Everyone needs to look at a map. Seoul is very close to the NK border. Supposedly there are more artillery tube capable of firing more shells into Seoul then were fired in WWII. It is estimated that within the first 10 minutes 100k - 300k residents of Seoul will be killed by this fixed in place and already sighted in artillery. By the end the day and all the artillery tubes are taken out 1 million plus residents of Seoul are likely dead. Seoul is effectively a hostage. The South Koreans with our support need to be the ones who decide this, for they will bear most of the costs.
I’m glad I don’t have to make the call.
But, consider: if Vladimir Putin were to announce: “I have a huge global nuclear delivery capability — and so, tomorrow, I am taking Poland, Germany, Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic. My boys are moving in and will be setting up a Russian government in those countries — and you won’t try to stop me, because I’ll just nuke you all.”
No one would think that was acceptable.
North Korea is a crazy regime. But that’s not a compelling reason why we need to let them keep doing what they are doing. At the end of the day, you may have a million+ dead no matter what. So ... thinking longterm, what outcome is preferable? Now or later?
Hint: later Kim nukes the continental US.
ROFLMAO.
No, I dont think so. The South Koreans are as much responsible for this as the North. This might have been solved decades ago had the South had more skin in the game rather than relying on the US to do everything.
Why your logic mandates US involvement astonishes me and I cant disagree more...the same country which has never had an effective China policy until now: The US.
China and SK could have solved this on their own had it not deteriorated to this level, partly due to ineffective US policies. When the US meddles, it usually turns to shit and now we nearly have a shitstorm.
“Deciding this,” as you write, was a time that long ago passed...
NK is quickly becoming a direct threat to the U.S. and if left alone, their deliver systems will be able to target and strike anywhere on the planet including the U.S. That alone makes it's our decision.
I disagree. The Norks are directly threatening to nuke the
United States for no reason all. (Well, because we protect
South Korea against Nork designs.) This business now overrides South Korean concerns. But it would be good if it just stayed between North and South Korea. That would be best.
There is also the possible proliferation of North Korean nukes to terrorists groups who would do the dirty deed for North Korea.
It would be intolerable to live with that.