A&Q about Lotus
Q:
Oh crap . There goes the neighborhood.
SEOUL, South Korea - North Korea said Monday it had performed its first-ever nuclear weapons test, setting off an underground blast in defiance of international warnings and intense diplomatic activity aimed at heading off such a move.
The North Korean statement said there was no radioactive leakage from the test site.
An official at South Korea’s seismic monitoring center confirmed a magnitude-3.6 tremor felt at the time North Korea said it conducted the test was not a natural occurrence. The official spoke to The Associated Press on condition his name not be used, because he was not authorized to talk about the sensitive information to the media.
A:
How 'bout we just send them George W, Dick Cheney, and Donald Rumsfeld in exchange for not doing that anymore.
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Originally Posted by Spudboy
How 'bout we just send them George W, Dick Cheney, and Donald Rumsfeld in exchange for not doing that anymore.
Why do that? Just send their head of state hunting with Cheney!
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N.K. caught our government with its pants down. No-one is in to mind the store. This is like riding on a tire that is underinflated. Not a good time to take a fast corner with a heavy load.
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Doesn't that actually prove they have WMD. Let's get them!!!!!
Oh wait there's no oil in that area. Never mind, my bad.
Jacob
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Let's get em? I think it's time we start trying to make friends with them because they might actually be able to hurt us now, and even if they arn't capable of nuking us from across the pacific, the city of Seoul in South Korea has 13 million people living in it, you really wanna play chess with that?
Pretty much a bad situation all the way around, but of course the average American doesn't really care about Korea, we have no real reason to... sucky situation if you ask me
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I was actually being facetious before. BUT, it seems ... well, spineless to me that we'd want to be friends with them now, only because they are more powerful and "could hurt us". Are you saying it's OK to bully countries that don't have the capacity to hurt us. And then try to make nice once they can?
Jacob
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North Korea is finished now. China will probably desert them and they will have no more fuel, food etc.
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An Underground detonation...(perhaps the first of several) under their own soil?
If so...Hmmmn...Darwin still rocks.
m
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Originally Posted by thegit
An Underground detonation...(perhaps the first of several) under their own soil?
If so...Hmmmn...Darwin still rocks.
m
Where do you think we tested ours?
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Originally Posted by knucklehead
I was actually being facetious before. BUT, it seems ... well, spineless to me that we'd want to be friends with them now
My 2 cents...
There's no reason we shouldn't be friends with everyone. I think it's a good thing that we have a strong "enemy" again. Ever since the fall of the USSR, America has become a cocky SOB of a country, throwing its weight around like a schoolyard bully. Maybe this will teach the powers that be to play nicely...
... or considering who "the powers that be" are, maybe it'll mean WW3.
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Originally Posted by thegit
An Underground detonation...(perhaps the first of several) under their own soil?
If so...Hmmmn...Darwin still rocks.
m
If that's the case, then Nevada shouldn't exist at all. There were hundreds of above the ground and underground tests in NV, as recently as the 90's...
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Originally Posted by NMRJock
Where do you think we tested ours?
Problem is... Countries like US, have thousands upon thousands square miles of unpopulated desert. While korea is tiny and this kind of tests will definately have long term effects.
When we tested our weapons in syberia, no-one even knew about it... Its like a light year away from anything
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Originally Posted by pilot
The North Korean statement said there was no radioactive leakage from the test site.
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Umm..... There NEVER is !!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Originally Posted by Val
Problem is... Countries like US, have thousands upon thousands square miles of unpopulated desert. While korea is tiny and this kind of tests will definately have long term effects.
When we tested our weapons in syberia, no-one even knew about it... Its like a light year away from anything
Val, the difference then (Cold War) was that the leaders (and citizens) of countries could be REASONABLY relied upon to have such weapons as a deterrent. Russia and China have had nukes for a long time and did it really bother us that much? Some, yes, but with North Korea, a rougue nation, the equivalent of a neighborhood thug, it is a different scenario. That is key to understanding the situation. They might not USE a nuclear weapon, but it seems very likely that they would SELL one. (It is also more likely that they ("they" being the government) would actually use one because they have fewer choices.) Their inability to feed and otherwise provide for themselves is what makes me say that. I think what this does (North Korea now having this ability) is put pressure on China to support them even MORE when what should really happen, what would be best for not only North Koreans (not talking about the "regime") but for the rest of the world, would be for North Korea to cease to exist as an independent country. What the North Korean government wants is money/aid from China and elsewhere. That's what they want, but they should not get it. It is obvious what game they are playing.
What should the US do in response? Keep working on missile defense... a good idea anyway. NOT reward North Korea in any way. I would not be happy about a single dime going to that country from this point on... not for humanitarian aid, not for anything. Urge China to take responsibility for their "problem child" and do something about it... issue an ultimatum. Stop, dismantle, open to inspections or face the consequences... starvation. It is CHINA's responsibility and they are the only ones who can issue an ultimatum with any "teeth" (because we will not do the unthinkable and use force, at least I don't think so... could be wrong). If China does not do this, there will be a global consequence: the world will be less safe. You would think that they would take this just as seriously as we do. I'm not convinced they do. So part of our responsibility (all other countries in fact) is to help China see the light and do the right thing. It doesn't have to be any kind of threat to China, either. Diplomacy. Take responsibility. They have the power to do it and the failure to do would be the same as China itself arming North Korea.
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Let Japan develop and enhance its Nuclear Missile program. That would certainly get China's attention.
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Originally Posted by pilot
N.K. caught our government with its pants down. No-one is in to mind the store. This is like riding on a tire that is underinflated. Not a good time to take a fast corner with a heavy load.
I disagree. What would you like our government to do? This is a sensitive situation, as it involved The Bomb. Besides, if our government did ANYTHING, we know what the reaction would be. It is clear that whatever this cabinet does will be scrutinized with dazzling 20/20 hindsight by Bush's detractors.
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Originally Posted by cshama
North Korea is finished now. China will probably desert them and they will have no more fuel, food etc.
I agree. They painted themselves into a corner. Unfortunately, nothing is more dangerous than a wounded, hungry animal.
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Originally Posted by Cardinal
I disagree. What would you like our government to do? This is a sensitive situation, as it involved The Bomb. Besides, if our government did ANYTHING, we know what the reaction would be. It is clear that whatever this cabinet does will be scrutinized with dazzling 20/20 hindsight by Bush's detractors.
Calling this country, Iraq, Iran, etc. the axis of evil, then invading Iraq unprovoked. That's what this country did. Also refusing to have discussions unless 1/2 the world was involved.
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Originally Posted by Cardinal
I disagree. What would you like our government to do? This is a sensitive situation, as it involved The Bomb. Besides, if our government did ANYTHING, we know what the reaction would be. It is clear that whatever this cabinet does will be scrutinized with dazzling 20/20 hindsight by Bush's detractors.
I was listening to former Sec of State James Baker yesterday. And he said that the number one question he used to be asked was why the Bush senior administration didn't do anything about Saddam. He says he doesn't get that question anymore. I don't think it really took hindsight to see that this was not a good idea.
Jacob