Perhaps somebody across the pond can assist.
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Yep, this sounds like a spectacularly bad idea. And we can thank old W for the doctrine of preemptive strikes.
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Lawfareblog has an interesting way to defuse North Korea. Allow China to put them under their nuclear umbrella.
It obviates the need for their own piddly nukes, puts the possibility of irradiating the Korean peninsula and Japan in the hands of parties which are not friends but not likely to nuke each other in a twitter storm.
I could live with a Kim regime under China’s protection if it means the likelihood they will dismantle their Chernobyl in Waiting in Yongbyon. I am of the mind that a Nork Nuclear accident spreading radiation all over some of the richest markets in Asia is more likely than an actual conflict.
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Would mean the DPRK ceding political control to the PRC, essentially becoming another Tibet. It does not seem the author has really thought this idea through very well.
That would be a problem, yes.
Like how Japan, South Korea, and Western Europe are now territories of the US because of our nuclear protection treaties.
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The thing is the PRC has no concept of a nuclear umbrella or even mutual defense treaties as the US does.
The problem here is that the DPRK is not particularly worried about being nuked. What they are justifiably worried about is US invasion.
So, unless this hypothetical Chinese nuclear umbrella includes a clause along the lines of “China will go to total war with the US if they attack the DPRK in any significant way”, it ain’t gonna do the job.
There is no way that the Chinese would agree to such an insane commitment, and the Koreans are unlikely to believe it would be honoured anyway.
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Broadcasting loud and clear.
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Sheesh. Only a day apart too!
The only way that makes sense is if he’s promoting desertion.
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As long as the DPRK has artillery and short range rockets trained on Seoul, there is no reason to believe the US would ever take affirmative action against the DPRK except as a reaction to some attack on them. The North Koreans aren’t going to do that.
But this current “bear baiting” of Trump by Kim is having an effect which does help them, China and Russia. It is creating rifts between the US and South Korea and getting Japan to re-evaluate its role in the self-defense treaty with the US.
The president of South Korea, believes Trump will fight to the last South Korean on the slightest pretext. Trump has already proven himself to be utterly irresponsible and incompetent when it comes to foreign affairs. Drawing more scorn from allies than potential adversaries. The Prime Minister of Japan is playing Trump and taking advantage of the situation for upgraded weaponry for the JSDF and a reduced American presence on Japanese soil.
Except that was the situation for them during the Cold War. China has its own self interests in keeping the US out of North Korean soil.
They are a country which has existed only because of its treaties with its much larger neighbors Russia and China. Even the most delusional leader of the DPRK knows this.
I mean, they themselves note that Reagan advocated this strategy, and we all know how that ended up… just peachy!
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Because it worked so well all those other times…
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This time will be different. They’re handing out MAGA hats.
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Anybody notice how quiet NK and NK stories were during the Holidays?
Funny how bullshit stops when nobody is listening.
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Guess you weren’t paying attention, DPRK stories have been plentiful over the last week or so. “The holidays” don’t mean the same thing over here in Asia.
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