What do you think about this op-ed piece about North Korea suggesting the U.S. bomb North Korea before it bombs anyone?

It’s stupid warmongering crap basically. Most experts believe that although there is good evidence that they have developed viable warheads they are far from being able to develop a viable delivery system.

I don’t think it’s a good idea, there is too much at stake and the world economy such as the oil price will rocket to higher prices per barrel, and rattle the stocks markets a bit, that may be the the worst case scenario.

On top of that I don’t think that either China or Russia will let North Korea drag them into a wider conflict and will pressure them in their own way to not go too far. There will always be posturing from North Korea so long as the Workers Party are running the show, this is most likely Kim Jong-un trying to prove to the rest of the Workers Party that he isn’t in fact a silly little boy playing at being a world leader but that he is a man that can stand up to the evil empire of the US.

What, you mean another illegal war of aggression without authorisation from the UN? You already started 2 of those, are those not enough?

By leaving out something in your quote, you changed the meaning of what he op-ed writer actually said: Earlier this week, North Korea closed the Kaesong Industrial Complex, the only facility where citizens from North and South Korea work together. And now the North is openly threatening (and visibly preparing) to fire a mobile-launcher-based Musudan missile with a range that could reach many of the places Mr. Kim has menaced in his public statements. American intelligence agencies believe that North Korea is working to prepare even longer-range delivery systems to carry the nuclear warheads already in its arsenal.The Korean crisis has now become a strategic threat to America’s core national interests. The best option is to destroy the North Korean missile on the ground before it is launched. The United States should use a precise airstrike to render the missile and its mobile launcher inoperable.

President Obama should state clearly and forthrightly that this is an act of self-defense in response to explicit threats from North Korea and clear evidence of a prepared weapon. He should give the leaders of South Korea, Japan, China and Taiwan advance notice before acting. And he should explain that this is a limited defensive strike on a military target — an operation that poses no threat to civilians — and that America does not intend to bring about regime change. The purpose is to neutralize a clear and present danger. That is all.

Sounds like Iraq all over again, and you know where that got us.

@bkcunningham I don’t think it changes it at all. The other part you quote just adds a bit of recent history background but that background is no different to what North Korea have been doing for the last 40 odd years. I agree they are a worry and no one should take their eyes off them but diplomatic pressure on the two huge nuclear armed states, China and Russia, that have diplomatic relations with North Korea is the way to go

@Pachyderm_In_The_Room “Sounds like Iraq all over again, and you know where that got us.”

I think the author is proposing something closer to the 1998 cruise missile strike in Sudan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cruise_missile_strikes_on_Afghanistan_and_Sudan_(August_1998).

Of course if North Korea retaliates, it could create an escalation that could result in a total shitstorm.

I wonder what would be the result IF no action were taken , until North Korea actually does something other than threaten?

It’s not a good idea at all, for many reasons. But mainly because South Korea is right there, and we don’t want to hit them with a nuke.

North Korea is afraid of us and it wants us to listen up. We never have, so it upped the ante. We should say fine, we won’t nuke you and you won’t nuke us. Done deal.
No one has ever nuked anyone except us. It turned out to be a very, very bad idea. Everyone wants to avoid it.

@Inspired_2write ”...actually does something other than threaten?”

Every day they are doing stuff. They are developing missile technology and expanding their nuclear program. It may be safer and easier to stop them before they have the capability to nuke Los Angles, instead of allowing a 3rd generation dictator who was raised to believe he’s the sun of God and behaves like a 30-year-old child while torturing/staving/raping his people in massive prison camps to have the capability to play nuclear chicken with us years down the road. Will the next generation come back to us and say “Why the fuck didn’t you just take this guy out when you had the chance? now we’ve got a nuclear winter on our hands!”