Seoul, South Korea (CNN) -- North Korea said Thursday that it plans to carry out a new nuclear test and further long-range rocket launches, all of which it said are a part of a new phase of confrontation with the United States.
The North's National Defense Commission said the moves would feed into an "upcoming all-out action" that would target the United States, "the sworn enemy of the Korean people."
Well that's cute.
Seriously though, what exactly motivates a tiny little, hateful nation to keep up such a grudge? Does it keep the military happy? I don't assume the general public has much care over whether or not the government is making sure 'those Americans are shaking in their boots' when they don't have running water.
Its not as if it could possibly be a cocky, sort of militaristic statement either; since there wouldn't be much to be cocky about if nuclear war ever broke out; much less survivors to be militaristic. It just seems peculiar to me, even psychologically interesting that any country would say it has a policy where (Even in the best outcome) they are destroyed, especially when there is absolutely no reason that it needs to (Or will) happen.
I can only imagine Barack Obama facepalms every time he receives a message from the North, since they all seem to have about the intelligence of a drunk-dial.
North Korea has pretty much been operating a wartime economy since the Korean War, known officially as 'Songun', or 'military-first policy'. It's one of the main reasons for the poverty faced by NK citizens.
No doubt they have to justify that by making the United States and its allies out to be a grave threat to their security (much like America seems to need an enemy to rally against all the time, although America usually manages to beat their enemies eventually). I sometimes wonder if they believe themselves to be continuing the work of the Soviet Union now that it has collapsed and China has become more capitalist than communist.
North Korea is like the demented kid in the corner of the playground who thinks he's a super hero, but nobody pays any attention to.
I wouldn't underestimate NK. They basically have the US and SK by the balls. Their glorious leader can either attempt economic reforms, which would be very difficult and a fast way to kill his regime as well as risky with regard to other stakeholders like the military. Or he can continue blackmailing the world like his father and grand-father did.
Not much anyone can do about it. China has made it abundantly clear that they will tolerate NK no matter what because China doesn't want to deal with the chaos that a conflict or collapse of NK would lead to among their borders. The US can't do anything without China's permission and even if you they could there'd be the problem that NK is able to deal immense damage to the South, even without nuclear weapons. Not to mention that the US can't afford another conflict when they might have to deal with Iran soon.
South Korea will even tolerate outright acts of war such as the sinking of one of their ships, so they are also unlikely to do more than write some protest notes.
Meanwhile North Korea will improve its nuclear arsenal and missile capabilities, which makes it even less likely that anyone will mess with them in the future and also might present a big problem when that state eventually falls apart.
A cancerous on the face of the earth? You can't operate it and you can't cure it.
Its strange no other country [e.g. Iran ] has tried to manipulate the NK issue for political propaganda and sorts. Or is it that they are unable to?
It is also quite interesting that NK is advancing its nuclear arsenal so steadily. Are there only NK scientists and technology behind all this? Or other nations might be aiding them to add political pressure on America?
Its all a Chequer-board of Nights and Days
Where Destiny with Men for Pieces plays
Hither and thither moves, and mates, and slays
And one by one back in the Closet lays
It's a strange duality in a way. America justifies the expenditure on its fleet with the Chinese threat to Taiwan. NK justifies its wartime economy with the American threat.... China helps NK.
What does China gain from a threat to America? Or, is China just paralysed because it can't be seen to be giving in to Imperialist pressure, having built its internal politics - the party's raison d'ętre - on the concept of the great disgrace and a response to that?
If so, and given that the efficiency promises of a centrally planned economy in the Soviet Union never really materialised, how long will China's national ideology last in this regard considering China's increasing trend towards capitalism based on the use of Western consumer markets?
"Slippery slopes can be fun - kind of like a water slide."
- Larry, Burn Notice
I wouldn't underestimate NK. They basically have the US and SK by the balls. Their glorious leader can either attempt economic reforms, which would be very difficult and a fast way to kill his regime as well as risky with regard to other stakeholders like the military. Or he can continue blackmailing the world like his father and grand-father did.
Not much anyone can do about it. China has made it abundantly clear that they will tolerate NK no matter what because China doesn't want to deal with the chaos that a conflict or collapse of NK would lead to among their borders. The US can't do anything without China's permission and even if you they could there'd be the problem that NK is able to deal immense damage to the South, even without nuclear weapons. Not to mention that the US can't afford another conflict when they might have to deal with Iran soon.
South Korea will even tolerate outright acts of war such as the sinking of one of their ships, so they are also unlikely to do more than write some protest notes.
Meanwhile North Korea will improve its nuclear arsenal and missile capabilities, which makes it even less likely that anyone will mess with them in the future and also might present a big problem when that state eventually falls apart.
Just goes to show that first world countries can't bully everyone in their paths. Might have 'worked' (I use that term loosely) with Iraq, but it won't work with North Korea.
It'll be very interesting to see what North Korea does when its nukes are ready. Will they blow up the world like western media wants you to think, or will they remain quiet like they are now?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Asheekay
A cancerous on the face of the earth? You can't operate it and you can't cure it.
Not our job.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Asheekay
Its strange no other country [e.g. Iran ] has tried to manipulate the NK issue for political propaganda and sorts. Or is it that they are unable to?
Propaganda is often subtle, chances are we won't see anything unless we are in the country, it is a very cut-off place after all.
This post is probably full of absurdly controversial stuff, try not to take it too seriously.
It'll be very interesting to see what North Korea does when its nukes are ready. Will they blow up the world like western media wants you to think, or will they remain quiet like they are now?
Remaining quiet hasn't been NK's style for some time now. They like to remain in the headlines so long as they can blackmail the South and other into feeding the North's people, or simply to get people to pay attention to them. Just when you think you've stopped hearing a story about North Korea, they're conducting a missile test or something. I think the answer is somewhere in the middle of setting the world on fire and staying quiet, in that they'll just continue with whatever it is they do right now while adding the threat of nuclear war added to their rhetoric.
"Do you want to know the terrifying truth, or do you want to see me sock a few dingers?" - Mark McGwire
I didn't realize that announcing that you are attempting to gear up nuclear weapons in 'a new era of confrontation' was quiet. I'll be in the fallout shelter when the whisperings start.
It is also quite interesting that NK is advancing its nuclear arsenal so steadily. Are there only NK scientists and technology behind all this? Or other nations might be aiding them to add political pressure on America?
If they were getting help currently they would have a working bomb rather than 2 "fizzles". Most experts believe they got help from A Q Khan in setting up their enrichment program. Given the number and power of countries who don't want North Korea to have nukes, any assistance could be discovered through their surveillance networks. North Korean technology is a joke. Japan and South Korea could have a working nuclear device in a year or less. I would not be surprised if either country withdrew from the NPT given a successful NK test.
There's a lot of simplification when NK comes up, or just twisting exactly what the NK leaders said. AFAIK this is a repetition of North Korea's justification for having nuclear weapons in the first place, being that they are using them to defend their country against United States aggression.
NK tries to present this as a case of defense. They grandstand that any invasion will hurt the invader more than it does to them. I do not think people should take their words at face value, propaganda can reach odd levels. The Minister of Information in Iraq was often parodied for a broadcast he did towards the end of the Iraq invasion, claiming that they had kept the Americans from invading Baghdad and were pushing them out of Iraq, all while the city was being bombed.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Matt
I sometimes wonder if they believe themselves to be continuing the work of the Soviet Union now that it has collapsed and China has become more capitalist than communist.
The North Korean government isn't really emulating the Soviet Union or old China at this point. The Soviet Union gave North Korea a lot of aid but ideologically it was viewed as unreliable and nutty, much like their feelings towards Romania. Nowadays there is little reference to Marx or Lenin, most of it revolves around Kim Il-Sung and his brilliance.
The Soviets were much more active in foreign policy too. For all the chauvinistic positions of North Korea, it is not very active in trade with other countries or supporting rebel movements. It's very inward looking, at some point in the mid 70s they even became aloof from the Soviet Union because Kim Il-Sung was paranoid they'd exert the level of control on their country like there was in Warsaw Pact countries.
All of North Korea's propaganda is about Korean nationalism and its "persecuted" position in Asia, historically and currently. It lacks a lot of the Soviet noise on socialism, workers, anti-Imperialism, and the usual tenets they'd go on about.
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North Korea, Missile Tests and Death Wishes 
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