Between a rock and a hard place

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by Ted Striker


Backing down implied a one sided victory. I don't recall the US asking for a remove all the missles or else solution. Of course there were things laid out on the table.

That's exactly what they asked for. Then Kruschev sent them a message saying he'd do a ***-for-tat deal with Turkey, and Kennedy arranged a secret agreement through the UN...

[DanS]

"He has pride, and the need to look good at home. Kruschev was in charge of a superpower. Had less of an inferiority complex."

I'm skeptical of paperback pop psychology. Can you work up something more substantial?

[Ted Striker]

Ah, I know the history chief, and the private arrangement was a part of my assessment.

It's more than obvious that there are both public and private talks going on with the North Koreans.

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by DanS
"He has pride, and the need to look good at home. Kruschev was in charge of a superpower. Had less of an inferiority complex."

I'm skeptical of paperback pop psychology. Can you work up something more substantial?

Is it pop psychology? I thought it was just common sense...

[KrazyHorse]

More importantly, Kruschev was a wilier character, for all his peasantlike affectations.

[DanS]

"I thought it was just common sense..."

No, it was pop psychology.

[DanS]

Anyway, I'm hitting the sack. Goodnight.

[Urban Ranger]

My take is Kim knows exactly what he is doing. IIRC, DPRK told the US that they have had a nuclear development programme in progress some time in August, which took the US completely by surprise. AFAIK, they are not yet nuclear capable. Anway, as clockwork, the US went public with that information. Mistake number one - that didn't help anybody, that's just setting the US up to look like a stooge later.

Sanction doesn't work. I don't think there is any actual case of it working against the govenment of a country. Besides, what does Kim have to lose? DPRK has been isolated for a very long time, it's only getting aid from the US, ROK, and Japan recently. Big whop. What does he care?

[Drake Tungsten]

Sanction doesn't work. I don't think there is any actual case of it working against the govenment of a country. Besides, what does Kim have to lose? DPRK has been isolated for a very long time, it's only getting aid from the US, ROK, and Japan recently. Big whop. What does he care?

Well, if food shipments to North Korea stop and Kim's army starts to starve like the people of North Korea...

Kim cares about keeping power and the international aid is an important part of his control over the army. Without the army, he's finished.

[TCO]

They're huge bluffers, Kitty. I'm not too worried about them. We'll just keep em pacified for about a year or so. Than we won't be occupied elsewhere and we can turn more attention towards them if needed. Until then, they will just have to wait their turn.

[KrazyHorse]

I don't think they're bluffers, GP. In this matter, I think you guys are. They're ****ing lunatics, and I've always said that.

[KrazyHorse]

Korea II would be a serious war, unlike the ones you guys have fought recently and might in the near future. That would mean casualties, lots of them, and the real threat (according to the US itself) that Tokyo might be in for a surprise...

[Arrian]

I think they've proven that they are totally untrustworthy and thus cannot be expected to actually hold to any deal. Next time they want more stuff, they will just pull this same **** again.

I fail to see how continuing to appease NK helps us... UNLESS the expectation is that we can buy enough time for the regime to collapse. But I don't see that as a valid strategy, as the aid NK "negotiates" for helps prop the regime up. Therefore, I don't see why we should keep bending over for them.

The worry is that they will build nukes and sell them to the highest bidder, right? Well, what exactly precludes that from happening if we "negotiate" (read: bend over again)? They will break "Agree Framework II" just like they broke the first one.

-Arrian

[Dr Strangelove]

The UN seems genuinely worried about this issue. Maybe we should work through them. NK has no real allies. If the Chinese were given a face saving way of reigning in NK I think they would jump at the chance. Perhaps facing a unanimous embargo would bring Kim back to his senses.

[Arrian]

The question is this: do you really think the UN will play hardball with NK? I don't. I think you will get some meaningless resolution and a refusal to embargo (China, Russia).

-Arrian