[paraclete]

Tom I agree that escalation in any form is bad news. NK is punishing the South because they are the only available non military target. It is tit-for-tat diplomacy, you sanction us, we sanction you. That has what it has been so far, we take away your prizes so you will talk to us and show us respect. This is an oriental head thing

[paraclete]

We enter the era of the suitcase bomb

North Korea declares it has given approval for a nuclear attack on the United States | News.com.au

NK's rhetoric has entered a new phase, they are no longer talking about striking the US with rockets but about more sophisticated means or perhaps like the movie an incursion into the US itself.

[tomder55]

The US deploys advanced missile defense ,the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System (THAAD), in Guam . The President ordered an increase in our ground based interceptor force in Alaska ;and the deployment of two destroyers equipped with Aegis missile defense systems, the Decatur and the John McCain.

Secretary Chuck Hagel said the NORKS represent a "present a real and clear danger." Those are not just words to be dismissed lightly. That's because threats by the un-Kim to nuke the US has to be taken seriously. They successfully tested a nuclear device recently ;and they also successfully launched a 3 stage rocket out of the atmosphere . If they were to successfully launch a multi-stage rocket that was even carrying a low grade nuke;and were able to successfully detonate it over the continental US at a high altitude ;the resulting EMP could fry electronics throughout the US.

The damage level could be sufficient to be catastrophic to the Nation, and our current vulnerability invites attack.
—EMP Commission Report, 2004
Critical national security and homeland defense missions are at an unacceptably high risk of extended outage from failure of the electric grid.
—Defense Science Board, Feb 2008

There is very little in the way of back-up capability to the electric grid (upon
Which the communications infrastructure is vitally dependent). Individual
Homes rarely have an independent source of electric power, industry has
Some continuity of operations (COOP) capability, and essential services
Such as hospitals are required to have a few days of auxiliary power to
Sustain them off the power grid. The likely scenarios caused by solar
Storms and EMP forecast a power grid loss for many times longer than
Current backup power sources, maybe even a year or more if a significant
Number of high power transformers are destroyed and would have to be remanufactured.
In some cases, such grid components are manufactured offshore
Causing even more delay. The net effect of the collapse of the electric
Grid is that communities would become localized and insular. They would
Be disconnected from the more regional conditions, the possibility of
Outside assistance such as food and medicine, and the chances of recovery
To normal. One group even explored that there might be no return to
Normal as was previously known.

There is little in the way of preparation for the loss of the electric grid.
Although there actually is a significant amount of information in the form
Of literature, websites, and planning from the local government to the
Federal agency level, there has been little effort in the form of individual
Preparation and rehearsal for such an event. This includes the stockpiling
Of food and survival kits to include radios in Faraday protection boxes with
Batteries and first aid supplies. Preparing for months without a commercial
Source of clean water (city water pressure is often dependent on electric
Pumping to storage towers) and stoppage of sewage treatment facilities
Will require new methods of survival particularly in populated areas.

http://www.csl.army.mil/usacsl/publi.../InTheDark.pdf

Note how no one in the left speaks in mocking terms about 'Star Wars' technology these days.

[tomder55]

OK so the AP quotes State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland that this crisis give Zero the chance to open up to China.
"The issue here is to continue to recognize that the threats we share are common, and the approaches are more likely to be more effective if we can work well together,"

North Korea's latest outburst of nuclear and military threats has given the U.S. a rare opportunity to build bridges with China — a potential silver lining to the simmering crisis that could revitalize the Obama administration's flagging policy pivot to Asia .
President Barack Obama recently called China's new president, Xi Jinping, as part of an effort to brief the Chinese about American plans to take steps to deter the threats coming from the North, The New York Times reported on its website Friday night...

KRudd echoed the sentiment
China and the US have chance to rebuild trust: Kevin Rudd | Mackay Daily Mercury
He sees a "unique window" for the US to take the lead in the trust dept. In other words Zero should do a Clintoon and share our capabilities I mean ;what better way to close said deficit than to brief China on US military deployments and explaining to the Chinese just what our capabilities are?
After all the Russians are telling the world that the US build up in Korea is not about the NORKSat all ;but about China.
Obama's Korean Peninsula 'Game' Strategy - English pravda.ru

WSJ says that this flare-up and posturing is a win-win for China.
By China putting the squeeze on the NORKS (who are probably acting at the direction of China anyway) they hope for reciprocal moved by Zero regarding the recent Chinese -Tokyo tensions .

What does Beijing gain from demonstrating goodwill to Washington though? China's action may be meant to suggest that if it can act tough with North Korea, the U.S. can show a similar attitude toward its biggest treaty ally in Asia-Japan.

The true target of Beijing's actions then may not be Pyongyang at all, but rather Tokyo. Since the Japanese government nationalized the Senkaku Islands in September, Beijing-which calls the barren rocks Diaoyus-has sought to demonize and isolate its neighbor. It accuses Tokyo of harboring imperial ambitions, nurturing ultranationalist sentiments and endangering regional stability.

Nana Rolland: North Korean Pawn in a Chinese Chess Game - WSJ.com
Under this scenario ; The NORKS ramp up pressure under Chinese marching orders . Then the US gives privy to the Chinese about our deployments to counter the aggression. The Chinese reign in the NORKS ,and in exchange Zero puts pressure on Japan to mend their ways. Gee what could go wrong ?

But we can be tranquil and thankful and proud
for man's been endowed with a mushroom shaped cloud.
And we know for certain that some lovely day
someone will set the spark off
and we will all be blown away.
(Kingston Trio 'The Merry Minuet')

[talaniman]

Saber rattling and being provocative has always gotten the NORKS what they wanted in the past, but this time he is being ignored as well he should be. As long as we are ready for anything dumb he intends on doing.

[paraclete]

And China made it plain it doesn't want others playing in its back yard

[talaniman]

Then they better talk to this young guy.

[tomder55]

China is calling the shots.. we like to pretend that they don't .

[talaniman]

This proxy stuff is getting old.

[paraclete]

Well who's the proxy you think NK is the chinese proxy, no that is a dangerous game and one China cannot afford to loose, but they can afford to loose NK

[paraclete]

The North Koreans have now escalated to closing the border and asking foriegners to leave even though things are quiet inside the country. This has real parallels with WWII when the Japanese found themselves restricted. We need to be conscious of oriental thinking, this is all about the prestige of the leader, perhaps if BO invited him to Washington for talks it would all blow over

[talaniman]

Screw them. If they want to seriously talk about something they can do it like a civilized society. All this bluster to make a point is stupid.

[paraclete]

I agree but apparently the US and NK talk all the time through back channels so it is just bluster it is just that the north koreans shout loader when they are doing it. Noisy little buggers aren't they

[paraclete]

As I said before it all about internal politics, it's just that the US is a convenient target for NK rhetoric

Former top N Korean spy shares insight into regime - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

[tomder55]

Up until yesterday I agreed with the US response. But yesterday they signaled through their independent media mouthpiece that the US response to aggression would be measured an proportional. That is a huge mistake. It should be made clear to un-Kim that there will be a heavy price for aggression.

[paraclete]

What they are saying Tom is; you fire one, we will fire one and one is all it takes.

Thing is; if 1 million NK soldiers cross the border, the US is not in a position to make a proportional response

[tomder55]

No they are talking about you shell an island ,the SK will shell and island . Again Emperor 0 leading from behind. Now the un Kim knows how far he can take this. I would've told him instead that if we see evidence of one of those missiles he moved to the coast being fueled for launch ;we will take it out on the ground.

[paraclete]

Ah a preemptive strike, reviving an old republican policy. No a proportional response is to fuel up a rocket.

[tomder55]

I'm not into proportional responses . I want him to fear attacking .

[paraclete]

I'm not into proportional responses . I want him to fear attacking .

Tom I'm sure he knows what MAD means just as you do, this is not about you (US) it is about his personal survival. I doubt he really believes the propaganda and the rhetoric but he has to talk tough, just like all dictators. Don't you remember how Saddam used to rave.

He has done a lot to reinforce a message which is basically show us some respect

Your namby pamby handling of this over years has got you to this situation