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*casts rez*
NK has apparently called in a arty strike on Yeonpyeong island. The saber rattling is resuming, with reports that SK officials are retreating to bunkers making the local news.
http://news.google.com/ne...jYLZRzFsaM24hnkzzDJhqmQM
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Oi vey...
China is helpless. Look at the verbage in this article: http://www.voanews.com/en...Peninsula-110101704.html
Russia seems equally helpless, but I can't tell for sure because the relevant article refuses to load for me: http://in.reuters.com/art...idINIndia-53100220101123
Australia sounds deathly concerned, and I can't blame them when I think of those North Korean nukes.
Japan is worried about intelligence and the possibility of taking in refugees in the even that a war does break out.
They are trying desperately to prevent a war in the next door neighbor's yard. I honestly wish them luck, but I don't expect much. If N. Korea does something like this again anytime within the next eighteen months it's gonna be Strike Three and all bets will be off.
Recommendation to the South Koreans - look into moving your capitol way down south where those arty placements can't hit.
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My sister-in-law is from South Korea, and this news is rather worrisome for her and us. Her family is, fortunately, well to the south of the border, but still.
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Since this thread is already in "Politics...", I suppose it's okay to post this link. Besides, we need to break the mood slightly or we'll all go crazy.
The Register: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/11/25 ... rth_korea/]Sarah Palin calls for US to stand by North Korea. Includes video.
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The war won't go hot.
If this was the Internet, I'd say Kim was just being a troll, trying to provoke a full scale reaction, or grab attention and hope the world will throw more food/oil at him to go away.
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robkelk Wrote:Since this thread is already in "Politics...", I suppose it's okay to post this link. Besides, we need to break the mood slightly or we'll all go crazy.
The Register: Sarah Palin calls for US to stand by North Korea. Includes video. *facepalm*
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And judging from her response when corrected, it probably wasn't just a flubbed line. Not knowing the identity of the most stridently anti-American country in the world shows a certain weakness in foreign affairs.
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Dartz Wrote:The war won't go hot.
If this was the Internet, I'd say Kim was just being a troll, trying to provoke a full scale reaction, or grab attention and hope the world will throw more food/oil at him to go away. If this were the Internet then a proper analogue would be a particularly not-nice series of email-bombs. Last time I checked, Trolls just made obnoxious noises.
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Hey guys, guess what? My ship just got back from minding the border.
That's right. They recalled a fuck-ton of sailors from Christmas Leave because the South Koreans wanted us to watch their backs while they did the biggest sprocking arty exercise in decades. And let me tell you, the DPRK is shitting bricks: http://news.xinhuanet.com...010-12/23/c_13661808.htm
As they should. After the shit they've been pulling recently, I wouldn't have blamed the ROK if they simply invaded the DPRK outright.
You might not blame them. All the dead people in the smoking hole that used to be Seoul might have different feelings on the matter - if they weren't dead, of course.
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I'm more angry at the North Koreans than the Southerners... but the least they could have done was waited until later in January.
Well, to be fair, at least the DPRK was actually reasonable for once and (publically!) decided on no retaliation for the live fire exercises. Someone needed to step back from the brink - the smart money probably wasn't on the DPRK, but it's a good thing they did.
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Agreed - didn't really expect them to, but glad they did anyhow.
You know, one could arguably say that North Korea is to China what Israel is the the USA - we sponsored the country, nobody really likes them except us (and sometimes that's stretching it, too), they generally have a 'screw you' attitude towards their neighbors, and we're constantly having to coach them through the rough spots. Taken into that perspective, I could see why China would be reluctant to do anything more than talk the DPRK down...
...But then again, Israel doesn't make constant threats of nuclear bombardment.
Yeah, China? I feel for you guys, but unless you want a democratic, capitalist, pro-US nation directly on your border, then you'd better lean on them a bit more than you are now.
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blackaeronaut Wrote:I'm more angry at the North Koreans than the Southerners... but the least they could have done was waited until later in January. No time is a good time for a war from the grunt's POV, but a war in winter? brrrrr!!!!!
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*Glares* The weather's got nothing to do with it. The timing was simply about as tasteless as the Tet Offensive, only this was just an 'exercise' rather than an offensive action. If we had been at war, then I would have no qualms about taking a military action during Christmas... but for a stinking exercise!?
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You get no sympathy from me. I had to pull my share of patrols along the tri-zonal zone in the late 80's. One of them happened to be during the X'mas season. Think of it in this way....the NK's decided it's not worth to ratchet up the tension because you guys were in the neighborhood. Beside's who sez the NK's have any sense of timing anyway?
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Into terror!, Into valour!
Charge ahead! No! Never turn
Yes, it's into the fire we fly
And the devil will burn!
- Scarlett Pimpernell
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