them as "head-cases" and "loose cannons" -- not the normal description for an ally.

But internally Kim Jong-un needs (or would strongly desire) to create the perception of a continuing war in which he is the great commander for political power-base building purposes.

I don't think it will escalate beyond this. You never know if someone blinks at the wrong time but I think for all practical purposes, the cold war there will continue.



Best,

Les D