Mattis: N Korean threat would bring massive military response

Walmart, Costco and Target would all be empty.

Thats fine. So be it.

So North Korea detonates a nuclear device, and Trump responds by scolding South Korea. He's brilliant ! Bet the North Koreans never saw that coming. So much winning !

CrazyJoe- Trump is correct and your defence of failed appeasement is shocking.

Cowardly appeasement is what allowed Hitler to rise to power and destroy Europe.

8TToday  07:14 am JST

Thats fine. So be it.

No, it's not. I don't think you appreciate how deeply entwined the Chinese and US economies are. It's all well and good to say we're going to separate, but actually doing it?

Think about how many billions of little plastic knick-nacks and doo-dads are manufactured in China every day. Don't even worry about the complicated electronics, just the simple injection-molded plastic parts. We stop doing business with China, someone else has to make all those things for us. And no one else in the world has that kind of capacity. There aren't even factories built that can take over the work. So we're talking what, at least a year to transition to a state where we don't need China for our economy to even function.

Now, maybe that's a plan we could follow and maybe it's the right plan to take. You could make a case for it. But if that's what we need to be doing, the President should have laid out a course for this months ago and he should have been getting the process going, not antagonizing Americans of color by pardoning criminal bigots and blaming innocent protesters for their own murder. Once again, the problem with Trump is that he doesn't think anything through, he just issues off-the-cuff decrees that feel tough and then leaves them for someone else to sort out.

The whole world is being held hostage by two 5 year olds.

President Xi Jinping and Russian leader Vladimir Putin, meeting on the sidelines of a Beijing-led economic summit, agreed "to adhere to the goal of the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, have close communication and coordination and properly respond" to the test.

Xi & Putin + Trump & Kim. Scary people, scary times.

'Mattis: N Korean threat would bring massive military response'

Up until now North Korea has issued many threats and the US has invaded and murdered hundreds of thousands searching for WMDs and in the name of regime change.

North Korea has been bombed and spied on by the US so the leaders of North Korea have done everything possible to prevent US aggression.

Mattis is correct that North Korea is a threat but the US will not act on that threat since the US would also suffer casualties and that is what the concept of MAD is all about....

The cold war was lucrative. The military industrial complex wants it's pound of flesh!!

No, it's not. I don't think you appreciate how deeply entwined the Chinese and US economies are. It's all well and good to say we're going to separate, but actually doing it?

The North Korean leadership would be gone so quickly it wouldn't last long, but hurt a lot of American companies in the meantime which is probably why Trump didn't put it in effect months ago.

Cowardly appeasement is what allowed Hitler to rise to power and destroy Europe.

1) The situation with NK is incomparable to Nazi Germany.

2) Threatening to end the SK trade deal sounds a lot like appeasement to me.

Burning BushToday  07:02 am JST

 halting "all trade" with any country that does business with North Korea.

ROFL

The US would face total socio-economic collapse if imports from China halted.

Walmart, Costco and Target would all be empty.

ROFL...you think the biggest economy in the world relies on bargain priced retailers?

All rhetorical tough talk.  There will be no massive military response, not with Russia and China watching closely.

After the tough talk is done and the "crisis" dies down, the UN, U.S. and Japan will quietly go about figuring out how to approach North Korea with peace talk negotiations to end the 60 year standoff, withdraw U.S. military and Unification negotiations without looking like they "surrendered or appeased" to North Korean demands. 

And I wouldn't be surprised if Abe brokers this deal and come out with a Nobel Peace Prize.

This is the game North Korea is playing:  Make enough threats and demonstrations of military power to force UN and U.S. to meet with Kim and begin "peace talks" and Korean Unification.  If they aren't agreeable to unification under North Korean terms and conditions, more nuclear and missile threats, etc., ad nauseum.

I completely disagree with the US losing China as a trading partner is the real threat. Believe me, there are plenty of small countries willing to exploit their labor forces to pick up the slack and manufacture junk.

I still believe the biggest and only real threat is you can't attack NK or even attempt to assassinate Kim without getting Seoul wiped out, and possibly Japan.

There's simply no conceivable away of launching anything at NK to completely neutralize them, no matter how many of something or how strong of something it is. Unless you make a massive bubble and put NK in it, you can't stop them from launching hundreds of missiles pointed at SK or Japan.

When Trump says All Options are on the Table, I have to take it with a grain of salt. But when Mattis says so I have to believe him.

Mona Lisa RocketlauncherToday  08:02 am JST

There's simply no conceivable away of launching anything at NK to completely neutralize them, no matter how many of something or how strong of something it is. Unless you make a massive bubble and put NK in it, you can't stop them from launching hundreds of missiles pointed at SK or Japan.

Maybe yes. Maybe not.

https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/us-air-force-confirms-boeings-electromagnetic-pulse-weapon/

@ OssanAmerica: Maybe yes. Maybe not.

https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/us-air-force-confirms-boeings-electromagnetic-pulse-weapon/

I want better than a "maybe" if we're starting a nuclear war with unproven tech.

Cowardly appeasement is what allowed Hitler to rise to power and destroy Europe.

1) The situation with NK is incomparable to Nazi Germany. 

2) Threatening to end the SK trade deal sounds a lot like appeasement to me.

How?

Takeda.shingen - do you understand that Trump hasn't threatened to end a SK trade deal? Are you confusing that with China? Do you understand that that would be the opposite of appeasement?

Do you even know what appeasement means??

Mona Lisa RocketlauncherToday  08:19 am JST

@ OssanAmerica: Maybe yes. Maybe not.

https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/us-air-force-confirms-boeings-electromagnetic-pulse-weapon/

I want better than a "maybe" if we're starting a nuclear war with unproven tech.

Whether proven or unproven would be classified. Too many armchair generals and armchair diplomats here.

Cowardly appeasement is what allowed Hitler to rise to power and destroy Europe.

1) The situation with NK is incomparable to Nazi Germany. 

> How?

1)Nazi Germany had the most powerful army in the world at the time. North Korea has outdated equipment to face South Korean and US armies.

2)The first goal of North Korea's regime is its survival. Not conquest, not genocide. If North Korea starts a war, even with intervention from China or Russia, they are finished and they know it.

North Korea can be compared to any dictatorship, sure. But in term of geopolitics, not really.

 do you understand that Trump hasn't threatened to end a SK trade deal?

Trade pact, whatever. Pretty poor timing to threaten to cancel a trade pact with SK.

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/09/03/us/trump-north-south-korea-nuclear.html

And I wouldn't be surprised if Abe brokers this deal and come out with a Nobel Peace Prize

usually you have to start wars to get a nobel peace prize. opps, forgot the Article 9 efforts of our dear leader.

If you're gonna do it, then do it now.

Remove our military and start evacuating Seoul. Drop 5 MOAB's on N Korea. Game over.

The Army, Navy and Air Force must be cringing seeing two U.S. Marines at the top of the military.

I like the idea of cutting off trade to countries (meaning China) that do business with NK. Not realistic though. It would be economic suicide for the U.S. Plus, China would treat it as an act of war.

Still, it would be interesting to see Americans function without Chinese made products. The common consumer there has no clue as to the % of products made in China.

@otherworldly

How do you evacuate a city of 10 millions ?

2.What about North Korea's civilians ?

How do you avoid starting World War 3 ?

Trade pact, whatever. Pretty poor timing to threaten to cancel a trade pact with SK

takedashingen- Trumps trade issues with SK and his issues with their soft position on NK behaviour are two seperate issues.

And you still haven't shown your understanding of what "appeasement" actually means.

Google "Neville Chamberlain and Munich."

that should help you begin to get a grasp on things.

Otherworldly- in addition to lucabrasi's points, what about the millions of refugees your little plan creates?

(Didn't really think that through, did you)

Lets not forget NK is provoking war NOT the U.S. ! America doesn't like to start wars, they finish them.

Still, it would be interesting to see Americans function without Chinese made products.

Totally possible. In the long run the U.S. could last longer without Chinese products. China needs the U.S. a lot more than the U.S. needs China.

Bet Korean problem solved, at least temporarily, in days of first ship turned back or cargo embargoed or seized.

http://www.businessinsider.com/steve-mnuchin-north-korea-sanctions-hydrogen-bomb-2017-9

Trump's comments came several hours after US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin called for an additional round of sanctions on North Korea on Sunday following the test of the country's most powerful weapon yet. 

In an interview on "Fox News Sunday," Mnuchin said North Korea's test of what it claims was a hydrogen bomb was "completely unacceptable behavior."

"We've already started with sanctions against North Korea, but I'm going to draft a sanctions package to send to the president for his strong consideration," Mnuchin said.

He added: "People need to cut off North Korea economically."

Mnuchin also did not rule out implementing stronger regulations on Chinese companies and financial institutions that regularly interact with North Korea.

"China has a lot of trade with them, there's a lot that we can do to cut them off economically, much more than we've done already," Mnuchin said.

China is both part of the problem and part of the solution. If China will agree to sealing up N. Korea tighter than a drum, then the UN should start to immediately begin setting up refugee camps and centers along China's border with N. Korea. Reports claim that millions of N. Koreans will flee from N. Korea under severe pressure of sanctions, that means there will be fewer N. Koreans to deal with should push come to shove. How large is N. Korea's population? Less than 20 million people give or take, so if 5 million N. Koreans were to flee then that would mean a quarter of its population. Maybe that's more of a plus than a minus if handled appropriately and humanely.

Seal up N. Korea tighter than a drum, set up UN refugee camps along the China-N. Korea border, apply sharp pressure through sanctions and hold on to your seats. It's important that the UN must commit completely beforehand so that China does not feel as though they're in the sole position of shouldering the burden.

Trumps trade issues with SK and his issues with their soft position on NK behaviour are two seperate issues.

Precisely why it was a stupid move. The problem right now is North Korea, not South Korea.

Precisely why it was a stupid move. The problem right now is North Korea, not South Korea.

there was no move. Trumps issues with South Korean trade came before the NK test and not out of it.

You jumped to an incorrect conclusion

Trumps issues with South Korean trade came before the NK test and not out of it.

And then brought it up again yesterday. That was stupid. Just like I said in my first post.

Whatever problem he had with SK, he should have tabled it rather than having a go at NK.

Whatever problem he had with SK, he should have tabled it rather than having a go at NK.

Again, his criticism of SK concerning the nuclear test was limited to their appeasing NK. You are the only one linking the 2.

Biggest difference I see now in WWII all of Europe was the front, Sicily invasion was tougher than D-Day.

Now NK is one nation surrounded by friendlies hence a different response is needed.

You are the only one linking the 2.

Nope, reread the comments here.

Or, read the news. Here:

"Trump Mulls Pulling Out of Trade Pact with South Korea"

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/03/trump-mulls-pulling-out-of-trade-pact-with-south-korea-.html

"Trump Prepares to Scrap US Trade Deal with Russia"

http://dailycaller.com/2017/09/03/trump-prepares-to-scrap-us-trade-deal-with-south-korea/

"Trump’s tweets include jab at ally South Korea"

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trumps-tweets-include-jab-at-ally-south-korea/2017/09/03/5bad6670-90c4-11e7-89fa-bb822a46da5b_story.html?utm_term=.57ef3e5de9d8

So North Korea detonates a nuclear device, and Trump responds by scolding South Korea. He's brilliant ! Bet the North Koreans never saw that coming. So much winning !

He's right, even good friends need a buddy and in your face talk. At least he's honest. Good on him.

Takeda shingen - yup. All "jabs" were criticism of SK being soft on NK. Appeasement. Not trade

You really ought to read your own links...

Months ago Trump said North Korea is aproblem and the problem will be dealt with.

This is interesting:   John Bolton: North Korean Hydrogen Bomb on ICBM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6QY6VfF3X0

I really can't say I have a solution to this problem other than finding ways to put pressure on China.