Hagel says U.S. has to take North Korean threats seriously

Reuters ^ | 28 Mar 13 | David Alexander

[SkyPilot]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said on Thursday that North Korea's provocative actions and belligerent tone had "ratcheted up the danger" on the Korean peninsula, but he denied that the United States had aggravated the situation by flying stealth bombers to the region.

"We have to take seriously every provocative, bellicose word and action that this new young leader has taken so far" since coming to power, Hagel told a Pentagon news conference, referring to Kim Jong-un.

[SkyPilot]

If ONE American dies because the U.S. military has been shortchanged due to the BULL SPIT sequester cutbacks, Obama and his administration BELONG IN GITMO.

I have no doubts about the evil who is Obama. What is especially hard to take is the betrayal by Republicans who have abandoned the military.

In sequestration, president and Congress undermining military

Ronald Reagan would be shocked to see the behavior of our current Republican "leadership" regarding the military.

They have been undermining it for years, and the assaults are simply continuing. The Congress agreed to not only the $487 Billion in cuts over ten years that started in 2010 (and are now taking effect with horrific momentum), but the Republicans made a 180 degree turn after their Williamsburg VA "retreat" meeting and decided to allow the military to be decimated by the Sequester. They sacrificed the military on the altar of politics - not once, but twice.

Shame on all of them.

[Elsie]

Hagel says U.S. has to take North Korean threats seriously

Ok, I'll do it.

NOW what?

[Elsie]

NOW what?

Goodwill flights???

[GeronL]

NK has not been taken seriously by Obama yet

[Candor7]

Hagel will take threats seriously as long as they are not issued by Muslims.

If a Muslim nation utters a threat, it “never happened.”

Hagel is champing at the bit to drone the Norkies.It would be a huge mistake to engage the Norkies in even limited ground warfare.It would be a mistake of vast proportions to bomb them unless it was total warfare. But Hagel wants to leave his “mark.”

What North Korea wants is lots of food, high tech, and goods produced in South Korea. Just send over a few shiploads per month.It would be cheaper than fighting the insane effers.

Let the trade talks begin.

[LachlanMinnesota]

The Norks just want to start a war so they can lose and get free stuff from the US.

Give them Kim Chi.

[deoetdoctrinae]

[rdcbn]

If only we can take Hagel seriously.

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obviously the North Koreans don't take him seriously

[LastNorwegian]

Because Danegeld or jizya like the US paid to the Barbary states is always a great idea...

[1217Chic]

Boy if we had a real man in the WH like Regan we wouldn’t have to deal with this crap...What a joke this country’s become because of that bastard in the WH.

[chooseascreennamepat]

Is this he crisis he needs in order to suspend the Constitution and declare martial law? Hmmmmm?

[Monorprise]

I suspect the threat is serous. although i have no confenetce in either Obama or Hagel’s inclination to deal with it given their past predisposition toward North Korea allowing it to get this far in the first place.

When North Korea finally does blow its top we will be in a crises to deal with a mess that should have been dealt with years ago.

[Monorprise]

“Don’t worry, the Sequester is also destroying our defense industrial base and workforce.”

I doubt that very much. The military will have more money tomorrow than they did today. It is only incompetents if they can’t make do with what they already have today tomorrow.

[Monorprise]

In the long run the Federal military is more of a threat than an asset.

We are also going to have to come to terms with the fact that in a decade we won’t have enough money to fund the military hardly at all. The Costs of interest on the debt will be too prohibitive.

[SkyPilot]

The military will have more money tomorrow than they did today.

Again, not true - but I see that time and time again, you do not deal with factual information.

[SkyPilot]

In the long run the Federal military is more of a threat than an asset.

What an incredible statement of disrespect and contempt for those who have served this nation.

The US military is not the TSA. Take your anger elsewhere.

We are also going to have to come to terms with the fact that in a decade we won’t have enough money to fund the military hardly at all. The Costs of interest on the debt will be too prohibitive.

The military is now, with the 2011 cuts and with Sequestration, less that 17% of the budget and approaching 2% of GDP - historic lows on both fronts.

It is not military spending that is bankrupting this nation - it is Entitlements. Try telling the Medicare and Social Security crowd that there must be small reforms, and watch the verbal attacks fly.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

your co-pay on your prescription is free

Actually it went up twenty percent over last year, which up twenty percent over the year before.

[BlessingsofLiberty]

“If only we can take Hagel seriously.”

I agree with you!!

[Monorprise]

“What an incredible statement of disrespect and contempt for those who have served this nation.”

I’m afraid I mean no disrespect, in my implication that the Federal military is a professional force structured to above all else follow orders, not uphold the Constitution.

“The US military is not the TSA. Take your anger elsewhere.”
Perhaps not, but do you have any doubt that if so ordered by congress & the present that the Federal military would not act just aggressive as the TSA?

If you think they wouldn’t i’m sorry to say you are sadly mistaken. As I said before, the military is structured to carry out orders(whatever they are) not uphold constitutional law.

I have no doubt that the Federal military’s ranks are filled with many great patriots. The composition and patriotism of the majority of the army, air-force, and Navy is not in fact at issue.

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“The military is now, with the 2011 cuts and with Sequestration, less that 17% of the budget and approaching 2% of GDP - historic lows on both fronts.”

Historic lows? My dear SkyPilot there was a time when we had no standing Federal army at all. 1000 men would not be a historic low!

We were not then nor would we be at such a point defenseless, we have State militia(national guard) forces which were always intended to form the peace time standing force of theses united States for the precise reason that they were not so easy marshaled by Washington against the people & their states.

Im sorry to say SkyPilot that as much as we may not like it, the way things are going now we need to return to that scheme before your Federal military really is ordered to wage a treasonous war upon its own States & people.

Theses are not happy times, and unfortuantly things look very much like they will get worse in the coming decades.