Oh Crap, there goes the Neighborhood...

[adciv]

To clarify on deacons point, as best as I can tell: The NK peasants believe they are as better off compared to us as we believe we are compared to them.

[StruckingFuggle]

Right, which is why (without some massive revelation on their part, one I'm not sure it's possible to manufacture) "the people" of North Korea are the wrong base to target in trying to topple the regime.

[ampersand]

Fuggle: Actually, I'm agreeing with you. It's just that quite a few other people would rather not care about what is going on in the rest of the world, unless involves a celebrity. My mother has gotten really shallow lately.

[Eihger]

Just a quick link. North Korea is barking louder again. So after HOW MANY failed summits are we trying again. They don't want to talk! they want to blow shit up, just just can't yet.

[Eihger]

the link is no longer correct... who knew yahoo didn't archive

[JermCool]

Is that what it is?

I am curious about this, however. I didn't think those rockets were capable of reaching as far as Hawaii. Isn't that what we were told during the last launch?

[ampersand]

I don't know if the nuclear missiles could reach Guam, let along Hawaii.

[Mav]

NK put some stickers on the rockets to make them go faster and thus farther. (or is it further?) [or do both work?]

I lol'ed.

Also, in regards to the missiles reaching Hawaii and what I've read, the missile has a range of 4200 miles, while the main Hawaiian islands are 4500 miles away. However, smaller islands are supposedly within the 4200 umbrella. However, more importantly was an article I read regarding NK's collection of non-nuclear WMD's - both nerve gas and biological agents. I'm not terribly sure how such things work, but I would be mildly more nervous about them firing nerve gas and the cloud drifting towards more populated areas. But, regardless, in my oppinion it's unlikely that the rocket will reach its supposed range, and even if it does, it provides good testing grounds for our missile defense system.

I've noticed we have a tendency to over react to this NK crap. While the situation is obviously not ideal, and NK does have nuclear weapons, this does not mean they have nuclear weapons that can fit on the missiles that comes almost close to reaching us. IE: They can't do shit to us (the United States). I'm not even sure they could fit a nuke on a missile that could reach Japan. And while I've been getting all uppity and offended when they make statements like "Our response to any transgression will be 100 or even 1000 fold", when I actually get past the headline and read the meat of the artcile, I realise this is statement is being released on their state/propaganda television. I'm sure it's supposed to count as some sort of threat to us, but it really seems to be more designed for controlling their own population.

So, overall, I'm more content to sick back and fuck up their ships and embargo their asses and make life generally more miserable than it already is, rather than risk large amounts of American lives currently. Sending in special ops type units might be fun though. We should just kidnap high ranking NK leaders. Be all rainbow 6 up on their asses.

[adciv]

Hawaii may be just outside of range for now, but it's close to being in range. Not worrying about it is like saying "Oh, I don't need to worry about the flood, the water is only up to my drive way." In addition, there is also Guam (which IS in range), American Samoa and several other islands beside Japan and South Korea. Wiki Map of non-CONUS US territories

[Mav]

So what are you worried about happening, Adciv? I'm worried about North Korea getting the first strike on a major American city. I'm not terribly worried about them playing their hand to hit Guam with some nerve gas.

[Arres]

Frankly, I'm worried about NK playing their hand to hit ANYONE. Including, but not limited to all the places Adciv mentioned. Kim Jong Il is KEHRAZY. And not in the fun, wears his pants on his head when he's drunk crazy. He's "thinks he can actually kill people with impunity" crazy. So far, he can. I'd rather he keeps it in his own borders until someone gets the cajones to handle him, or God does it himself.

[Mav]

You're going to have to define crazy, because so far everything he's done has, at least in certain ways, worked to his benefit. This whole dicking around recently to push his successor into power seems to be working too. Crazy like a fox might be more applicable.

And just to note, I'm not advocating doing nothing, I'm just advocating not losing sleep over it yet.

[adciv]

Guam is a major US military installation along with a civilian population of about 170K. That's on an island of 3 square miles. Also, regardless of how you might want to define it, it is still part of the US, just like Pearl Harbor was on December 7th, 1941.

[JermCool]

Considering the UN is sticking to the sanctions that were to be considered an "act of war" and Kim hasn't done shit, I think it's time to call more of his bluffs. Board the ship off the coast of China. Shoot down the rocket. Prove how weak Kim's regime really is and maybe the people will start grumbling.

[Mav]

They won't know it even happens, but we should do it all the same. Prove to him we're call his bluff. He'll only go as far as he thinks he can intimidate us - and he knows that if we go to war, we'll win.