N Korea says rockets to U.S. 'inevitable' as U.S. bombers fly north of DMZ

Go ahead North Korea, make your move. It'll be just South Korea on the Korean Peninsula!

Two whack jobs confronting each other. I don't see how this ends well.

Even if Kim is a dictator and nutcase, he fears invasions and is doing what any country does to defend its people and country. Trump's schoolboy taunts and rhetoric is only escalating Kim's fears and making the situation worse and even more fertile for a war.

Let's ratchet this up to the absolute breaking point. Sometimes you have to destroy in order to create.

the U.S. mainland with its rockets was inevitable

In which case the elimination of the Kim regime and likely North Korea as a nation is also inevitable.

Yup, it looks like this is not going to end well. But the purpose of war is to create a lasting peace, and unfortunately it's looking more and more like it may be necessary to bring peace to the Korean Peninsula. North Korea seems bent on doing something that leaves the U.S. no other alternative. So after the mess, it may end well.

This has been going on for years and years. The only difference now is we have a President that SAYS what other Presidents never could. Just like Bloggers, pushing peoples buttons and generating all sorts of UN believable opinions that have no basis or fact. A lot of the posts I read are much worse than the Presidents, so we only go around in circles causing a diversion while a lot of dangerous policy is being pushed through to law.

... But the purpose of war is to create a lasting peace, ... Well said, Ossan. That is the real purpose of war. No person nor country that is fairly civilized wants war. BUT, civilized, free democratic nations WILL defend ourselves and our allies. Unfortunately, there are still dictator maniacs like Kimmy-kun still around in the world. There always have been. He must be dealt with, and his minions.

CrazyJoeToday  06:57 am JST

Two whack jobs confronting each other. I don't see how this ends well.

If they both existed in a vacuum, it would be fine. They're both cynical chickenhawks who are just raising everyone else's tensions in order to distract from their own failures as leaders and enormous levels of corruption.

The problem is that they both have true believers among their underlings, and true believers have a habit of not realizing their führer-figures are liars. So the danger is that while both man-children squabble and call each other names, someone in one of their militarizes mistakes this saber-rattling for a real threat and takes a shot that snowballs into a war.

LandofExcusesToday  07:06 am JST

Let's ratchet this up to the absolute breaking point. Sometimes you have to destroy in order to create.

This is the kind of thing fascists say when they're thousands of miles away from a conflict and don't have to worry about anyone they know or love being caught in the blast radius.

Hopefully diplomacy and deterance are in the ongoing framework.

CrazyJoe: Even if Kim is a dictator and nutcase, he fears invasions and is doing what any country does to defend its people and country.

The Kim's have been threatening the US, Japan, and South Korea for decades. So Trump gives a little back to North Korea and now Little Kim is just trying to defend his people? If he feared being invaded why would he be going around trying to start a fight?

Two whack jobs confronting each other. I don't see how this ends well.

Two whack jobs? Is Trump firing missiles over Japan?

Even if Kim is a dictator and nutcase, he fears invasions and is doing what any country does to defend its people and country.

Kim is not doing anything to protect his people, don't even go there, if he did, they would have food in their stomach, basic power, basic rights, they don't even have that. Kim is doing that for his own personal survival.

Trump's schoolboy taunts and rhetoric is only escalating Kim's fears and making the situation worse and even more fertile for a war.

Ok, so Trump should allow Kim to continue flying missiles over Japan and possible test a HB over the pacific and we should just allow it to happen. No wonder the left keep losing elections.

The problem is that they both have true believers among their underlings, and true believers have a habit of not realizing their führer-figures are liars.

That's a pretty bold statement. When Trump starts building concentration camps and tattoos American citizens, then you can make that comparison. If the same were said about Obama, the condemnation would be strong and furious. You can hate Trump, I get it, the days of do nothing and pacifism and capitulation are long over and you guys you want a return to the boring speeches and doing nothing, just live with it and if some people die, so be it. Thank God those days are over.

So the danger is that while both man-children squabble and call each other names, someone in one of their militarizes mistakes this saber-rattling for a real threat and takes a shot that snowballs into a war.

Yeah, but I trust Mattis to do the right thing, he knows what he's doing, so Trump can say what he wants, but ultimately, it's him that Kim needs to fear, NOT Trump.

South Korea’s Leader has offered to conduct bilateral talks on numerous occasions with zero response from the North. Kim only wants to talk to the one country (U.S.A.) he and his father have betrayed — EVERY time we have conducted diplomacy.

And yet our own U.S. Secretary of State has offered those very talks as well —If only Kim would simply stop firing missiles — and setting off nuclear bombs. No takers? Our hand has been forced because Iran has already begun test firing its own missiles — now that they see we have done nothing to COUNTER North Korea's very real threat.

Kim playing with peoples lives except the only life Kim cares about is his own.

Both regimes are abject failures and both need a big crisis to rally support of the population.  That is all that is happening here.  And being abject failures, we can expect the worst.  Where in Japan will the atom bombs fall?  Please let me know.  I'll try to get away.

PS A big THANKS to Russia and the USA for dividing up Korea after WWII.

A zombie nation North Korea with several nukes and missiles is blackmailing a largest and strongest nation America which is believed to have more than 1,000 nukes. Nuclear weapon is outdated. It is a waste of money to keep the weapon they cannot use. It proved the nukes do not become deterrence either. America was late to develop new weapons to counter a grotesque country like North Korea.

North Korea's "Final Victory" goals have always been to end the existing armistice with a "peace treaty that will: 1) removal of U.S. forces out of the Korean Peninsula, 2) surrender of South Korea to a reunified Korea Peninsula under DPRK regime and 3) world recognition of DKPR as the official government of said unified Korea.

They have never wavered from that goal since the end of the Korean War.

Now North Korea has nuclear and missile capabilities and will use it to leverage to force negotiation for reunification under DPRK terms. That's the intended purpose of the threats and tests.

I doubt the South Korea people would be agreeable to a reunified Korea under DPRK regime.  

Is the surrender of South Korea's sovereignty as a democratic country and the loss of their people's freedoms the preferred solution in order to avoid "overwhelming death and destruction"? It's easy to say "better Red than Dead" if you've never lived under a totalitarian dictatorship country that starves its people and restricts their rights.  

It would be a shame if the UN and the Free World would allow that to happen, especially out of fear of war and destruction.

"...North Korea seems bent on doing something that leaves the U.S. no other alternative.....In which case the elimination of the Kim regime...it's looking more and more like it may be necessary to bring peace to the Korean Peninsula..."

That is what is going to have to happen.  When diplomacy with the hopes of reasoning with a bellicose dictator have failed, and sanctions imposed have failed, the only thing left is to use military force, short of a declared war, to remove the bellicose DPRK regime. 

But the only acceptable solution that will bring peace to the Korean Peninsula is the removal of the DPRK regime and a reunified Korea under a democratic government aligned to UN and partnered with the US-Japan-Australia Strategic Alliance to counter China/Russia presence in the Pacific region.

The challenge will be to keep Russia and China out of the conflict.  They want a reunified Korea under DPRK regime as an ally to help further their expansionism in Asia.

gokai_wo_manekuToday 09:40 am JSTPS A big THANKS to Russia and the USA for dividing up Korea after WWII.

@gokai, North Korea, with the backing of Soviet Union and China, invaded South Korea in the first place.  If the USA hadn't been stopped North Korea, ALL of Korea would have been under DPRK regime.

Or maybe you believe a ONE Korea under DPRK regime is better?

It is necessary to develop a new type of weapon which does not let nuclear bombs go.

SchopenhauerToday 09:43 am JSTA zombie nation North Korea with several nukes and missiles is blackmailing a largest and strongest nation America which is believed to have more than 1,000 nukes.

It's only because the liberal leftist pacifist appeasers, fearful of total destruction have allowed the U.S. and UN to be impotent and blackmailed into appeasement. 

Thankfully we now have a President willing to stand up to North Korea's threats and not allow to be blackmailed into appeasement.

Nuclear weapon is outdated. It is a waste of money to keep the weapon they cannot use. It proved the nukes do not become deterrence either.

Wrong.  Why haven't there been a total all-out war between the U.S., Soviet Union or China since 1945?  Nuclear weapons have made such total war unthinkable and unfightable.  In that way they have deterred another World War from breaking out.

On the other hand, all wars fought since 1945 have been fought with conventional weapons.  Evidently conventional weapons allow wars to be continued as "thinkable and fightable."  When nuclear weapons are eliminated,  greater reliance will be on conventional weapons and conventional MOABs, making total war will be thinkable once again.

America was late to develop new weapons to counter a grotesque country like North Korea.

What "new weapons" are you thinking of?  Appeasement and Capitulation?

It is a pity this had happen when the USA is straddled with such a weakling for a president. Reagan would already be doing photo-ops in the rubble on Pyongyang. Even Bill Clinton would have been firing missles into NK to degrade their lauch capacity Desert Fox style... For flouting UN resolutions. Instead, the USA is hobbled by Trump, a weak-willed bully, who, in typical bully fashion, rants and puffs but is at the core a sniveling weakling "worried" about global opinion instead of manning-up and doing what needs to be done. Bad time for the USA to be run by a domestically ineffectual and internationally spineless loudmouth when decisive action is needed.

DPRK is ruled by a Dictatorship, whose brutal regimes philosophy is based around an ideology that's roots spring from of a cult of personality.

Kim Jong-un policy of indoctrination, has the isolationist state population under total control. To question Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un  authority the consequences of which will bring brutal retribution not only on the perpetrator by on their entire family.  

The Constitution of the United States is clear......

 We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

http://constitutionus.com/

There is no comparison, or question. Kim Jong-un has been afforded every opportunity to opt for a path of peaceful co existence. However Kim Jong-un chose not only to develop nuclear weapons capability,  but also relentlessly perused and tested ICBM missile technology with the single intent to launch devastation on neighbours who so much as questioned his regimes ideology or ultimate political agenda.

Governments, the people, can mute the right and wrongs, proportion the blame. In hindsight, immerse themselves in a perpetual politically induced form of self flagellation. Could we, should we, must we?

Face up and except that all military options, that personally I don't necessarily believe are inevitable could be presented to the UN security council as a means to persuade all nations governments to completely cut off Kim Jong-un dictatorship regime.

At college I viewed a 1984 account to the effects of nuclear holocaust... Threads.

https://vimeo.com/channels/1055902

The challenge will be to keep Russia and China out of the conflict.

That's literally the impossible challenge. You think these 2 big countries that share a border with North Korea are really just going to sit there watching while the US takes it over?

Someone with some CGI skills should make a computer-animated hardcore video about Dennis Rodman bending Kim Jong Un over the bleachers at the Pyongyang basketball stadium and giving him the pounding of his chubby little life. Maybe get Wilt Chamberlain in for a high-five switch'emup spit roasting session. Then, put the video on 10,000,000 USB drives attached to millions of balloons and just flood North Korea with them. I'm not sure that would really accomplish anything, but it sure would be funny to see what happens next...

bass4funkToday  08:16 am JST

That's a pretty bold statement. When Trump starts building concentration camps and tattoos American citizens, then you can make that comparison. 

If you are not a modrator, then I can make any comparison I want, and whether or not Trump has built concentration camps yet or merely wishes he could is irrelevant to the fact that they are both tough-talking chickenhawks whose entire foreign policy posture is built not around long-term stability but affecting a facade of power so their fanatic followers can feel important by proxy and so their less loyal followers will be distracted from their constant corruption and abuses of power.

NK doesn't want to stop! It says here sanctions will not stop them. They are a threat to world peace!

Sometimes bad bad things need to happen for the betterment of mankind....

ThePBotToday 10:57 am JSTThe challenge will be to keep Russia and China out of the conflict.

That's literally the impossible challenge. You think these 2 big countries that share a border with North Korea are really just going to sit there watching while the US takes it over?

I agree it will be literally impossible, but that will be UN's challenge.

What's the solution, then?  No action, let Kim continue to fire off his missiles and nuclear threats until World Opinion demands dialog to appeasement and allow the inevitable reunification under DPRK regime, if that path is taken?  Hope you are in South Korea when that happens.

Nothing new ... both the US & NK says you start first & i will teach you a lesson.

Sanctions have failed to produce any favourable outcome as Governments have found loopholes to circumvent their effectiveness.

The Government of China has to acknowledge that if a military option is adopted the outcome will be apocalyptic. The inevitable consequence could well amount to catastrophic loss of life for the Chinese people's residing in the blast radius of North Korea borders

Take the squeaky one out and lets get on with other business.

North Korea's threats are not only tiring, but dangerous to themselves. If somebody was calling my friend day after day and saying, "I'm gonna kill you and your family" for years, there would come a point when we would get together and do something about it.

All those advocating conflict, pre-emptives & "doing something".

I take it you're either living here or getting ready to enlist?

Little Kim seems to have been inspired by the Peter Sellers movie "The Mouse That Roared."

I take it you're either living here or getting ready to enlist?

Don't hold your breath. The closest most chest-thumping patriots got to serving their country was watching missiles fly on Fox News.

For those in favour of military action, could you explain exactly what you are advocating and what the plan is going forward?

It's just that the US has form in getting rid of dictators without any planning for the aftermath. The aftermath can be catastrophic.

All those advocating conflict, pre-emptives & doing something are right. This has been going on since the 1950"s and countless North Koreans have died and the world has paid this mad dictator bribe money for too long. Let all this stop now and the USA will solve the problem one way or another. I have sons in the military and relatives in Japan that I worry about and I am sure that countless people on both sides will perish but you have to take action now that will resolve this matter, plain and simple.

Trump deserves a lot of respect and a big thank you for hieghtening tensions and bringing in China and Russia up to the scrimmage line. Unfortunately, we've lost the moral high ground over the last 25 war filled years cuz my fellow Americans kept electing idiots of the dem/rep one party system. Look how close the anointed one from this one party system, Hillary, came to the Oval Office? Now that's friggen scary! With Hillary and her globalist MSM clowns starting a new Russian Cold War, would we, could we, even expect any cooperation with the Rocket Man if she had won? No way. And who knew Tiawan was selling oil to the Norks?

There is a much bigger picture out there and nobody should even THINK about turning to the MSM for information.

Thank you Hawkeye. God Bless America!

President Trump has pushed diplomacy far this more than any other President regarding NK. Think about it, after his speech at the U.N. China finally stepped up to cut off banking to NK. China and Russia BOTH have signed on to sanctions which has never happened before. America is not bluffing this time. World leaders understand perfectly.

America and Japan have showed astonishing patience and calm in dealing with the NK crisis and even with these unprecedented sanctions on NK they are not reversing course. There are not many diplomatic options left before military action is the only solution. Every day that passes is one step closer for NK st there's no time either

Blatantly untrue. Bill Clinton pushed for it, as did Carter.

The challenge will be to keep Russia and China out of the conflict.  They want a reunified Korea under DPRK regime as an ally to help further their expansionism in Asia."

I don't think China and Russia wants to fight South Korea, the U.S and Japan, not to mention any other allies that get drawn in simply in order to have North take over South, because in the end, it will mean millions of lives lost, they will be damaged economically forever more and any positive relationship between Russia/China and West is out the window for a very long time and in China's case, the prosperity that comes with it. Is it really worth it?

In the event of China and Russia indeed attacking the U.S and its allies, Trump will issue a complete ban on Chinese trade with the U.S. That is an awful lot of money. And what happens if the European Union follow suit under threat by the U.S to withdraw from Europe and leave them to the whims of Russia unless they also ban Chinese trade? The Europeans, are militarily weak, only the U.K, a staunch U.S ally and France, again a strong ally, have any real military strength. Japan and Australia would soon follow suit, Canada probably also, even though both, but particularly Australia would suffer considerably economically. India is a question mark. They want U.S, European and Japanese investment. Siding with China, ends that prospect, but perhaps they would consider going with China a better prospect. I fail to see how though since their eventual status as the leader of the democratic world would be completely over, forever second fiddle to China.....My point is, it all gets very complicated and messy.

They also have to pacify, i.e kill many of the the 50 million South Koreans in order to do it because they will fight to the death rather than live under the North. They have been fed stories about the horrors of the North for 60+ years. Any guarantees by China and Russia are unlikely to win them over.

All of this is an awful lot of trouble and pain to suffer, in order to secure the future of non-Chinese and non-Russians under a situation in which you would also be forever paying money in order to secure them a decent life. To rebuild the country. You can also look forward to never-ending guerilla war, with a never ending supply of weapons from the U.S and its allies, unless of course you destroy them. Then say hello to WW3 guaranteed.

I think we will likely see the pattern of Kim continuing to test and sanctions getting tighter until that pattern is broken. Kim will probably test a H-Bomb in the Pacific, but even that, if it does not impact Japan or the U.S, would not be considered crossing a line. Only a direct hit or an EMP strike would be considered crossing a line.

It really is a case of who blinks first, but in all of this, we should have some sympathy for the North Korean people who have suffered now for 60 odd years and will continue to do so it seems.

Correction to above; should read:

President Trump has pushed diplomacy far this more than any other President regarding NK.

Blatantly untrue. Bill Clinton pushed for it, as did Carter.

Everyone wanting war and buying into the bombast I ask you please to go to the front lines first so you can put your money where your mouths are. Until then, stop volunteering everyone else's lives for your own fantasies and delusions. Any war will be catastrophic, and likely involve the entire world. You won't think it's quite so amusing then.

The B-1B is such an elegant bird. Not as mythical as the SR-71, but still a fine piece of engineering.

It's a good job the generals are clearly running the deep state in the US. The weak bully Americans saw fit to elect is just an embarrassing figurehead. Hopefully fatty will get the message and stop testing Trump, because it's clear that if he's ll

..whoops clear that if he doesn't, North Korea will cease to exist.

Welcome to Presidential scatology taken to new heights. Were I in the US military, I would defy an order from this CiC. That would be a noble cause to die for.

If you are not a modrator, then I can make any comparison I want, and whether or not Trump has built concentration camps yet or merely wishes he could is irrelevant to the fact

Ok, so actual facts don’t matter, only emotional impulse, gotcha.

that they are both tough-talking chickenhawks whose entire foreign policy posture is built not around long-term stability but affecting a facade of power so their fanatic followers can feel important by proxy and so their less loyal followers will be distracted from their constant corruption and abuses of power.

Ahhhh, you’re just angry that you have no control over the outcome and that the anointed one with his quietness, chin up in the air, finger pointing and lecturing us how we should be and how we are better than that. No one wants a war, neither does Trump and maybe the left has a pathetic short term memory, but Trump excoriated Bush over the Iraq war and did it brutally back when he was a Democrat. The man has always been anti war and nothing has changed except that, he’s not going to take Kim’s crap. Diplomacy first and foremost, but it doesn’t mean beans if it’s not backed up by military force. Libs, remember that.

Don't hold your breath. The closest most chest-thumping patriots got to serving their country was watching missiles fly on Fox News. 

What is up with you and FNC? It’s like Trump and Twitter. Geeez...

For those in favour of military action, could you explain exactly what you are advocating and what the plan is going forward? 

Many of us already did, I know I did, but better yet, besides capitulation, what else would you like the Generals to consider, since they know more about this than most of you guys.

It's just that the US has form in getting rid of dictators without any planning for the aftermath. The aftermath can be catastrophic.

Trump already said, we are not in the business of nation building.

For those in favour of military action, could you explain exactly what you are advocating and what the plan is going forward? 

Many of us already did, I know I did

I must have missed it. What exactly would you like to see done and what would be the plan for North Korea? You must have an idea.

Trump already said, we are not in the business of nation building.

Trump is capable of contradicting himself in the space of a single sentence. He's taken his lunatic fringe through an incredible amount of U-turns. Remember what he said about Afghanistan?

Anyway, I'd appreciate a considered response to exactly what military action you'd like to see and your vision for North Korea. Replies along the lines of 'so, you'd rather...?' don't cut it.

8TToday  01:31 pm JST

President Trump has pushed diplomacy far this more than any other President regarding NK. 

Bwa-hah-hah! Good one!

Toasted HereticToday  02:46 pm JST

President Trump has pushed diplomacy far this more than any other President regarding NK.

Blatantly untrue. Bill Clinton pushed for it, as did Carter.

Let's not forget Clinton actually had UN weapons inspectors ensuring North Korea didn't have a nuclear program. Clinton didn't just do more diplomacy than Donald, he solved the problem. That is, until a certain other ignorant GOP President declared North Korea as part of the "Axis of Evil" and the elder Kim Jong kicked them out.

Basically, everything that has gone wrong in this entire conflict is down to Republican Presidents who don't know how to shut their fat mouths.

bass4funkToday  04:52 pm JST

Ahhhh, you’re just angry that you have no control over the outcome 

Actually, I'm mainly angry that I stand a good chance of being a collateral damage casualty in a war that doesn't have to be fought being mainly pursued by people who don't know anything about this issue other than that they get a semi every time they see an American bomb fall on a city whose name they can't pronounce.

The exact same people who brayed on and on about how we can't elect Hillary because "she'll start a nuclear war!" are literally trying to start a nuclear war, using the exact same arguments I remember people using to justify the invasion of Iraq. It's that old adage about what those who forget the past are condemned to do, but we're not even talking about a past outside our own lifetimes.

The US, South Korea, Japan, China, and Russia should all get together and discuss what to do about North Korea.

katsu78: "The exact same people who brayed on and on about how we can't elect Hillary because "she'll start a nuclear war!""

EXACTLY! B-b-b-b-ut it's 'different' when Trump wants war and the whole fear-mongering about Hillary was nonsense to begin with. And when war starts, and millions die, they'll actually blame it on Obama and Hillary. Certainly won't be Trump's fault!

And when war starts, and millions die, they'll actually blame it on Obama and Hillary. Certainly won't be Trump's fault!

Yep. Still, at least they're willing to sacrifice those of us actually living in the region to score points.

How noble.

All those advocating conflict, pre-emptives & "doing something".

I take it you're either living here or getting ready to enlist?

Very good point.

I'd like to ask all tough talkers - can you elaborate on your plans how to "finish off", "bomb them hard" etc.? Do you understand that even in the most powerful strike not all NK missile sites will be taken out and Kim will not hesitate to retaliate with all means he has? That military confrontation with NK means real war with a million army, for decades taught to hate America and fight it fanatically? That any military confrontation means complete devastation of South Korea, very possible serious damage to Japan, plus very possible military involvement of China, and not on the American side? If you know all that and nevertheless want war, then yes, I hope you'll be first to enlist and go the battlezone to show that you're brave not only in words.

If you know all that and nevertheless want war, then yes, I hope you'll be first to enlist and go the battlezone to show that you're brave not only in words.

I'm told by wiser individuals than myself (not difficult to find) that the warmongering is not representative of wider public opinion. I truly hope this is the case.

The people of the DPRK have no choice in the matter; they didn't vote for Kim. But the good people of the US do have a choice. They should be out their opposing this push for genocide.

This war is avoidable. And although I've led a fulfilling existence; I wouldn't mind another decade or so before merging with the infinite.

*he solved the problem.** That is, until a certain other ignorant GOP President declared North Korea as part of the "Axis of Evil" and the elder Kim Jong kicked them out.*

That's a big "wrong!"

Clinton solved the problem on paper only. He lied, with the help of the MSM, in getting people to think it was solved. He NEVER fulfilled his promises to the NK's and the people involved in the deal knew at the time that it would never be fulfilled. Funding for his nuke plants and infrastructure by the US was slowed. Why? Because the NK's never stopped developing, testing and selling its missile technology all the while demanding billions in compensation for lost revenue of its missle tech sales, while also demanding that the US put its satellites into orbit.

Bush's 2002 axis of evil claim came after 9/11 when the hedgomons and globalists had just pulled of the biggest hoax in world history and its been major war and proxy wars ever since. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to connect these dots.

Sounds like they both want War. Pity it cant be settled by placing both in a locked room together naked, and see which comes out on top.

The world shakes with fear when two spoiled brat billionaire- presidents plays 'dare' with their wmd toys.

Shinzo should try his best not to let this two armchair gladiators game escalate to pinching and slapping.

Fact: S.Korea and the U.S. are still at war and N.Korea has consistently violated the "cease fire and UN" agreements signed. Perodicly since those agreements were signed N.Korea has demonstrated to the WORLD that she has NO honor or intention of living up to the agreement(s) she affixes her signature(s) to then or now. Deplomicy has failed, sanctions have failed, extortion has failed, pleading has failed. There is NO common sense approach that seems to work with the past or present leadership of N.Korea. The preverbal Can has been kicked down the road so to speak for years on end and now rhetoric has become reality, N.Korea has a workable Nuclear Device and a functional delivery system and are about to release a Sleeping Dragon on all her old and new adversaries. President Trump's administration is now placed in the position of being between the preverbal "rock and hard spot". To continue as we've done in the past and allow N.Korea to build an arsenal of nuclear devises or to put and end to it NOW. China and Russia have as much to fear from N.Korea as the rest of the world, if "Rocket Boy" is willing take on the non-socialist world they're no longer willing to be under their preverbal "Thumbs" either. Everyone suffers when Depomicy fails to accheive its objects.

I don't think China and Russia wants to fight South Korea, the U.S and Japan, not to mention any other allies that get drawn in simply in order to have North take over South, because in the end, it will mean millions of lives lost, they will be damaged economically forever more and any positive relationship between Russia/China and West is out the window for a very long time and in China's case, the prosperity that comes with it. Is it really worth it?

They did back in the 1950s in the Korean War, when they literally had nothing, especially China. No leverage whatsoever. I'm thinking they'd be more confident now, because it's not just their economy that's gonna suffer, and they're a lot stronger. But that's only IF the US goes in and tries to take out North Korea. I think the real question is, will the US be willing to risk all that from start yet another war?

Fact: S.Korea and the U.S. are still at war

News to me.

Dotard Trump at it again:

Just heard Foreign Minister of North Korea speak at U.N. If he echoes thoughts of Little Rocket Man, they won't be around much longer!

I must have missed it. What exactly would you like to see done and what would be the plan for North Korea? You must have an idea.

I’m not Mattis, but looking as his record and overall career, I trust him more than I do the corrupt press or any one that doesn’t have a shred of military experience.

Trump is capable of contradicting himself in the space of a single sentence.

The Dems do that continually, so nothing new here.

He's taken his lunatic fringe through an incredible amount of U-turns. Remember what he said about Afghanistan? 

I remember what the other guy said as well about it, Iraq was the wrong war, Afghanistan is where the real war is and that turned out so well. But then the left was all gung ho to go in and we had to support the president in that Kabuki theater.

Anyway, I'd appreciate a considered response to exactly what military action you'd like to see and your vision for North Korea. Replies along the lines of 'so, you'd rather...?' don't cut it.

Just ask Mattis, I’m not a General, but I’ll back him on whatever he thinks is best for the region. Kudos!

Actually, I'm mainly angry that I stand a good chance of being a collateral damage casualty in a war that doesn't have to be fought being mainly pursued by people who don't know anything about this issue other than that they get a semi every time they see an American bomb fall on a city whose name they can't pronounce.

Ok, as a civilian that’s your right to think so, I understand and thank the heavens we don’t have civilians running the military.

The exact same people who brayed on and on about how we can't elect Hillary because "she'll start a nuclear war!" are literally trying to start a nuclear war, using the exact same arguments I remember people using to justify the invasion of Iraq. It's that old adage about what those who forget the past are condemned to do, but we're not even talking about a past outside our own lifetimes.

Trump didn’t stop any war, for the life of me, I don’t know why the left is so unhinged about this, he’s trying to stop it from happening, but at the same time, he’d be a fool to let Kim threaten the region and the US. Oh, and it’s not Trump who would start anything, geez! It’s Gen. Mattis you should be looking at, that’s his job and this is what the man is good at, so he’s got my full confidence.

This reminds me of a mouse in a cage with a python. Lots or squeaking and running around and all of a sudden - no mouse.

bass4funkSep. 24  11:13 pm JST

Ok, as a civilian that’s your right to think so, I understand and thank the heavens we don’t have civilians running the military.

Erm... have you not read your Constitution? The highest leadership position in the military, Commander-in-Chief, is explicitly required to fall to a civilian. I do like though how you:

Oh, and it’s not Trump who would start anything, geez! It’s Gen. Mattis you should be looking at, that’s his job 

...implicitly acknowledge that our current commander-in-chief is unfit for the job and the real decisions are being made by his underlings.

Erm... have you not read your Constitution? The highest leadership position in the military, Commander-in-Chief, is explicitly required to fall to a civilian. I do like though how you:

I probably know it better than most liberals that only want to invoke it when it suits their narrative. Yes, that's correct, but the as Military defense, Get, Mattis will be the one that will be the conductor and orchestrate as to how this will unfold and how every weapon arsenal will be implanted, Trump will give the final ok, so Mattis will be the one that will shape this military conflict, provided there is one.

....implicitly acknowledge that our current commander-in-chief is unfit for the job and the real decisions are being made by his underlings.

Naw, he's fit, that's why the military and the morale of the troops overall are more positive with this president than when Obama was constraining the Generals, NOT listening to any of their strategic advice and all to appease his base, thank God we don't need to go through that anymore, this president listens to their recommendations and will base his decisions according to these recommendations and good on him for doing so, because he knows and understands and unlike Obama, Trump knows these Generals know the climate and terrain, he doesn't.

I think we all feel better knowing Trump isn't making military decisions. Looks like his primary role is insulting KJU on Twitter.

I mean, of course, Trump is still controlling everything. He's the President, after all.

I mean Trump's decision to let Mattis make the decisions is good decision-making on Trump's part,

ThePBotSep. 24 10:57 am JSTThe challenge will be to keep Russia and China out of the conflict.

That's literally the impossible challenge. You think these 2 big countries that share a border with North Korea are really just going to sit there watching while the US takes it over?

No they won't just sit there. But they aren't going to be starting a war with the United States over a basket case like North Korea. This isn't the 1950s, the interests of both Russia and China strategically may still be adversarial, but the Cold War is over and both nations have other interests to protect. Both nations will without doubt display shows of force, and in China's case mobilize on their border in anticipation of refugees, but it won;t be the same level of involvement in 1950. Still both nations will do their utmost to ensure that the next regime will be pro-Russia/China.

Toasted HereticSep. 24 12:01 pm JST All those advocating conflict, pre-emptives & "doing something".

I take it you're either living here or getting ready to enlist?

And I take it all those advocating appeasement and do nothing are prepared to take the responsibility for 51 million South Koreans becoming subjects of the KIm totalitarian dictatorship.

And I take it all those advocating appeasement and do nothing are prepared to take the responsibility for 51 million South Koreans becoming subjects of the KIm totalitarian dictatorship.

So you do live here and are getting ready to enlist?

Some days I feel like it is better to start the war now and get it over with as war seems to be inevitable at this point.

Some days I feel like it is better to start the war now and get it over with as war seems to be inevitable at this point.

Only in the minds of the war junkies, sitting safely thousands of miles away. I'd rather they didn't hold sway!

I suppose that at least this time the Republicans don't have to lie to the UN about WMDs in order to kick off a war. The West has to focus on containment like they should have done in Iraq, unless they are absolutely sure that their air power can take out Kim's entire operation before he drops one on Seoul or Tokyo. Worrying times.

The sheer stupidity of playing games of dare with nuclear weapons is beyond belief. It is not the time for taunts, and flying a bomber so far north of the DMZ is without a doubt for the purpose of taunting Kim.

Yes sanctions has no effect to NK. Secretly China is helping them through the back door. Remember the Korean war? It was China's military coming from the borders that help drive the US Military who have already occupied and cornered the retreating NK soldiers. A communist will always side with co-communists.

Btw, these exchanges of threats , between countries IMHO are plain propagandas or worst BS drama . A person who will attack, will just attack with no warning. That's how I see these exchanges of blah blahs.....

Yeah, but I trust Mattis to do the right thing, he knows what he's doing, so Trump can say what he wants, but ultimately, it's him that Kim needs to fear, NOT Trump.

And ditto for your other post.

Mattis was a great appointment.

Fact: S.Korea and the U.S. are still at war

News to me.

Then maybe you should educate yourself about the situation on the Korean peninsula a bit more before giving your opinion on the matter. The war was never formally ended, only a cease fire was called, and the peninsula is still technically in a perpetual state of war. North Korea could just yell 'Game on!' and start firing shots again if it decided to. If you have ever actually been there, you would see that the South is very prepared for war at any time.

So you do live here and are getting ready to enlist?

Actually I already did. In fact I spent 2 of the 9 years I was enlisted in the '90s stationed in South Korea, one of those years I was about 14 miles from the DMZ. I was there for the captured spy submarines, the attempted sabotage and the threats to turn Seoul into 'a sea of fire.' There's nothing like being 19 years old, waking up at 3AM to the sound of an air-raid siren and wondering if it's just another drill or the real thing this time.

They have always been crazy and dangerous, they just didn't have nuclear weapons to back it up. Until now. I think I have every right to have a very strong opinion on this.