4 ms·

What's your estimate of the death toll of the path you're advocating? Not just the first strike, but the ensuing carnage... My first thought when I read the ne

by morsch 10y ago

What's your estimate of the death toll of the path you're advocating? Not just the first strike, but the ensuing carnage... My first thought when I read the news was that the current way of dealing with NK -- condemnation, shunning, embargoes -- seems to be a dead end. What is it even accomplishing anymore? Escalating seems to be a path to hell, for everyone involved. What else is there besides appeasement? I hasten to add that I don't know enough about the various international relationships involved to really have a solid opinion.

throwaway2016a 10y ago
What is your evidence that "my" path ensures carnage? There is certainly a chance. And that chance is certainly less than 100%. The chance of carnage if we attack first IS 100%. I don't think the sanctions, embargoes, and shunning are working either. But those first two hurt the people who are already too weak to revolt not the dictator. And the third one is just posturing. I don't know the answer. I just know that attacking preemptively has proven to create power vacuums, solidify international public opinion against the US, and cost thousands of lives. Not just American soldiers but civilians too. But some off the top of my head suggestions... - Propaganda war - Let another country like South Korea take the lead (and support them of course) - Do nothing. If (granted a big if) North Korea is not suicidal. They are just saber rattling and don't pose a real threat. But I hope that all the smart people in our state department are collectively smarter than me.
- AnimalMuppet 10y ago
  > Let another country like South Korea take the lead (and support them of course) I'd say South Korea and China. Tell them to figure out, between them, what they think the world's strategy on North Korea should be. (China has a lot of potential harm from North Korea falling apart or going to war.) Tell them if they agree on how to approach NK, the US will back them (presuming we think their approach to at least be sane), including with force if needed. That would make it South Korea and China's problem (which it really is, much more than the US's problem, despite NK continuing to utter threats at the US). And it removes "US vs. China" as one of the problems that makes the NK situation so intractable.

by morsch 10y ago

throwaway2016a 10y ago

What is your evidence that "my" path ensures carnage? There is certainly a chance. And that chance is certainly less than 100%. The chance of carnage if we attack first IS 100%. I don't think the sanctions, embargoes, and shunning are working either. But those first two hurt the people who are already too weak to revolt not the dictator. And the third one is just posturing. I don't know the answer. I just know that attacking preemptively has proven to create power vacuums, solidify international public opinion against the US, and cost thousands of lives. Not just American soldiers but civilians too. But some off the top of my head suggestions... - Propaganda war - Let another country like South Korea take the lead (and support them of course) - Do nothing. If (granted a big if) North Korea is not suicidal. They are just saber rattling and don't pose a real threat. But I hope that all the smart people in our state department are collectively smarter than me.

AnimalMuppet 10y ago
> Let another country like South Korea take the lead (and support them of course) I'd say South Korea and China. Tell them to figure out, between them, what they think the world's strategy on North Korea should be. (China has a lot of potential harm from North Korea falling apart or going to war.) Tell them if they agree on how to approach NK, the US will back them (presuming we think their approach to at least be sane), including with force if needed. That would make it South Korea and China's problem (which it really is, much more than the US's problem, despite NK continuing to utter threats at the US). And it removes "US vs. China" as one of the problems that makes the NK situation so intractable.