[RANGERAIRBORNE]

We are going to be very sorry that we didn't crush these bastards when we could have done it relatively easily. We were paralyzed by the fear of China, and now we are going to pay for that cowardice.

That said, I can see NO POSSIBILITY that we (or the South Koreans) would attack North Korea until AFTER they have struck the first, devastating blow- most likely at Seoul and Tokyo, as well as our bases on Okinawa. I suspect that our military casualties ALONE will exceed the total for the entire Vietnam War before the Second Korean War is a week old. This regime is actually the closest thing imaginable to one of those crazy, evil James Bond villains- even down to the hidden underground facilites that were so popular in the Bond flicks.

I would not be surprised by anything they do- there appears to be no effective internal opposition, and Kim himself is not sane.

[BCrago66]

We have such a tattered civil culture that editorialists are yelling Vietnam and Quagmire and politicians seek political advantage when we lose 1 or 2 men in Iraq every couple days. Can this nation hold together when it confronts the casualties of Korean War II?

[Eska]

Spent 13 months in korea like many others years ago. Had an old E-7 point out places and tell me what it was like in early 50's; quite sobering then, 20 years later.

Guess I don't think its worth one American boy's life. I think Bush knows he can deal with this without a major action. Asian economics more important than war to many countrys.

[RightWhale]

We were paralyzed by the fear of China

Not exactly. The new regieme in China was there thanks to our aid, specifically our failure to back the Nationalists. In a sense we were allies with China. Truman stopped MacArthur because he didn't want this conflict to spread into China proper. It was very confusing and took another 15 years for China and America to begin talking again.