[Westbrook]

Remember this Korean problem goes back to Bubba's administration.

No, it goes back to Harry Truman's administration when he fired Doug McArthur over pursuing the Korean war into Red China.

At the time, we were the only power with nukes and could have put a very swift end to Mao and his minions and his surrogates in North Korea.

MacArthur was fired for pursuing this line of thought against Truman.

.

[sam_paine]

At the time, we were the only power with nukes and could have put a very swift end to Mao and his minions and his surrogates in North Korea.

Don't get too carried away, wouldashouldacoulda.

At that time, Stalin would've had to have backed Mao completely. He didn't want Imperial Japan approaching his border in the first place, he certainly wouldn't mind throwing more bodies to keep a nuclear USA of the continent.

The "greatest generation" was tired of that war, and wasn't going to have it all out with Uncle Joe.

And in the end, then what? Perhaps if we had unified Korea at that time, they would have had 50 years to becomes a socialist "ally" the likes, of, say...France?

Who are the only friends we have in Europe? The East Bloc that we also didn't let Patton free.

[OldFriend]

Reminds me of Colin Powell insisting we stop pursuing the Republican Guard on their way back to Iraq.

Poor baby, just didn't have the courage to finish the job.

Now he backstabs our President for having to clean up his mess.

[Defiant]

The Russians had nukes at the time. The Russians would have used the invasion of China as an excuse to invade western Europe. Truman did not want to have to fight WW3 in Europe at a time when we had demobilized the huge army that fought WW2. MacArthur's plan was very risky. Eisenhower thought about going after Red China, too, even contemplated nuking them, and decided against it.

The mistake was letting China fall to the commies in 1949. That mistake was assisted by real commies in the State Department. Their progeny are still there.

[Keith]

McArthur was fired for being insubordinate to the Commander-In-Chief. Had one of the current brass done this to Bush, you would have demanded his head. You may disagree with Truman's position, but he had not choice but to fire McArthur when he was stupid enough to criticize his superior.

[EQAndyBuzz]

"MacArthur was fired for pursuing this line of thought against Truman. "

Wasn't Patton fired for the same thoughts about the Soviet Union after WWII?

[wastedyears]

I thought a good cabinet is one that offers its opinions, not one that silently nods.

[justshutupandtakeit]

MacArthur was fired for insubordination as he should have been.