Will Kim Jong Un spoil our fun?

[FarangRuMak]

This Korean thing is getting a bit alarming as per the news today.
All High Season needs is nervous Americans, Aussies and Europeans deciding to avoid
S. E. Asia thus making the diehards who stay here more marginal than we already are.
Do y'all think this will fizzle out in a whimper?

[latintopxxx]

I suspect the last thing the Chinese desire is complete and utter chaos on their border and a stones throw from Beijing. If The Donald manages to out crazy the fat dwarf and simultaneously scare the hair dye off the Chinese leadership...them just maybe the Chinese will step in and actually do something....afterall the workers paradise is completely dependent on them for most of their supplies.
What does scare me is that we (the west) seem to be completely surprised at the speed with which fay boy managed to get his grubby paws on real weapons of mass destruction....what if he decides to supply ISIS......!?

[arsenal]

I've mentioned before that on this issue, Trump is the only one trying to do something about it.

[latintopxxx]

funny...everyone hates the US but when the shit hits the fan guess who everyone calls??

[frequent]

The answer to this question is obvious - only if he appears on stage at a Pattaya gogo bar in his Y fronts

[Moses]

funny...everyone hates the US but when the shit hits the fan guess who everyone calls??

sure: China - they only have real influence to North Korea

[FarangRuMak]

sure: China - they only have real influence to North Korea

From watching the news yesterday the cutting off of oil supplies to N Korea by China will be a game changer for their economy-if it happens.
Two untrustworthy countries have land borders with N. Korea - China & Russia.
They have been playing games all along with the West and the Rest I think. Otherwise how could the Junta acquire so much sophisticated technology in so short a time?
But now their spoiled brat has become an arrogant and enabled monster.

[Moses]

Otherwise how could the Junta acquire so much sophisticated technology in so short a time?

Easy: here also is Pakistan in game, and... Ukraine (surprise!) - formerly nuclear state. Rockets and warheads were removed from there to Russia, but you can't "remove" knowledges... there was scandal already in Ukraine in 2011 and 2012 when spy from North Korea been catched at time of buying classified docs from manufacturing plant what been manufacturer of rocket engines at time of formerly USSR in Dnepr (name of Ukrainian city, formerly Dnepropetrovsk)

http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/national/2012/06/09/91/0301000000AEN20120609000700320F.HTML

Now Ukraine denies everything, but Korean engines still looks close to old Ukrainian products.
http://edition.cnn.com/2017/08/24/europe/ukraine-north-korea-spies/index.html

Also Ukrainians sold nuclear-capable missiles to Iran in 2005
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/7349303/ns/world_news/t/ukraine-leader-confirms-missile-sales-iran/

[arsenal]

Technology is strange. Once it's been shown that something can be done then copycat tech follows very very quickly.

[Moses]

Technology is strange. Once it's been shown that something can be done then copycat tech follows very very quickly.

It depends on technology. Some are too expensive to copy and is much cheaper to buy original. Samples: Russia has no own computer processors and buys them from US. US has no own heavy rocket engines and already over 25 years buys them from Russia.

[goji]

I've mentioned before that on this issue, Trump is the only one trying to do something about it.

That's the only positive I see from the Trump presidency.

As for the risk to SE Asia, well one look at the map confirms it's quite some distance from DPRK & I don't thing fat Kim will have enough missiles to waste any on Thailand.

[cdnmatt]

I think we all need to revisit the current state of the world. If a nuclear holocaust breaks out, it's due to Trump being an asshole, and not to much due to Kim Jong-Un.

This decades long fight has simply been because we in the West are unaccepting to have North Korea as a nuclear power. Well, the West lost, because NK is now a nuclear power. We can either accept that fact, or push for nuclear war where millions of people die.

This is somewhat ridiculous. North Korea isn't stupid, but they are fighting for their very survival. They have 50,000+ soldiers sitting at their southern border ready to invade given the world, there's a couple carrier groups including submarines with enough of a nuclear payload to destory the entire world sitting just off their shores, and the list goes on.

Back off. NK is not going to invade South Korea as they did in 1953, nor are they going to launch a nuclear attack. They know full well doing so will result in the almost instant destruction of their country, and government. They've been talking total bullshit rhetoric for decades now, but it will never materialize.

If a nuclear holocaust breaks out, then it's due to the actions of the US. It's almost somewhat similar as to how Japan attacked Pearl Harbour back in WWII. That was mainly due to the fact the US put Japan into a corner economically, so they had no choice but to lash out and attack. The same is happening now. I thought we would have learned from history, but apparently not, so fuck it, I guess there's a decent chance we're all going to find out what nuclear fallout feels like. What should be fun.

[TaoR]

Actually, Cdnmatt, North Korea has numerous other options available to them, like maybe feeding their people and or growing their domestic economy. North Korea has a force of 5,589,000 and it represents the largest paramilitary force in the world (it also accounts for 25% of the country's population). The South Koreans have 495,000 soldiers and the Americans have 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea. You can also add the 54,000 troops stationed in Japan to this total as their primary purpose is to protect Japan from a North Korean attack.

Then next door you also have China and the PLA with 2,285,000 troops. North Korea served a great purpose for China and now serves that same purpose for Russia. North Korea keeps the Americans tied up and forces the American military to constantly reserve resources in case North Korea does something stupid. That always allowed Russia and China to go off and do other things knowing full well that we could only give lip service to stopping them.

So, don't assume that if the Americans pulled out of Asia that North Korea would all of the sudden sit down and join the other country's of the world....

IF nuclear war breaks out don't pin all the blame on the US; save a little for the crazies in North Korea and for their puppet masters, China and Russia.

[arsenal]

Moses. Your examples don't take into account availability. If those items were unavailable to buy them both countries could very quickly start building their own.

[christianpfc]

And the cost of research and development. In pharmaceutical chemistry, it costs several 100 million USD to find a new substance and get it approved as medicine, but once someone has spent that money and found and tested the substance, it can be produced for much less. That's why patents and trade agreements are in place to protect the intellectual property.

And the costs to set up a production line. Let's assume it costs 10 billion USD to set up a production line for nuclear warhead, and then just 100 million USD to produce one. Similar for intercontinental ballistic missile.

[FarangRuMak]

Another missile launched over Japan today by Kim Jong Un.
It's strange how familiarity breeds complacency. Some years ago the idea of North Korea firing such weapons over another country would be deemed highly unlikely.
I fear we're getting into a situation of no return.
A local war in Asia will have implications for those of us who are visitors here.
I predict a flight of people from the region and a big drop in tourism if this goes to the next level.
Nobody wants to fly into a region when 2 unstable leaders are going to have a head-to-head there.
"When elephants fight the ants get crushed".

[frequent]

Another missile launched over Japan today by Kim Jong Un.Fat Boy Kim would fit in well on this Forum - a whole lot of posturing and bluff

[FarangRuMak]

But we have 2 fat narcissists with big boy toys not on this forum but in the real world.

[cdnmatt]

But we have 2 fat narcissists with big boy toys not on this forum but in the real world.

You've been watching John Oliver's Last Week Tonight it seems. :)

[FarangRuMak]

Mai kow jai.

[cdnmatt]

Sorry, nevermind. John Oliver made a similar joke on one of his shows.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlPfcC_aEoY

[FarangRuMak]

Didn't see it.
But it's no joke when there's mounting evidence that we could possibly be dealing with 2 narcissistic belligerents here.
The present POTUS reminds me a lot of Kaiser William. That pompous peacock was a major instigator of the great slaughter aka The Great War.
We're in a situation now whereby our fate rests with the more balanced heads in the administration.
Trump's Tweet about the latest missile launch has the content and tone of a 12 year old's message to his friends.
I've a bad feeling about this dispute in this particlar location.
It's far enough away from the USA to make it an attractive location for war games.

[frequent]

But it's no joke when there's mounting evidence that we could possibly be dealing with 2 narcissistic belligerents here.I thought for a moment you were talking about a447 and Surfcrest. However, here's the latest contribution to this all-important debate:

5439

[a447]

For someone who has demonstrated such a deep knowledge of the North Korean situation, I was looking forward to some deeper insights.

Afterall, it was you who broke the news to the world that the U.S. has an 'ambassador" beavering away quietly in a backalley in Pyongyang.

Any news on how he's doing?

Is he still there, or has he been recalled?

Any news at all on him?

Lol

[frequent]

I was looking forward to some deeper insightsAfter all this time of going on holiday together and constantly commenting on and repeating my every post, you still think I'm capable of deeper insights? How touching. However you're not really a Boswell

[a447]

So, no news huh?

[frequent]

So, no news huh?I suggest you re-read the post you keep referencing. The update, such as it is, is included therein

[scottish-guy]

?...the U.S. has an 'ambassador" beavering away quietly ..in Pyongyang....

The dirty bastard