I don't have strong feelings whether the current SK mobilization orchestration will either heighten OR lessen current tensions.
OK I conceed that it will instead *marginally* escalate the level of REAL underlying tensions. It will, however substantially agitate the concerns of young people, Americans, and people generally unfamiliar with North Kore --sure.
Ford makes cars, Oompa Loompahs make chocolate, and L'il Kim makes....anxiety. He clocks in, makes others scared, and gets PAID for that.
Whadda we see here? Kim with his lunch pail, strolling to work --have no doubt, WE WILL PAY HIM. If you do doubt it, HE DOES NOT.
The horrifying truth is that Kim knows our the SK/USA gov'ts BETTER than WE know them.
Bailouts are more in fashion now than ever, and Kim is the consumate BailMeOuter, strolling in high fashion.
CURRENT DEVELOPMENTS = NEWSWORTHY, BUT NO SUSTAINED WAR.
The sick feeling dawning on you is the TRUTH.
Good points. At the end of the day, he is just looking for a handhout. Why not? He always got them in the past through brinksmanship. Plus he has fully sized up Obama and he knows the US has the weakest president in its 240 year history, so why not shake us down and jack us around to get the goodies?
I’m very familar with Kim’s game of blackmail . . . and he may very well get what he is looking for in the end - more aid. But what I don’t think he bargained for this go around is that Pres Lee is pushing back harder than past SK administrations. That doesn’t mean SK won’t eventually roll over for Kim, but in the meantime things are escalating and all it takes is for one local commander on either side of the border to do something stupid . . . and things will sprial out of control