Running North Korea freakout thread

Again, something like moral authority isn't in play here. Even if Kim wasn't a lunatic.

 

If any of you guys are looking for work, maybe Kim's regime could use some propagandists with writing/design skills.

 

That seems weird to me.

 

Yeah, I know.

 

I can't tell you how much I enjoy engaging you in conversations like this. Equal parts entertaining and enlightening.

 

Maybe he'll send for Dana Loesch. She'll say anything for money.

 

Just saying I realize our different viewpoints. Not gonna try too hard to change your mind on this particular subject.

 

I'm absolutely fine with taking moral authority out of it.

The simple fact of the matter is that the U.S. almost certainly can't win this engagement either diplomatically or militarily.

Diplomatically, what deal is there to be had? They don't trust the United States (rightfully so) and they don't care about anything other than their own power (wrongfully so). The only thing you can offer them is the promise you won't push for regime change, but that promise has been broken before and they already believe they have the trump card that will prevent you from seeking regime change.

Militarily, you probably can't win this fight, and the United States is not going to start a war they probably can't win. The only way to strip North Korea of nuclear weapons is a full ground invasion aimed at regime change. That's a logistical nightmare. The only way to do it is to amass troops in South Korea, with people and vehicles piling up in a small number of ports. North Korea can end the war immediately with a single tactical nuclear strike on one of those ports. (They wouldn't dare, you say? First, if you think they wouldn't dare, then why do we care if they have nukes? Second, why not, they only care about staying in power and they have nothing to lose at that point. They have already enslaved and impoverished their own people, do they really care if we level a few cities in retaliatory strikes?).

And looming over all of this is China. Do you want a land war with goddamned *China* on their own continent? Of course not. So you have to limit your engagement every step of the way to make sure you don't overstep their comfort level with American military involvement on their doorstep. An invasion on this scale hamstrung by limited scope in an attempt to keep a regional superpower from jumping in? How many times do we have to lose that particular war before we realize we can't win it (although I suspect our generals know this).

The only thing you can do is what we've always done. Work around the edges to try to limit them. I'm 80% sure that the people advising and planning for Trump know this and am 50/50 on whether Trump knows this himself and thinks he's just playing some brilliant bluffing game to make himself look good.

 

That's fine. But I will say, with all due modesty, that I am one of the board members whose mind can be changed about plenty of things.

 

Soccer is so boring.

 

Who's a good guy?

 

I am.