Posted on 08/04/2017 4:05:20 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
I dont ordinarily do this, but I want to clear up what I said yesterday about North Korea and nukes. This time, Ill say it in the plainest language possible.
Fifteen years ago, its possible that diplomacy could have stopped North Korea from developing nuclear weapons. Thats certainly what I thought. Its also possible that heavy sanctions could have done it. Its even possible that military action could have done it, though that would have been very risky for reasons that everyone knows aboutthough heres a map in case you dont:
None of this is true anymore. North Korea already has nuclear weapons. They have a productive source of fissile material. Theyre very close to developing a reliable ICBM, and probably close to developing a nuclear warhead small enough for their ICBMs. Thats what the DIA thinks, anyway. And North Korea has made it crystal clear that developing a nuclear deterrent capability against the United States is their #1 national priority.
Liberals like to think that maybe more diplomacy will stop North Koreas nuclear program. It wont. Conservatives like to think that tougher sanctions, or possibly military force, will stop their nuclear program. They wont. Donald Trump likes to pretend that China can stop their nuclear program. They either cant or wont. Like it or not, this is where we are.
There are only two options left. Either we accept a nuclear-armed North Korea or we launch a nuclear strike to take out their capabilities. Since a nuclear strike is insane for too many reasons to listincluding the fact that it might not even workthis means we really have no options at all. We can, if we want, maintain a hostile attitude toward North Korea as a signal to others about the price of developing nukes, but we basically have to accept the reality that North Korea is a nuclear state.
This is what I think could use some plainer language from national security types. Lets knock off the fantasy op-eds full of vague talk about China and sanctions and diplomacy. Instead, tell people the bald truth. It would give the hawks some pause, and might even reduce the pressure that could lead someone like Donald Trump to do something stupid. This is, unfortunately, something we all have to think about these days.
EMP them and then let the South Korean and Japanese militaries occupy them.
Tell China that the NK border with China will be respected, but any Chinese person or thing that crosses the border will be destroyed by US Navy jets who will create a no)fly zone.
US Special Forces will capture all nuclear sites until SK or Japanese forces arrive to hold them.
No, it was never possible. Because China could not tolerate a foreign power in their backyard. Think of their equivalent of the Monroe Doctrine.
At this point, I wonder if the U.S. could survive that, or it would grind us to a halt.
Chalk another one up to jOkeass.
Well, I guess just helping them build nuclear power plants and handing them nuclear capability is out the door then!
Yeah BS. Accurate bombing strikes against production, research, and launch facilities will set them back many years.
There was never a way. They had no interest in diplomacy, sanctions only work on rich countries poor countries don’t even notice, and we ain’t willing to go to war over the issue (which is a lot of why diplomacy wouldn’t work either).
It's not merely weapons that win wars, IT'S THE WILL TO WIN THAT WINS WARS! Trump has the will, but the REST of our government doesn't and the left would LOVE to see mass slaughter of South Koreans so they can forever blame it all on Trump and not Kim Jung-Un.
Kinda like Iran, they never learn.
Option 3, get China to massively shut down NK’s economy.....
Threaten to give nukes to Japan and South Korea........under their respective controls......
That’s China’s worse fear.....
Interesting choice of timeframe here - 2002 GWB and the War on Terror! How about 2 years earlier in the Clinton Administration, when I remember Madeline Albright hoisting celebratory glasses in Pyongyang? How about the entire 8 years of Clinton when words were followed by 'Humanitarian Relief' that never quite got to the starving but found the NKGovernment only symbolically stopping their nuclear work?
An EMP would end it in one second.
So....we are back to deterrence. I don't think even the Norks are crazy enough to commit national suicide.
"Islam" is a whole other matter.....they "are" probably crazy enough.
The real problem was Clinton giving them $5 Billion Dollars as a form of appeasement....
They took the money and laughed all the way.......
Just like Obama and the Iranians....
How big is the footprint of a medium sized hydrogen bomb on your map?
There several ways . We just need the commitment to following through .
Japan and the ROK could have nuclear weapons in six months on their own. They are two of the most developed countries in the world.
It's a twosome. Obama couldn't have made such a mess of things in eight years if GWB hadn't open the doors and got the ball rolling.
GWB seemed to be lazy when it came to future consequences of present events. JMHO
I don’t think the DPRK has thermonuclear weapons.
It would take them longer than six months, testing alone takes time....but it would be quick compared to most other countries and they would need our permission based on treaties....
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