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NBC News: U.S. May Launch Strike If North Korea Reaches For Nuclear Trigger

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brian577

Banned
Not true. We knew about Syria hours before, that's why the Russians and Syrians were able to move so much out of the airbase.

That was a courtesy call for a retaliatory strike to prevent the use of chemical weapons (or so Trumps says). This would be a preemptive strike, I sincerely doubt any warning would be given.
 

qcf x2

Member
From the link:



I never figured that this was an option (especially since the last two administrations pretty much saw this as unacceptable). It may be the only way. Because once NK ever uses one, their fate is sealed.

But this would give NK more power, and who knows how that would unfold over the years.

It's not a good option because it would cement the Kim dynasty. We know for sure that Un is disliked by more than a few in his own regime. When he gets nukes he'll pretty much guarantee he remains unchallenged as long as he is in health, and given his demonstrated psychopathic tendencies he might just go for full MAD if/when his health begins to fail.

With nukes he would likely attempt to bully other nations into economic "agreements."

Attacking NK is a gamble that cannot be overstated. Best case scenario is one of his own does him in, but we've waited for decades with certain leaders (ie Castro) with no success.
 

jstripes

Banned
From the link:



I never figured that this was an option (especially since the last two administrations pretty much saw this as unacceptable). It may be the only way. Because once NK ever uses one, their fate is sealed.

But this would give NK more power, and who knows how that would unfold over the years.

Accepting North Korea as a nuclear state is a horrible idea. They'd find a way to sell their nukes, and there are people/states out there who would be eager to buy them.
 
The problem with playing a game of chicken with NK is that they know how we have infinitely more to lose than they do. That puts us at a disadvantage because it's true, we do have way more to lose. It's also why every President since the 50s either tried to slow NK down or paid them off to stop being agitators.
 

Lo-Volt

Member
I never figured that this was an option (especially since the last two administrations pretty much saw this as unacceptable). It may be the only way. Because once NK ever uses one, their fate is sealed.

But this would give NK more power, and who knows how that would unfold over the years.

Well, the university professor I remember more clearly than any other compared nuclear anti-proliferation efforts to gunpowder. In that, once a country figures out the science and gains the materials, you can't really stop a state from taking advantage of it. I mean, are we going to outlaw physics and chemistry? Somehow prohibit decades of scientific work, published papers, or illicitly-gained information on nuclear weaponry and energy from being used?

So, what does the U.S. do? We could try to bomb or sabotage the facility if we find it, but we've seen other countries use that with limited success. We can delay a nuclear program but it's unlikely we can stop it for all time. If we want to do something lasting, that's probably going to require a real war, but what happens then? A conventional war will do tremendous damage to Seoul and Incheon, will cost serious casualties in a ground war or counterattack, and will become the kind of humanitarian tragedy that causes resentment and violence in the future (Do we watch waves of refugees overwhelm South Korea, China, and the rest of Asia? Or let post-Kim North Korea turn into a fucking Mad Max wasteland where everyone inside dies, which would be brutally received in South Korea considering that there are living family ties across the border? Either of those sound like fun?)

Or do we swallow it? That's actually a tough choice. We haven't done a good job negotiating or tolerating this threat. They aren't so trustworthy but the West hasn't shown itself to be any better, to be frank. We talk it down, mock them, threaten them, and yet we can't displace the Kim family. Oh, and President Tr*mp? Fuck if I know. I think he's such a soulless clean slate that he'll agree only with the last person who whispered sweet nothings into his ear while fucking him in the bed, real talk. That is not the basis of a grand strategy or sufficiently developed outlook to address this problem with.
 

Ac30

Member
Heh, this would actually be the best moment to strike seeing as the top brass is in one square, alongside a large chunk of their military personnel and equipment.
 

MIMIC

Banned
Accepting North Korea as a nuclear state is a horrible idea. They'd find a way to sell their nukes, and there are people/states out there who would be eager to buy them.

As far as I can see, there's really no "good" way to solve the NK problem. Military action would bring a whole host of problems, and ignoring them would be like letting an infection fester: it's only going to get worse.

We've pretty much been "accepting" their behavior for more than a decade (wagging our finger and sanctions have done nothing). We may have already missed the opportunity for a clean fix.
 

AmyS

Member
It's back. LOL


Hurry up U.S.

Nv4LkTh.jpg
 
You expect that with someone reasonable in charge.

Trump isn't. He's a 10 year old with an army and an ego the size of a planet. He'll order the strike and think nothing of the fallout, because he's incapable of thinking about such things.

I guarantee Trump is basically deferring to Mattis, Kelly, and McMaster on this shit, not dictating strategy.
 
As far as I can see, there's really no "good" way to solve the NK problem. Military action would bring a whole host of problems, and ignoring them would be like letting an infection fester: it's only going to get worse.

We've pretty much been "accepting" their behavior for more than a decade (wagging our finger and sanctions have done nothing). We may have already missed the opportunity for a clean fix.

Right. Like a clean fix was ever possible. People gotta stop trying to rewrite history here.
 
As far as I can see, there's really no "good" way to solve the NK problem. Military action would bring a whole host of problems, and ignoring them would be like letting an infection fester: it's only going to get worse.

We've pretty much been "accepting" their behavior for more than a decade (wagging our finger and sanctions have done nothing). We may have already missed the opportunity for a clean fix.

LOL, clean fix, that's very funny.
 

Curler

Unconfirmed Member
This is crazy to watch live... Feels like watching Nazi Germany, and the music hasn't updated for decades, either.
 

III-V

Member
God I love the B2. US has always had the coolest planes: SR71, B2, F22, P51.

I did some work at the Air Force Research Labs and got to see several of these planes up close and in person.

I remember when I was young I had a poster of an SR-71 Blackbird on my wall. It is such an incredible piece of engineering. Quite something to see.

Kim Jong-un will be proud and posture today. I don't think the US will start a war this weekend unless we (or Japan or S Korea) get fired upon. Looks like China will be mostly hands-off as well.
 

phaonaut

Member
Video of the NK parade is very interesting in contrast to SK. Makes me wonder how differently would the US had developed had the south been able to succeed.
 
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