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This isn't about the US acting as the "world police", intervening in some conflict in which its interests aren't threatened in order to protect some supposed mo

This isn't about the US acting as the "world police", intervening in some conflict in which its interests aren't threatened in order to protect some supposed moral order. North Korea has made explicit threats against the US and its allies, and is pursuing a nuclear programme with the purpose of being able to carry them out. Every nation has an inviolable right to defence under international law, and North Korea has explicitly threatened the US, and its allies, continually and belligerently, for years. A country does not have to sit around and wait for its enemies to strike before it acts. Even Russia, one of North Korea's allies, has warned it that its continued threats of nuclear strikes put it at risk of creating a legal basis for an attack by the US and South Korea: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/08/russia-warns-north-korea-nuclear-strike https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/08/russia-warns-n...

throwaway2016a 10y ago
If we attacked everyone who threatens us we would be at war with half the entire world. Ever been bullied at school? Acknowledging the bully shows your own weakness and gives the bully power. From your own quote: > put it at risk of creating a legal basis for an attack by the US and South Korea Exactly AT RISK. Let's wait until there actually is legal basis first rather than talk about attacking with no legal basis what-so-ever.
- throwaway2016b 10y ago
  Ignoring the bully is a great way to signal weakness to him and everyone around you, and tends to end with getting stuffed into lockers, laughed at by even weaker kids, and waiting on the tarmac for someone to roll a staircase out for you. Punching him in the face is, in the long run, a much better way to protect yourself and earn respect.
  - throwaway2016a 10y ago
    Lol, love the screen name. But in that scenario the bully is being actively aggressive. I guess to carry on the analogy, what other posters are suggesting is to punch the bully for threatening to beat you up with a baseball bat. First, the bat is not a threat to you yet and second if you do punch the bully you can be pretty sure that unless you knock him out permanently he's going to come back swinging, and his friends will be with him. In fairness, I did punch my bully in the face in high school and it did effectively get rid of him in my case. But it certainly could have gone differently. And one possible reason it went that way is because my allies were stronger than his (my friends were on the football team and his were potheads). But Russia and China are not weak. Edit: On the tarmac comment. So? It's politics. You need a thicker skin than that. The best way to handle that is to show you don't give a shit what they think. If you show them that doing something that stupid and petty hurts you it only encourages more. Let them have their laugh and let them push harder if they want. Stay strong. And one day they will either give up or push too hard, and when they push too hard you destroy them. Part of being strong is knowing when to use your strength and when to use restraint.

throwaway2016a 10y ago

If we attacked everyone who threatens us we would be at war with half the entire world. Ever been bullied at school? Acknowledging the bully shows your own weakness and gives the bully power. From your own quote: > put it at risk of creating a legal basis for an attack by the US and South Korea Exactly AT RISK. Let's wait until there actually is legal basis first rather than talk about attacking with no legal basis what-so-ever.

throwaway2016b 10y ago
Ignoring the bully is a great way to signal weakness to him and everyone around you, and tends to end with getting stuffed into lockers, laughed at by even weaker kids, and waiting on the tarmac for someone to roll a staircase out for you. Punching him in the face is, in the long run, a much better way to protect yourself and earn respect.
- throwaway2016a 10y ago
  Lol, love the screen name. But in that scenario the bully is being actively aggressive. I guess to carry on the analogy, what other posters are suggesting is to punch the bully for threatening to beat you up with a baseball bat. First, the bat is not a threat to you yet and second if you do punch the bully you can be pretty sure that unless you knock him out permanently he's going to come back swinging, and his friends will be with him. In fairness, I did punch my bully in the face in high school and it did effectively get rid of him in my case. But it certainly could have gone differently. And one possible reason it went that way is because my allies were stronger than his (my friends were on the football team and his were potheads). But Russia and China are not weak. Edit: On the tarmac comment. So? It's politics. You need a thicker skin than that. The best way to handle that is to show you don't give a shit what they think. If you show them that doing something that stupid and petty hurts you it only encourages more. Let them have their laugh and let them push harder if they want. Stay strong. And one day they will either give up or push too hard, and when they push too hard you destroy them. Part of being strong is knowing when to use your strength and when to use restraint.