North and South Korea exchange artillery fire

[The Yen Man]

Originally Posted by YYC in LAX

Best case Ontario is they just nuke each other.

What the hell does this even mean? They should nuke each other for the sake of Ontario?

[Knut]

I Think he is using an Iphone and it Autocorrected from Scenario.

[FlameOn]

Originally Posted by Tinordi

It is notable that in the collective history of South Koreans they barely regard the American role in the war.

I'm pretty sure NK propaganda really doesn't recognize the role the Chinese played in the war either... At least thats what a few of the Chinese K-war vets I know say.

[Tinordi]

Originally Posted by FlameOn

I'm pretty sure NK propaganda really doesn't recognize the role the Chinese played in the war either... At least thats what a few of the Chinese K-war vets I know say.

Yep that's absolutely true. It harkens back to the bunker mentality of the Koreans as being the perpetually colonized. Once they achieved their modicum of sovereignty it was politically powerful to proclaim yourself as truly independent.

[SeoulFire]

Originally Posted by Tinordi

Yep that's absolutely true. It harkens back to the bunker mentality of the Koreans as being the perpetually colonized. Once they achieved their modicum of sovereignty it was politically powerful to proclaim yourself as truly independent.

On the bright side there were lots of national holidays for various freedom/independence/liberation/etc days.

[LChoy]

Nkorea will probably not risk another artillery attack now that the world is watching again and forces are mobilized (not to mention reports of significant damage from the SKorean counterattack). They might consider conducting another missile test though. They haven't done one of those in awhile. Usually aimed near Japan.

[worth]

Originally Posted by Hesla

I Think he is using an Iphone and it Autocorrected from Scenario.

Or it's a Rickyism.

[North East Goon]

The U.S. should stay out of this one, let China deal with it!

[T@T]

Originally Posted by North East Goon

The U.S. should stay out of this one, let China deal with it!

The U.S are the reason S-Korea hasn't gone nuts since 46 were killed in May.

[SeoulFire]

Also hard to stay out of it when you have over 25,000 people serving in that country.

[FlameOn]

Originally Posted by North East Goon

The U.S. should stay out of this one, let China deal with it!

Also hard when the South Koreans want the Americans there in the first place.

[North East Goon]

The U.S. has got to stop playing sheriff around the world let the financial superpower take over at least this one in there territory.

[FlameOn]

Originally Posted by North East Goon

The U.S. has got to stop playing sheriff around the world let the financial superpower take over at least this one in there territory.

Which financial superpower? Japan and China are both huge economies in the area. I'm pretty sure SK doesn't want either taking over.

NK is all sorts of crazy at the moment and since China is not willing to do a damn thing to rein them in, China shouldn't be the one taking over SK now should they? In an ideal world the UN would work properly and they would be doing the policing, but the UN is effectively a defunct organization in terms of incidents like this so it defaults to whoever has the will and the means. Whoever it's going to be, someone will complain

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by North East Goon

The U.S. has got to stop playing sheriff around the world let the financial superpower take over at least this one in there territory.

I don't know if I would want the other world superpowers around the world acting as the sheriff. I don't trust India or China on that level period.

While we accuse American troops of being heavy handed, they are nothing compared to the to how China and India's military operate. China would go in there, execute anyone that they deemed a threat. India's troops would probably lose control and go on a country wide killing spree.

If China had gone into Iraq or Afghanistan for pretend example, you would probably have far far greater civilian casualties.

On a humanitarian level, China and India are simply not interested in putting themselves out there and helping. disease and devestation in Haiti, tough luck there. a massive earth quake in a poor country, sorry we have different priorities. India has flood problems the first thing they do is scream to the world, we need your money even though we're an emerging economy, but did they offer to help out anyone else. No.

Its simple, if people want America to stop playing world cop, then simply stop asking for their help.

But how would people react if America hadn't intervened in Korea the first time, or told Kuwait to piss up a rope. How would the world react during the next earth quake or flood or storm if America sent a nice fruit basket with a card saying "Sorry about your luck".

[HOZ]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

If China had gone into Iraq or Afghanistan for pretend example, you would probably have far far greater civilian casualties.

On a humanitarian level, China and India are simply not interested in putting themselves out there and helping. .

Yes and no. They would operate like they do in Africa. They would make it either a defacto colony or just hand weapons and money over to the thugs to allow them to exploit the resources with slave labour. I doubt they would waste much effort to police anything themselves.

[Mr.Coffee]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I don't know if I would want the other world superpowers around the world acting as the sheriff. I don't trust India or China on that level period.

While we accuse American troops of being heavy handed, they are nothing compared to the to how China and India's military operate. China would go in there, execute anyone that they deemed a threat. India's troops would probably lose control and go on a country wide killing spree.

If China had gone into Iraq or Afghanistan for pretend example, you would probably have far far greater civilian casualties.

On a humanitarian level, China and India are simply not interested in putting themselves out there and helping. disease and devestation in Haiti, tough luck there. a massive earth quake in a poor country, sorry we have different priorities. India has flood problems the first thing they do is scream to the world, we need your money even though we're an emerging economy, but did they offer to help out anyone else. No.

Its simple, if people want America to stop playing world cop, then simply stop asking for their help.

But how would people react if America hadn't intervened in Korea the first time, or told Kuwait to piss up a rope. How would the world react during the next earth quake or flood or storm if America sent a nice fruit basket with a card saying "Sorry about your luck".

Uhh yeah, let's not kid ourselves here. The #1 reason the U.S. is involved in foreign affairs is strictly self-serving, and is done so through thoughtful geopolitical strategy. Not that there's anything wrong with that and not that any other country would be any different, but I kind of get the sense from your post that you feel like the U.S. is involved based on their own goodwill and merit which I completely disagree with. It's self-serving, first and foremost.

Secondly, I don't blame American troops, I blame the American government decisions for placing troops where they shouldn't be (in certain circumstances).

Also, the only reason I'm on board with the U.S. and most of their "sheriff" decisions is because they are our closest neighbour and ally and generally serve Canada's best interests too, much moreso than emerging economies like China or India do. But let's not kid ourselves, China and India will soon surpass the U.S. for economic authority and global power simply based on their continually mobilizing and massive populations. There is no stopping them.

BUT... China cannot continue to turn a blind eye to NKorea's shenanigans. They will not put up with a full fledged war from an ally that jeopardizes China's credibility on a world stage, which is what the Korea scenario currently poses. China will influence NKorea's actions to remain at peace, and if NKorea refuses, China will, I believe put a stop to them.

[Gozer]

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

Uhh yeah, let's not kid ourselves here. The #1 reason the U.S. is involved in foreign affairs is strictly self-serving, and is done so through thoughtful geopolitical strategy. Not that there's anything wrong with that and not that any other country would be any different, but I kind of get the sense from your post that you feel like the U.S. is involved based on their own goodwill and merit which I completely disagree with. It's self-serving, first and foremost.

What? Really?

You believe that everything the USA does is, at best, driven by selfishness? What about George W's efforts in Africa?


Xenophobia is unpleasant even when you are raging against "the man".

[FlameOn]

Tensions aren't cooling down any time soon. NKs doing more artillery drills in the area and SK is moving heavy weapons onto the island on top of the USS George Washington in the area
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/27/wo...a/27korea.html

[SeeBass]

I would hate to know that this gets settled with another payoff.

[Tinordi]

I think that that's what NK is positioning for. They want to resume the 6 party talks.

This is more of geopolitical problem than anything. China is the only country that has any real power.

http://www.economist.com/node/17577117