N. Korea threatens huge increase in weapons

[below_freezing]

not true, north korea has been sanctioned by the US since 1950's after the US bombed it to hell. Until 1994 when the US toughened its sanctions due to NK's nuclear program, they were net exporters of food. due to the new sanctions and collapse of the USSR, they were unable to access fertilizer, and their heavily mechanized collective farming collapsed. in fact food exports were a major contributor to north korea's economy in the 80's and were more advanced than south korea until 1974.

it can be said that the starvation in north korea is the indirect responsibility of the US for laying sanctions on it. the food "donated" to north korea is a tiny amount of what it would have produced if it was allowed to use its own money to procure fertilizer on the world market.

 

[Chogy]

not true, north korea has been sanctioned by the US since 1950's after the US bombed it to hell. Until 1994 when the US toughened its sanctions due to NK's nuclear program, they were net exporters of food. due to the new sanctions and collapse of the USSR, they were unable to access fertilizer, and their heavily mechanized collective farming collapsed. in fact food exports were a major contributor to north korea's economy in the 80's and were more advanced than south korea until 1974.

it can be said that the starvation in north korea is the indirect responsibility of the US for laying sanctions on it. the food "donated" to north korea is a tiny amount of what it would have produced if it was allowed to use its own money to procure fertilizer on the world market.

Do you not know history? North Korea launched a surprise attack on the South, seeking total domination. NK started the war. They very nearly succeeded. Reference "Pusan Perimeter." MacArthur landed at Inchon, and the war shifted in NATO's favor, pushing the North Koreans to the Yalu. The war was over... until massive Chinese formations entered the fray. The 38th parallel was the result.

The war never ended. It is simply a cease-fire. What do you expect from the U.S. after that? Flowers? Kittens?

 

[below_freezing]

So you admit that the US does this:

1.) Try to conquer any country that has the potential to challenge its dominance in a region, if it can't hit back hard enough
2.) If miscalculated and failed, sanction it to weaken its power, destabilize its society with propaganda, contain it.
3.) Try again (iraq!)
4.) If still can't because there's other big powers behind them, keep using propaganda and supporting internal dissidents.

Other countries do this too. The US is no more moral than any other country.

 

[Chogy]

So you admit that the US does this:

1.) Try to conquer any country that has the potential to challenge its dominance in a region, if it can't hit back hard enough
2.) If miscalculated and failed, sanction it to weaken its power, destabilize its society with propaganda, contain it.
3.) Try again (iraq!)
4.) If still can't because there's other big powers behind them, keep using propaganda and supporting internal dissidents.

Other countries do this too. The US is no more moral than any other country.

And where did I ever bring morality into the thread? It was more a matter of necessity. Again, North Korea attacked South Korea. The defense of South Korea was a United Nations effort.

You can call these efforts misguided if you want. The results speak for themselves. Japan and Germany "conquered." Marshall Plan. Berlin Airlift. West Germany and Japan become peaceful economic powerhouses. East Germans risk death attempting to flee to West Germany.

The effort in Korea - can you really compare, with a straight face, living conditions between the two? It's a shame that all of Korea isn't like the South.

It doesn't always turn out happy. Too early to tell with Iraq and especially Afghanistan.

I've mentioned more than once, I'd like to see all U.S. troops brought home, our borders essentially sealed, and the equivalent of a "Manhattan Project" executed for energy independence. If people want to butcher each other around the world, it's none of our business.

 

[Tshering22]

Long term survival is better than short term. They just need to make sure if today US attack on them they can give a hard slap on US face. They can take care of other issue(poverty) in future i guess.

They never "care" for their poverty issue dude. It isn't the same thing as the joke we Indians get teased. NK is a real hell. Those who manage to survive an escape attempt into South Korea have told about it. The entire country is a prison camp where people cannot:

1) Voice their thinking
2) Question ruling efficiency
3) Demand decent lifestyle
4) Heck! they can't even complain irregular rations that government assigns them!

A country where mobile phone is banned, internet is/is not existent (if yes then at very nascent and censored state), schools, institutes colleges etc are taught what Kim Jong Il wants people to know, where houses have speakers that cannot be turned off singing the leader's praises 24/7... whose people run out of the country the moment they see a chance. What do you make out of such a country who doesn't just make its own people's lives miserable but also threatens misery and destruction to its neighbours (South Korea and Japan mainly)?

What's with their stupid rhetoric that "Japan and SK should send US troops back"? I mean neither the Japanese nor SK are bothered much about it. Then what's itching NK so much?

As long as USSR took care of its needs, it was developing at a decent pace during 70s and 80s. But after Soviet fall and their deadly famine in 90s, everything went into hot waters.