North Korea News

[skankhunt42]

You know what's funny? Even though Americans have long said that the Domino Theory was a false narrative, supposedly the Domino Theory was discredited years ago in the wake of Vietnam, you're still propagating it right now, you still can't see, or you simply refuse to see, that it's not one big block of Commies all allied and unified against you, but rather a bunch of sworn enemies who all fear and loathe each other, while also fearing and loathing America at the same time; "DPRK is China's proxy!"; Domino Theory all over again.

Everything old is new again in America, Red Scare to the Domino Theory, who knew?

This should be on a billboard.

[Smitty-48]

Defense News - If the US is going to war in North Korea, nobody told the US military (8/11/17)

The current flare-up is the latest example of the war rhetoric far outpacing the facts on the ground, a U.S. official said on background Friday morning.

“This may come as a shock, but the rhetoric doesn't match reality,” a U.S. official said. ”[I’m] worried about a ‘Guns of August’ scenario, where we stumble into a conflict,” referring to the popular history book of World War I that argued the war happened because of a series of diplomatic miscues.

Out at U.S. Pacific Command, or PACOM, the command that would lead any attack on North Korea, its situation normal, according to a source familiar who spoke on background.

“Nobody at PACOM is setting their hair on fire; its calm and professional,” the source said. ”It‘s really D.C. rhetoric that’s driving this whole thing.”

Was America on high alert, at Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941? Were American forces in the Pacific on high alert, when the North Koreans crossed the 38th Parallel on 25 July 1950?

The US military being asleep at the switch, is not a sign that there is no imminent crisis on the horizon, historically, that's often been a harbinger of bad ju-ju.

Mind you, by all reports, there's not much activity going on up in North Korea neither, no signs that they are preparing for war, according the US military that is.

[Smitty-48]

Personally, I don't see this as being an imminent war situation right now, because the North Koreans still have a ways to go in terms of having a comprehensive ICBM capability, with hydrogen bombs, but, I also don't see it as being proxy for the Cold War with the Soviet Union when the North Koreans reach that threshold.

North Korea with ICBM deliverable hydrogen bombs against the CONUS, strikes me as being a much more volatile and less stable scenario, it's not the next week I would be so concerned about, but if I was the POTUS, I would not let the North Koreans reach that threshold, come hell or high water, no way in hell North Korea would ever reach that threshold on Smitty LeMay's watch, bet that.

An inherently volatile, reckless, red line busting regime like North Korea, with ICBM deliverable hydrogen bombs against the CONUS; casus belli before you ever got to that, that's not just a "no", I would say "ah hells no" to that, and you're damn rights I'd put the US military in harms way to prevent it, that's the job, if you don't like it, don't enlist.

[Smitty-48]

You know what's funny? Even though Americans have long said that the Domino Theory was a false narrative, supposedly the Domino Theory was discredited years ago in the wake of Vietnam, you're still propagating it right now, you still can't see, or you simply refuse to see, that it's not one big block of Commies all allied and unified against you, but rather a bunch of sworn enemies who all fear and loathe each other, while also fearing and loathing America at the same time; "DPRK is China's proxy!"; Domino Theory all over again.

Everything old is new again in America, Red Scare to the Domino Theory, who knew?

This should be on a billboard.

Culture is destiny, putting it on a billboard wouldn't make any difference, and in the end, the Red Scare and associated Domino Theory, are kind of a security blanket now, just another expression of the nostalgia for an America that never was.

[doc_loliday]

https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-to-res ... 1502489292

OP-ed by Kissinger

[ssu]

Seems like China tries to counter any move By Trump on the intellectual property violations by playing along with the US on North Korea.

BEIJING — China announced a ban on imports of iron ore, iron, lead and coal from North Korea on Monday, cutting an important economic lifeline for the Pyongyang regime, as it moved to implement a package of sanctions put together by the United Nations Security Council.

The ban will take effect from Tuesday, the Ministry of Commerce announced.

But at the same time, Beijing warned the Trump administration not to split the international coalition over North Korea by provoking a trade war between China and the United States.

The warning comes as President Trump is expected to sign an executive memorandum Monday afternoon instructing his top trade negotiator to launch an investigation into Chinese intellectual property violations, a move that could eventually result in severe trade penalties,

But anyway, this "crisis" seems to be winding down for the moment in the media.

[Hastur]

Going back to earlier NK crisis I had to check, and sure enough:
http://www.fao.org/3/a-i7544e.pdf

[The Conservative]

China just put the screws on NK...

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/08/14 ... looms.html

Just hours before Trump was believed ready to announce the trade investigation, however, China’s Commerce Ministry on Monday announced that all imports of coal, iron ore, lead concentrates and ore, lead and seafood from North Korea would be banned.

[SuburbanFarmer]

China just put the screws on NK...

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/08/14 ... looms.html

Just hours before Trump was believed ready to announce the trade investigation, however, China’s Commerce Ministry on Monday announced that all imports of coal, iron ore, lead concentrates and ore, lead and seafood from North Korea would be banned.

Interesting... looks like China decided to fold on NK, rather than face a trade war with the US. Bigger money at play in US v China, but security benefits in China v NK.

From that perspective, is this a bigger win than facing down China over IP? Or are we better off letting that go, and China tamping down fat boy?

[The Conservative]

China just put the screws on NK...

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/08/14 ... looms.html

Just hours before Trump was believed ready to announce the trade investigation, however, China’s Commerce Ministry on Monday announced that all imports of coal, iron ore, lead concentrates and ore, lead and seafood from North Korea would be banned.

Interesting... looks like China decided to fold on NK, rather than face a trade war with the US. Bigger money at play in US v China, but security benefits in China v NK.

From that perspective, is this a bigger win than facing down China over IP? Or are we better off letting that go, and China tamping down fat boy?

If this holds true, Trump just got a Yuge win, he did something that no other president has been able to do... put the screws to China and force them to put the screws to NK...

Trump right now has a lot more cache than Obama did dealing with Iran... and that part right now with the IP isn't over, the reason this happened was because of the deals originally made by the Democrats and other party members. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out.