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Obama labels nuclear-armed N Korea 'grave threat'

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Dangerous gamble, particularly siding with Lee. Of course, NKorea isn't showing any signs of letting up, so perhaps it's finally necessary. So long as no initial steps are taken towards aggression (and by that I mean actual fighting) by the US/SKorea. Of course NK will come up with the usual crap that states even such comments by leaders, and sanctions, are acts of war.

Anyway, I just hope Kim doesn't want to go out 'with a blaze of glory'. NK would lose everything, of course, but some people don't really care one iota about that when they're on the way out themselves.

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NK has nothing to lose and the rich have nothing to gain from NK. =expect continual token harrassment of NK.

Iran has their own money and oil = $$$. They are a target of opportunity.

Threats to search your ships and confiscate cargo are "acts of war."

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Obama better knows who is going to pay the debts for Korean war2 when he talks tough!He will making a bigger tragedy than BUSH if he was so keen on saving america's face!

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Geez! By the time they figure out how to handle the N. Korea situation, N. Korea will have an entire arsenol of nuclear weapons. Not much anyone can really do. The more sanctions imposed will only lead to more hate towards western/developed nations. Basically two extremes 1. Be kind to N. Korea or 2. Be strict with them. Appeasing both sides will be tough.

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At the moment, it would appear that both sides are just going through the motions. Sooner or later, however, North Korea is going to bite off a lot more than it can chew and then S will well and truly hit the fan.

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obama is so wrong on this. He says he "wont meddle" in their affairs? Funny, he meddles with China and Israel, telling them what to do, even telling Japan what to do. So, obama, since you wont meddle, and you said the same thing about Iran, I guess it is OK then to let them have nukes?

I hope S Korea doesnt wait for the UN to do anything. The UN did nothing between Gulf War 1 and 2.

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America is now running by a bunch of liberal lawyers, including Obama. They believe in talking, negotiating, and even appeasement to any crisis. These are the "sophist" who used words to get around without core of principle. It is time for Japan to stop dreaming, and start building a strong nuclear deterrence for peaceful purpose and self defense against any future treats. How about a seat on the permanent security council?

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Geez! By the time they figure out how to handle the N. Korea situation, N. Korea will have an entire arsenol of nuclear weapons. Not much anyone can really do. The more sanctions imposed will only lead to more hate towards western/developed nations.

lol, increasing hate. Heh, very funny. No doubt you would recommend we just surrender then right?

Obama's response is amusing, more then surprising. Sad about the cuts in missle defense too. Seems like definitely a bad time to cut back on the programs. What with NK testing long range missles.

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Its simple, South Korea and Japan ally together and launch a conventional offense against North Korea, forcibily de-arm them and promote democratic change.

War is finally over, everybody can relax a little and focus on the real current threat...Israel...

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Russia and China have to step up here. They have been the North Korean supporters for years. Now they need to step up and settle North Korea themselves.

Bgood41

America is now running by a bunch of liberal lawyers, including Obama. They believe in talking, negotiating, and even appeasement to any crisis. These are the "sophist" who used words to get around without core of principle.

You're real good with your comment. And what would the republicans do if they were in charge? What would you do if you were in charge? < :-)

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With the internatonal attention Kim wanted firmly focused on NK now, what a great time time stage more provocative brinksmanship and call Obama's bluff. Kim may be doing this preemptively to stave off dissent in the ranks of his malnourished army.

Should China tighten the reigns on NK, sanctions and ship searches for weapons may ultimately have the effect at some point of backing NK into a corner and the North's military readiness will be degraded. This could push NK to the point of no return, where they decide to use the military option, or loose it.

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"But belligerent, provocative behavior that threatens neighbors will be met with significant and serious enforcement of sanctions that are in place."

And if that doesn't work, we'll put NK on double secret probation.

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The fist, it is still clenched?

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China and/or Russia needs to convince North Korea that they are moving in the wrong direction. That they need to put down their provacative actions. < :-)

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Molenir, lol, increasing hate. Heh, very funny. No doubt you would recommend we just surrender then right?

What are you talking about? Youve missed the point completely. Of course not surrender. But the longer we sit around and do nothing the problem will continue to grow. Then when its too late everyone (west)will be saying "Hey wait! why were we so nice?" N.Korea then says "Ha Ha, while you were trying to negotiate (months and months down the road I`m sure),we built tons of weapons and we never really had any intention to find a positive outcome with you anyway. Now see you later." Fixing the problem now would be the solution not months or years later.

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"Obama said the world must break a pattern in which North Korea puts the globe on edge, only to put itself in line for concessions if it holds out long enough."

right on

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I'd love to be like a lot of other people who commented and make myself sound smart, as if i know exactly what i am talking about, even have my own solution. But I can't be bothered. So all i will say is what ive already said and I hate war, war is pointless, i will quote somebody 'War doesnt determine who is right. It determines who is left!' ;]] I dont get why somebody whould deliberatly put themselves and there people at risk, for 'the greater good' or whatever. If they realy cared for there people, they would be trying to find a NON violent solution, instead of throwing themselves at bullets, and causeing sadness for not just there family but for others who lost there family members. NK= BAKA!

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China and/or Russia needs to convince North Korea that they are moving in the wrong direction. That they need to put down their provacative actions" Why? Why should they want to help us out? I wish they would, but that is like asking Iran to convince Hamas to lay down arms.

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North Korea has been making defensive preparations under the assumption that its sovereign territory will be breached by the Western world if not physically then culturally, of which the only plausible physical defense, given their resources, is nuclear.

Obama, by declaring North Korea a threat, and authorizing the boarding of North Korean vessels, has effectively declared war on North Korea.

The North Korean idealogy is based on a classless society following the direction of one leader. On a practical basis, this leader happens to be a real person, but on a theoretical basis, is based on one idealized leader, hence the term ideology, and theoretically happens once the physical leader dies.

On a theological basis, this structure is tantamount to following the will of God, a striking parallel to the political structure of Iran, another deeply religious country making the exact same assumptions that their country is under the threat of Western influence and needs to build the bomb.

What's wrong with freedom, pursuit of happiness, fulfillment, etc. Nothing is wrong with it theoretically, however practically speaking, as we read everyday in the news, there are horror stories, that we can't even imagine going on in this world, most of which can be traced back to the Western world, not North Korea or Iran.

In any theological system, freedom, pursuit of happiness, and fulfillment, are not conducive to this world (because it is selfish, ignorant, and incompassionate while there are others suffering), and we have a standoff.

One side saying live life to the fullest or die trying, and the other side saying live life to the fullest after you die. Take your pick, choose wisely.

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Why all the doublespeak about NK just trying to "get along" and the problems being western culture? The NK idea of juche has turned the place into a hell hole with more long term abuses of the population than just about anywhere else in the world. And to defend this they require nukes? What they are "defending" is the privileges of the ruling class to live high on the hog while the people starve.

BTW, the UN authorized stopping NK ships, not Obama. Nobody wants NK exporting nukes.

China has been complicit in allowing this to continue. If the Chinese want to actually look like a world power it's time they took on international responsibilities. Until they do NK is just going to be a boil on the butt of the world.

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I agree with you on many respects, particularily in the sense that North Korea is not wealthy (hell hole), that its leaders are probably better off (priviledged), and especially that they have nukes (threat), and hear what is being said.

Consider in the western world, that poverty, crime, and perhaps prisons (hell holes) also exist, in addition to widening income gaps, billionaires, and consequently Air Force One (priviledged), and of course the number of nukes held (threat).

More importanly consider, if the world were a country, that the Northern Hemisphere (western world) is the priviledged, and through its sanctions, policies, trade deals, etc, may be playing dictator to countries where people live on less than a dollar a day

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1d/Percentage_population_living_on_less_than_1_dollar_day_2007-2008.png

The western world lives higher on the hog than the entire southern hemisphere, including the hell hole Africa, where most of the 26,000 kids under 5 die of poverty. Ironically Nigeria, with a life expectancy lower than 50, per capita of about $1,000, and predominantly sunni muslim, was ranked one of the happiest countries in the world.

So, I don't know the right answer or what is going to happen, but it appears that the US (per capita 46k) has declared war on North Korea (per capita 2k), in a time when the US is on the brink of bankruptcy, and needs more resources. Sounds like axis of evil doublespeak (in biblical proportions) to me.

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Wow, not too many people here know much about the 2 Koreas and their histories... or the Japanese... or the Chinese... history may have already set a precedence in how a war and its aftermath would unfurl... if it doesn't go to (western) plans.

Japan wants stability in the east. They don't want the 2 Koreas to unite after an offensive by SK, Japan or whoever, unfortunately. Remember, a united Korea would have the largest army in the world, with most men over the age of, say, 22 years old having had military training. Remember what Japan did in Korea during its annexation years? Uniting the 2 Koreas will inevitably bring nationalistic feelings to its citizens... also bringing back some reminders of yesterday's injustices and wrongdoings.

China wouldn't want the largest army sitting next to their borders either for obvious reasons... maybe not obvious to everyone.

The US does not want a larger rogue nation, just in case the ideology changes in a united Korea.

If the two Koreas unite, expect major butt-kissing from major players in the region to persuade a united Korea to be their "friend."

It's a nightmare scenario if a war goes bad. If the two nations write a treaty and remain two, then most in the region would call it a day.

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I can't give myself a reason why countries needs t fight for one another for we are all brothers and sisters. The updated Obama <a title="New Obama nuclear policy" href="http://personalmoneystore.com/moneyblog/2010/04/07/obama-nuclear-policy/">nuclear weapon</a> policy or whatever you would like to call it changes nothing, really. It isn't an update on the START treaties and in effect it's basically a rattle of the saber at North Korea or Iran or any states that may harbor or enable terrorists. Ahmadinejad is already protesting. (I'd gladly get payday advances to pay him off, if a few hundred or so would make him shut up.) Republicans will doubtlessly protest, but then again what Do not they protest?

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