To: shaggy eel
Empires built on repression and coercion ultimately don't have that much staying power, however well-armed and economically vibrant. Even the Chicoms probably realize this. Their thinking is definitely more defensive than many of us assume. In their minds we'll always be a bigger threat to them than they could be to us.
Personally I think the Chinese are in fact paralyzed by this crisis - it brings to the forefront the contradictions of their foreign policy goals and exposes their lack of confidence in their ability to resolve something to the world's benefit.
To: Filibuster_60
,,, empires don't last and everyone has found that out, no matter what they're built on. China has embraced Capitalism without wanting to call it that. Their cashflow comes from a hand they don't want to bite... accordingly, the dispatched envoy to Pyongyang. The smart thing to do now is position some heat on a US base in Japan, that can be scrambled within fifteen minutes. A lazy sub or two off the coast as a "play ball with us or we'll stick the bat up your arse" move would be perfectly understandable too.
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