OT: North Korea Missile Tests

[Renegade 13]

No doubt people have heard of the North Korean missile tests yesterday. I'm interested as to what people's opinions are with relation to these tests; Should they be construed as a direct provocation, or merely as the right of a sovereign nation to act militarily as they wish as long as no other nation is harmed? Should military action against North Korea be contemplated, or should they be ignored since they likely just want more leverage in future negotiations??

[Captain Kwok]

The whole issue is being overblown by the media here - but I think that any sovereign country has the right to conduct tests of their weapon systems. If I was N. Korea, I'f probably exercise some discreation in when and how I choose to test though.

[Glyn]

“As Long as no other nation is harmed?” Harm doesn’t have to come in the form of big smoking hole in the ground. Nations that feel that North Korea is on track to become more threatening in the future will now have to spend more resources in countering the future threat.

As for leverage in future negotiations, they promised in past negotiation not to test fire any long range missiles. It’s difficult to trust future negotiations if they break their promises.

[thorfrog]

Real nice timing on N. Korea too. I think they have a right to defend their selves but if they violate the sovernty of another countries air space their should be retaliation. I can see it now, NK sends a test balistic missile over Japan and it crashes into a suburb. I don't see the point in NK continuing to persue the nuke option when their people are starving. Eventually they will go bankrupt.

[geoschmo]

thorfrog said:
I don't see the point in NK continuing to persue the nuke option when their people are starving. Eventually they will go bankrupt.

The point is simply to maintain control over their people. An oppresed people can't very well rise up and overthrow an oppresive government in this day and age when they would be crushed by the military tanks and machine guns. It's not like the 1700's when the armies of the world didn't have all that better of weapons then the general populace. These days as long as the military is behind the current regime, which it appears to be in this case, you aren't going to get a "popular revolution" without some outside intervention. The nukes are a deterrant to anyone outside that might be considering intervening.

[thorfrog]

geoschmo said:

The point is simply to maintain control over their people. An oppresed people can't very well rise up and overthrow an oppresive government in this day and age when they would be crushed by the military tanks and machine guns. It's not like the 1700's when the armies of the world didn't have all that better of weapons then the general populace. These days as long as the military is behind the current regime, which it appears to be in this case, you aren't going to get a "popular revolution" without some outside intervention. The nukes are a deterrant to anyone outside that might be considering intervening.

I have to disagree with you. Developing nukes has nothing to do with keeping their people in line, it only makes the west think twice about attacking NK. NK is not going to nuke their own soil. Well, maybe if they were invaded. The creation of tanks, jets, and troops will on the other hand keep the people in line to a point.

And I have to say that even in this day and age the people can still rise up and overthrow their government. But, it helps when the military are on your side. Remember, the military are made up of the people. If enough rise up they will take notice. But when your starving and forced to eat grass that may not be much of an option. Either way I feel NK on the path to self distruction. If only China would stop financing them. Does China really want their tiny neighbor a nuke threat? Eventually I think NK will crumble like the USSR.

[Phoenix-D]

China doesn't have to worry much about North Korea because NK wouldn't be nuking *them* (which hasn't stopped them from prodding NK about it..)They prop NK up because the alternative in their view is a heavy US military presence on their border.

[ToddT]

Hmm,
exercising a soveriegn right, that maybe, the problem is Japan is in the line of fire for such tests, the missile that failed would have over flown Japan, just like in 1994. N. Korea didn't care to inform Japan of the test firing then or now. The short range one they fired got no closer than 600 miles. N korea kid napped off japanese soil around a half dozen Japanese citizens. Turns out they recently kidnapped aSouth Kearon couple to build a new theatre.

N. Korean ,Collapse, China gets to much milage out of th grief it vause the west to allow that to happen, after all they bailed them in the korean war (260 chinese came over boarded and pushed UN/US forces back.) South korea also does not want to see NK collapse since the y will end being brunt of the fallout, there also the ones under threat by the nukes if hostilites break out (not mention Seol (sp) is in range of NK artillery, estimates 50'000 SK civilian causulties would occur within the first day of a conflict.

The N. Korean leader is perfeclty happy to let his people starve (mostly outside the cities) for its not his fault its the result of the evil and vile west (US) trying to exterminate them, and he is their protector, their still alive aren't they.

[Renegade 13]

I think North Korea has the right to do whatever military tests they feel like doing. What country has the right to prevent another sovereign nation from developing weaponry that most of the world already possesses? It doesn't matter if that nation is unpalatable to the rest of the world, as long as they don't interfere with the affairs of another nation. The state of mind and mindset of their leadership is irrelevant.

I say ignore them completely. They are no threat currently, and they will not use nuclear weapons unless they're invaded. After all, if they were stupid enough to nuke someone in North America, they have to know their entire nation would be blown back to the stone age.

I also think they're doing it simply for leverage in future negotiations. Every time they restart their nuclear efforts, or launch an intercontinental missile, the world freaks out, and tries to get them to stop. They only stop when concessions are made to them, usually in the form of international aid. Either way, they win...unless you pay them no attention.

[ToddT]

Norht korean has south korea as a hostage. Technically US and Nk still at war. there was never a treaty signed.