Guess the MegaTons of This Nuke

[Smitty-48]

I don't know how ultimately sustainable it is, and anytime now would be a good time for it to spontaneously collapse, but I don't see any signs of that happening, if anything, they are getting more stable not less stable.

Point being, I think people underestimate the regime, they talk about it as if the only thing holding it together is that everybody has a gun to their heads there, but I think it's much more nuanced than that.

For example, there's an entire community of Koreans born and raised in Japan called the Chongryon, who totally identify as North Korean, nobody is holding a gun to their heads, but they are hardcore true believers, Juche to the bone, again, in Japan, beyond the reach of Pyongyang for all intents and purposes.

Nobody is forcing them to be North Koreans, nobody is forcing them to embrace Juche, they are Juche North Koreans by choice and of their own free will, so they put the lie to the idea that nobody could ever get with this program without a gun to their heads.

[heydaralon]

I don't know how ultimately sustainable it is, and anytime now would be a good time for it to spontaneously collapse, but I don't see any signs of that happening, if anything, they are getting more stable not less stable.

Point being, I think people underestimate the regime, they talk about it as if the only thing holding it together is that everybody has a gun to their heads there, but I think it's much more nuanced than that.

For example, there's an entire community of Koreans born and raised in Japan called the Chongryon, who totally identify as North Korean, nobody is holding a gun to their heads, but they are hardcore true believers, Juche to the bone, again, in Japan, beyond the reach of Pyongyang for all intents and purposes.

Nobody is forcing them to be North Koreans, nobody is forcing them to embrace Juche, they are Juche North Koreans by choice and of their own free will, so they put the lie to the idea that nobody could ever get with this program without a gun to their heads.

If you think about it, it is pretty weird how they have outlived the USSR, in terms of practising unadulterated Stalinism. Well, I guess their aims are far more regional than Stalin's and don't extend past the Korean penninsula atm. How long do you think NK will last without China having their back? Do you think there will come a time when the costs to China from backing the mercurial regime will outweigh the benefits, and China will either invade or sponsor a coup to prevent the US from going into their backyard?

Also: How has this regime clung to power this long? I despise them, but I am impressed with their longevity.

[Smitty-48]

I don't think the Chinese can bring them down, even if China tried to put the screws to them, it's kind of like that scene in the Matrix;

"There are levels of survival we are prepared to accept"

[heydaralon]

I don't think the Chinese can bring them down, even if China tried to put the screws to them, it's kind of like that scene in the Matrix;

"There are levels of survival we are prepared to accept"

Why not? Doesn't NK do most of its trade with China? Does it have any coal or oil? What would happen if China just said: "Cut the shit, or you can kiss and outside fuel goodbye."

[Smitty-48]

I don't think the Chinese can bring them down, even if China tried to put the screws to them, it's kind of like that scene in the Matrix;

"There are levels of survival we are prepared to accept"

Why not? Doesn't NK do most of its trade with China? Does it have any coal or oil? What would happen if China just said: "Cut the shit, or you can kiss and outside fuel goodbye."

Well first of all, the North Koreans have proven themselves to be masters of getting around that sort of thing, and I don't think the Chinese actually have enough control over China to effectively enforce such an embargo, the North Koreans would get their oil, one way or the other.

But also, they're not just dependent on China, they have other clients, make no mistake, it's like an international criminal cartel on a massive scale, they deal internationally, in weapons, in drugs, in slave labour, they've got all sorts of things going on, they could get oil from other sources, they don't actually need China for that.

And the Chinese are not going to use force to try to isolate them, because the Chinese are afraid of them, the Chinese do not want a war with them anymore than the South Koreans do, for the same reason, China has too much to lose, and the NK's don't.

The Chinese don't attempt to put the screws to them, because the Chinese think; not only would that not work, it would just backfire.

[heydaralon]

I don't think the Chinese can bring them down, even if China tried to put the screws to them, it's kind of like that scene in the Matrix;

"There are levels of survival we are prepared to accept"

Why not? Doesn't NK do most of its trade with China? Does it have any coal or oil? What would happen if China just said: "Cut the shit, or you can kiss and outside fuel goodbye."

Well first of all, the North Koreans have proven themselves to be masters of getting around that sort of thing, and I don't think the Chinese actually have enough control over China to effectively enforce such an embargo, the North Koreans would get their oil, one way or the other.

But also, they're not just dependent on China, they have other clients, make no mistake, it's like an international criminal cartel on a massive scale, they deal internationally, in weapons, in drugs, in slave labour, they've got all sorts of things going on, they could get oil from other sources, they don't actually need China for that.

And the Chinese are not going to use force to try to isolate them, because the Chinese are afraid of them, the Chinese do not want a war with them anymore than the South Koreans do, for the same reason, China has too much to lose, and the NK's don't.

The Chinese don't attempt to put the screws to them, because the Chinese think; not only would that not work, it would just backfire.

Well, in your opinion, what is the best way for the US to deal with NK? Pre-emptive nuke strike? Embargo? Ignore them?

[Smitty-48]

Well, in your opinion, what is the best way for the US to deal with NK? Pre-emptive nuke strike? Embargo? Ignore them?

Don't really have any good ideas actually, you can ignore them for now, but I think at some point they are going to start doing things to get your attention, which will be difficult to ignore, to say the least.

[SuburbanFarmer]

Newly declassified footage of Tsar Bomba.