North Korea bombed South Korea just now : Othor Games

» Thu Nov 18, 2010 1:54 am

Tac-nukes might get deployed?

Then [censored] just might get real. Think about it. It might escalate if N.K. has any allies that could strike at the US, or even just cause trouble. I know they've got alliances with Venezuela they might be able to pull out. Hell, even China, if it gets bad enough, and then we're screwed.

Well, gentlemen and ladies, if I don't get a chance to say this later, it was nice knowing you all. Here's hoping we at least get to the holidays without getting blasted to cinders.

» Thu Nov 18, 2010 2:40 am

Wow. People in Korea are being killed by unprovoked attacks from their neighbors, and the first thing that comes to the OP's mind is a StarCraft joke?

This guy has my kind of sense of humor :tops:

I hope people are still laughing when WWIII happens.

You know what would be hilarious, China allies w/ North Korea and the U.S. allies w/ South Korea.

Funny, right? :mellow:

» Thu Nov 18, 2010 11:27 am

Tac-nukes might get deployed?

Then [censored] just might get real.

Well, gentlemen and ladies, if I don't get a chance to say this later, it was nice knowing you all. Here's hoping we at least get to the holidays without getting blasted to cinders.

:whisper: it's called sabre rattling...and a taboo word.

» Wed Nov 17, 2010 10:36 pm

I'm familiar with saber rattling, but how many times can you fire at a peaceful neighbor who's friends with a nuclear superpower until cries for blood get too loud to be ignored?

As is, I still doubt we'll all die in a cloud of nuclear hellfire, but it's still worrisome.

» Thu Nov 18, 2010 9:26 am

I hope this is just another border skirmish.

But you never know...

I'm not some war anxious person, but I really hope that North Korea is dealt with. Is that by peacefully means or by force.

» Wed Nov 17, 2010 9:33 pm

Oh dear, that is not good. Let us all hope that cool heads prevail and a peaceful resolution can be reached.

» Thu Nov 18, 2010 8:18 am

South Korea Vows ‘Enormous Retaliation’ After North’s Deadly Island Bombardment
SEOUL, South Korea -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, who convened an emergency security meeting shortly after the bombardment by North Korea, said that an "indiscriminate attack on civilians can never be tolerated."

"Enormous retaliation should be made to the extent that (North Korea) cannot make provocations again," he said.

South Korea said it returned fire and scrambled fighter jets in response, and said the "inhumane" attack on civilian areas violated the 1953 armistice halting the Korean War. The two sides technically remain at war because a peace treaty was never negotiated

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/11/23/skorea-nkorea-fires-artillery-island/

Wow. That quote direct from the SK president does imply open war, surely?

» Wed Nov 17, 2010 7:20 pm

I hope people are still laughing when WWIII happens.

You know what would be hilarious, China allies w/ North Korea and the U.S. allies w/ South Korea.

Funny, right? :mellow:

But that's the point, China would never ally with North Korea in some mad crusade against the world (but mainly against South Korea, Japan and USA of course). And since N.K. knows as much they're just testing the waters (though it's a horrible way to do it =/) . There might be follow-ups, but that if anything will probably just show North Korea where the line goes.

Or KJI is going mad while dying, let's hope not :sadvaultboy:

» Thu Nov 18, 2010 3:56 am

Lets calm down people. China will not enter in a nuclear war. If NK by some crazy twist decides to fire nukes, it may do a fair damage, but it will not cause any kind of global nuclear holocaust. China has far too much to lose by firing nukes at the US. Will it be pissed if Pyongyang becomes a crater? Sure. But will it fire nukes at D.C.? Not a chance. Sorry, anyone who thinks this will lead to the end of the world/world war 3 is living in fantasy land. NK will never fire nukes, because it will become a hole in the ground, and what will that achieve?

» Thu Nov 18, 2010 4:26 am

:whisper: it's called sabre rattling...and a taboo word.

Sabre rattling near one of the heaviest militarized borders between a reclusive, possible nuclear power and their U.S. friendly neighbor can lead to very bad things.

Oh and rattling your sabre would be deploying forces as a show of power.

Actually shelling an island w/ casualties would be using your saber.

But yes, I think (hope) NK is just "sabre rattling." Since they can't keep there power on at night or properly care for its citizen, it makes me wonder if NK is actually the military power it claims to be. Depends on the state of that nuke program i guess.

» Thu Nov 18, 2010 8:49 am

Yea, I do find it funny alot of this thread has been jokes. I know politics are put aside, but I wouldn't be making FO jokes about this.

» Thu Nov 18, 2010 4:02 am

I don't think it's a very cut and dried case here. When South Korea announced they were going to be drilling miles off the North Korean coast in disputed waters, NK asked them not to use live rounds, a request which was ignored. Now, the SK's were firing away from North Korea, but I think I'd be perturbed too, if say, China or Russia was miles off the coast of Florida firing off live rounds. Which is not to condone NK's response, but I'm just saying, South Korea shouldn't be poking a sleeping dragon. If North Korea retaliated with their nuclear arsenal they could flatten Seoul.

» Thu Nov 18, 2010 2:05 am

NK definitely has to watch their step. They're small and could easily be ignored by what they might see as potential allies. They've got to be careful if they want to end up as anything more than a smoking crater in the ground at the end of all of this.

Edit: But the same goes for South Korea, if North Korea for any reason decided to use their nuclear arsenal (although, that would be the quickest way to end up a smoking crater).

» Thu Nov 18, 2010 6:37 am

Meh. North Korea is just posturing again. Maybe there will be a new wave of sanctions, but big whoop, no big deal, and all that. North Korea is just being same old same old.

» Wed Nov 17, 2010 8:17 pm

Lets calm down people. China will not enter in a nuclear war. If NK by some crazy twist decides to fire nukes, it may do a fair damage, but it will not cause any kind of global nuclear holocaust. China has far too much to lose by firing nukes at the US. Will it be pissed if Pyongyang becomes a crater? Sure. But will it fire nukes at D.C.? Not a chance. Sorry, anyone who thinks this will lead to the end of the world/world war 3 is living in fantasy land. NK will never fire nukes, because it will become a hole in the ground, and what will that achieve?

I mostly agree with you on the points of why would any country really back crazy ass NK.

As far as what does NK have to gain? Why many could speculate NK has nothing to gain, the NK culture and ideology is quite different than our country and many other countries who have not closed themselves off to the international community for the approx past 50 yrs.

I predict and hope "cooler heads will prevail."

As far as living in a fantasy land when I say this could be the start of WWIII, hey that may be.

Then again, I'm sure when WWI started people said " A world war? That's just crazy. Cooler heads and diplomacy will prevail."

The world is a crazy place.

» Thu Nov 18, 2010 8:03 am

Then again, I'm sure when WWI started people said " A world war? That's just crazy. Cooler heads and diplomacy will prevail."

The world is a crazy place.

WWI is hardly a comparable situation to the Korean theater.

» Thu Nov 18, 2010 3:52 am

Then again, I'm sure when WWI started people said " A world war? That's just crazy. Cooler heads and diplomacy will prevail."

The world is a crazy place.

Actually, people were more like "Bring on the fight! Who's better than us?!" in those days.

"We'll be home before christmas!"

» Thu Nov 18, 2010 4:07 am

WWI is hardly a comparable situation to the Korean theater.

Britain's involvement in World War I came about by a promise to protect Belgium. There's a similar relationship between South Korea and the U.S.

The point is, it's totally possible things can escalate. Watching rolling news on the BBC now, all sources indicate this is a precarious situation.

There's cool-headedness, there's healthy skepticism, then there's just the sort of complacency that says "not in my lifetime".

» Thu Nov 18, 2010 4:03 am

Britain's involvement in World War I came about by a promise to protect Belgium. There's a similar relationship between South Korea and the U.S

Belgium was not a prime actor in the conflict, and did not have the means to escalate. WWI was a result of the increasingly powder-keg like nature of the relationships between the Imperial powers and their military alliances.

South Korea, unlike Belgium, is one of the prime actors in this conflict. Belgium's decisions in WWI didn't matter, South Korea is the one that chooses to escalate. Hardly comparable. Also, while neither China nor America would like to lose their respective allies, Their not dumb enough to escalate the conflict beyond Korea.

» Thu Nov 18, 2010 7:21 am

I say we just deal with NK. They've been stepping over the line for ages now and is the limit. Let's make sure they never step out of line again.

» Thu Nov 18, 2010 9:19 am

I say we just deal with NK. They've been stepping over the line for ages now and is the limit. Let's make sure they never step out of line again.

You don't "deal" with a nuclear armed country. You plead.

» Wed Nov 17, 2010 8:55 pm

I hope people are still laughing when WWIII happens.

You know what would be hilarious, China allies w/ North Korea and the U.S. allies w/ South Korea.

Funny, right? :mellow:

Not to ruin your post, but hat war will never happen. Chna and America will never fight. You see, the chinese like living, and dont like it when atomic bombs destroy everything and turn the environment into an irradiated hell, strangely enough Americans also hate it when that happens. There will be no war because they know damn well everyone will die, and people like living. 2 nuclear countries wont go into a fullscale war because they will both be destroyed. The only person who would be that bat[censored] insane would be hitler, and china and jong il arent that insane.

» Wed Nov 17, 2010 10:49 pm

Meh. North Korea is just posturing again. Maybe there will be a new wave of sanctions, but big whoop, no big deal, and all that. North Korea is just being same old same old.

The current situation in East Asia would even suggest that China would react before the West could do anything, and smack the PRK until they behave better. Sitting in the middle between a big ally of the remaining global super power, and an upstart one is just not the best place to start a war. And unless propaganda has even the leadership blinded, they really know not to start anything big. As I said, just that kid bullying because food at home is bad. Or in this case non-existent.

» Thu Nov 18, 2010 1:58 am

The current situation in East Asia would even suggest that China would react before the West could do anything, and smack the PRK until they behave better. Sitting in the middle between a big ally of the remaining global super power, and an upstart one is just not the best place to start a war. And unless propaganda has even the leadership blinded, they really know not to start anything big. As I said, just that kid bullying because food at home is bad. Or in this case non-existent.

Agreed. This is all a case of nothing to worry about. Just China being annoyed about NK's lack of tact, America getting sanctiony, and SK pouting.

» Thu Nov 18, 2010 1:44 am

Belgium was not a prime actor in the conflict, and did not have the means to escalate. WWI was a result of the increasingly powder-keg like nature of the relationships between the Imperial powers and their military alliances.

South Korea, unlike Belgium, is one of the prime actors in this conflict. Belgium's decisions in WWI didn't matter, South Korea is the one that chooses to escalate. Hardly comparable. Also, while neither China nor America would like to lose their respective allies, Their not dumb enough to escalate the conflict beyond Korea.

But you have to place North Korea and South Korea in the proper global context. Neither are especially prime actors in that sense, but they are allies of greater powers. You also have to factor in the impact of nuclear armement on global tensions. Then there's the economic and energy interests of the likes of Russia, South America (Brazil, Venezuela), India, Middle-East (Iran, Saudi Arabia) and of course China. Korea could be a prelude or a catalyst.