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~shrugs~ SK has lived with this a long time, and will continue to do so. Variant Send a noteboard - 24/11/2010 10:26:44 PM
That would be true if we didn't have US military personnel and civilians there in large numbers. Still, so long as it remains between South and North Korea it will largely be their call (North Korean attacks on US military bases or vessels change that, and IIRC such an attack was recently made against a USN ship as well, bringing me back to "how many times must they attack before you admit we're at war?" ) so if they genuinely insist on being bloodied and bullied by the North, perhaps we should leave them to it. It's not like North Korea would, like, INVADE (as in the Korean Conflict) or launch full scale attacks; North Korea will ONLY attack in response to South Korean provoking them by resisting attacks. You don't see any, um, flaws in that logic...? ;) .


The only reason we have troops there, is because if the North Koreans do all out attack, crossing the DMZ, American troops will get killed, and therefore America will be dragged into the war by obligation. They're pretty much held there as a guarantee for the South. And I’m sure there are other geopolitical reason why it’s useful to have our troops on the Korean Peninsula, especially in regards to the rise of China


If you don't resist your conquerors they won't shoot you (as much). Brilliant.... :rolleyes:


~shrugs~ First of all, I didn’t realize South Korea was conquered, they're still and independent sovereign nation. And Second of all, I don’t make the strategy here, the South Koreans do, talk to them about it, if you’re unhappy.

In a word, no. What South Korea wants is largely irrelevant at this point, too: Whether or not they want war, they've got it. Setting aside the fact that the state of war between the two Koreas has never ened, when a foreign state is killing your military and civilian personnel in repeated military attacks, those are acts of war. Burying your head in the sand and saying, "it's not war until we call it that!!!" won't do them any more good than it did Neville Chamberlain. They have every right to do so, I agree, but there's no reason Americans should be along for the ride. The peace at any price faction has wanted us out for some time; maybe it's time to give them what they want. I DO believe strongly in self determinism, and that very much includes the suicidal kind.


As I said, you’re free to talk to them about that. But the fact of the matter is, they have a much more visceral connection to what’s going on then you. It’s easy to say from the other side of the ocean in the comfort of your computer that the SK government needs to grow a backbone and attack the North and get it over with. But when you stand to lose everything that your nation has achieved, it’s a little more complex than that. Not saying I agree with them or not, just saying I understand why their being cautious.

In fact, that should probably be Americas attitude toward the world at large: If we're going to send our soldiers to risk their lives and limbs for your freedom, don't handcuff them; if you don't want our help that's fine, too. If our oppression is so offensive to Mid-Easterners and South Koreans maybe it's time to step back and let them enjoy the freedom that only comes from letting North Korea and Iran execute homosexuals on sight. :) It won't significantly impact our readiness and preparedness, and I don't think Japan will need to be told why American hegemony is preferable to Chinese.


I actually support this, considering we have budget problems here at home. But I assume we maintain many of our soldiers and bases abroad not just for their protection, but let’s face it, for our own geo-political motives as well.
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North Korea attacks South Korea and no one mentions it? - 23/11/2010 10:56:03 AM 1361 Views
"Oh God, Oh God, we are all going to die?" - 23/11/2010 11:09:30 AM 1149 Views
Yup, but the day Beijing decides they're better off not intervening the Appeasers look very dumb. - 23/11/2010 11:23:35 AM 1000 Views
The appeasers look very dumb at this point regardless. - 23/11/2010 04:11:41 PM 911 Views
yes, because we want to fight *ANOTHER* proxy war with china *NM* - 23/11/2010 04:29:18 PM 515 Views
"Wanting" has nothing to do with it. There are few alternatives. - 23/11/2010 04:50:02 PM 1049 Views
Honestly, it COULD go either way. - 23/11/2010 05:14:18 PM 1186 Views
China's relations with North Korea are also worsening, though. - 25/11/2010 05:48:01 PM 1340 Views
What Tom said. - 23/11/2010 05:15:31 PM 992 Views
I figured someone else would post it *NM* - 23/11/2010 11:16:44 AM 453 Views
You know I like to sleep in, remember? - 23/11/2010 11:20:33 AM 986 Views
Agreed - 23/11/2010 02:07:30 PM 1102 Views
I think most Americans are asleep until the sun rises here - 23/11/2010 11:32:28 AM 1005 Views
That is 'cause everyone else is hiding out in their nuclear bunkers - 23/11/2010 11:40:33 AM 989 Views
Re: That is 'cause everyone else is hiding out in their nuclear bunkers - 23/11/2010 11:46:03 AM 1034 Views
Re: That is 'cause everyone else is hiding out in their nuclear bunkers - 23/11/2010 11:57:51 AM 917 Views
The really sad part is, that along with everything else worthwhile in the British Empire... - 25/11/2010 09:49:00 AM 1160 Views
you know what they say - 25/11/2010 10:34:30 AM 1015 Views
Never send an Englishman to do a man's work? - 25/11/2010 09:06:22 PM 1020 Views
I actually had no clue. - 23/11/2010 01:14:20 PM 1001 Views
Re: I actually had no clue. - 23/11/2010 01:15:10 PM 868 Views
Re: I actually had no clue. - 23/11/2010 04:32:17 PM 974 Views
Re: I actually had no clue. - 23/11/2010 04:36:59 PM 935 Views
Honestly, - 23/11/2010 02:36:13 PM 910 Views
you know the world doesn't exist until america wakes up in the morning, right? *NM* - 23/11/2010 04:27:27 PM 477 Views
I had an inkling. *NM* - 23/11/2010 04:37:37 PM 519 Views
OK, have had time to read it, and someone needs to fact check a very important part of that article. - 23/11/2010 04:52:02 PM 1083 Views
Fact checking: - 23/11/2010 08:38:57 PM 992 Views
The term "truce" used in a different Guardian article seems better. - 23/11/2010 09:20:19 PM 918 Views
my two bits - 23/11/2010 10:51:51 PM 1049 Views
I'm glad your ex wasn't there in 1970 then. - 24/11/2010 01:10:02 AM 1018 Views
Well - 23/11/2010 05:24:02 PM 1025 Views
There's not going to be any all-out conflict - 24/11/2010 12:56:44 AM 1156 Views
They're getting aid from South Korea now, and killing them anyway. - 24/11/2010 01:20:33 AM 1100 Views
No kidding, that's been going on for quite some time. - 24/11/2010 02:49:50 AM 975 Views
That is the crux of it, I suppose. - 24/11/2010 03:02:40 PM 1049 Views
~shrugs~ SK has lived with this a long time, and will continue to do so. - 24/11/2010 10:26:44 PM 1030 Views
Parts of it have; some South Koreans stopped living with it a few days ago. - 25/11/2010 01:48:02 PM 1628 Views
They won't be the last. - 02/12/2010 12:55:20 AM 1203 Views
Re: North Korea attacks South Korea and no one mentions it? - 24/11/2010 01:50:11 AM 938 Views

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