Iran is a bigger threat than North Korea. They have the wealth, technological base and infrastructure to sustain a conflict.North Korea could raise a lot of hell and seriously damage her neighbors but they would literally run out of gas in a month.
We're not as worried about N. Korea as Iran because a couple of memos (probably already typed up on contingency) signed in Beijing would suffice to collapse the regime. All the PRC need do is recognize S. Korea's claim that all citizens of N. Korea are also S. Korean citizens and arrange to repatriate any border crossers to S. Korea. There wouldn't be enough population left in N. Korea to maintain the regime. Problem solved. There are a dozen other ways that the PRC could collapse the regime at will without us spending a drop of US blood to do it. The big problem has been for years in getting the PRC to grow up and sign those memos. We did Iraq because there was no bordering semi-sane power around that could keep order in the neighborhood. If we had done better in the post war on Iraq, we'd be working on Iran a bit differently.
If we are speaking on a nuclear level, the only terrorist there has ever been IS THE U.S. Lets not forget, they have been the only ones to actually use a nuclear weapon against another nation.
There is a concept that goes by 'deterence'. We had nuclear weapons during the Cold War, when tensions in relation to nuclear weapon use were much higher than they are now... and they weren't used in anger. Why would that change now? The United States isn't going to use nuclear weapons unless they're headed our way first.. simple as that.
but isnt this exactly why US invaded iraq? they thought they thought they saw a nuclear warhear or some sort of weapons of mass desctruction sleeping in iraq?
arcologistOct 9, 2006
Thanks for finding the original text. Much appreciated. (And why isn't America more worried about these guys than Iran, again?)
Closed AccountOct 9, 2006
Iran is a bigger threat than North Korea. They have the wealth, technological base and infrastructure to sustain a conflict.North Korea could raise a lot of hell and seriously damage her neighbors but they would literally run out of gas in a month.
arcusofsvOct 9, 2006
I for one welcome our new Korean overlords
tmlutasOct 9, 2006
We're not as worried about N. Korea as Iran because a couple of memos (probably already typed up on contingency) signed in Beijing would suffice to collapse the regime. All the PRC need do is recognize S. Korea's claim that all citizens of N. Korea are also S. Korean citizens and arrange to repatriate any border crossers to S. Korea. There wouldn't be enough population left in N. Korea to maintain the regime. Problem solved. There are a dozen other ways that the PRC could collapse the regime at will without us spending a drop of US blood to do it. The big problem has been for years in getting the PRC to grow up and sign those memos. We did Iraq because there was no bordering semi-sane power around that could keep order in the neighborhood. If we had done better in the post war on Iraq, we'd be working on Iran a bit differently.
ryanduryOct 9, 2006
If we are speaking on a nuclear level, the only terrorist there has ever been IS THE U.S. Lets not forget, they have been the only ones to actually use a nuclear weapon against another nation.
baseball31464Oct 9, 2006
There is a concept that goes by 'deterence'. We had nuclear weapons during the Cold War, when tensions in relation to nuclear weapon use were much higher than they are now... and they weren't used in anger. Why would that change now? The United States isn't going to use nuclear weapons unless they're headed our way first.. simple as that.
teckieeeOct 9, 2006
but isnt this exactly why US invaded iraq? they thought they thought they saw a nuclear warhear or some sort of weapons of mass desctruction sleeping in iraq?
fgsfdsOct 11, 2006
You mean ASIDE from the fact that GWB broke off the treaty in 2001, and ASIDE from their tests of missiles with a 7000-mile range?