North Korea threatens US with a pre-emptive nuclear strike.

[Duff-Man]

Oh dear...

US delays scheduled rockets test to appease North Korea.

Does anybody else think that this is a giant mistake on the part of the US? The test of the ICBM was scheduled long before this round of rehetoric by North Korea (I was reading the wikipedia page on ICBMs over Christmas and saw then that the next scheduled US test was April 2013). Now, thanks to North Korea's threats and rhetoric, the test is being postponed?

Does anybody else feel that this just validates the threats that Mr Kim has been spewing from his propaganda machine over the past few weeks? Surely this (albeit very minor) concession from the US will just embolden them into further bouts of threats?

 

[opstrat]

The wee fat man is probably sitting in his bunker with a massive cheeser on his face, writing a statement to state newspapers saying how he has "conquered the west".

 

[dunker]

this feels like east germany west germsny just before the west/east rufused to shoot germans en-masse crossing the border, which led to a huge strain on the german evonomy.

do china/south korea want millions of hungry un-employable extra people, i doubt it.

 

[StriderX]

this feels like east germany west germsny just before the west/east rufused to shoot germans en-masse crossing the border, which led to a huge strain on the german evonomy.

do china/south korea want millions of hungry un-employable extra people, i doubt it.

So...starve them all to death?

 

[CREATIVE!11]

hurry up and put money where mouth is, kim jong isn't going to launch ****,

he needs to first pay for a decent haircut.

 

[dunker]

So...starve them all to death?

or pump korea full of aid money for them, we can't, usa can't afford it, it'll fall on china i'd image that they can't afford it either. shamefully this planet is all about money. i keep saying it, there are people on this planet that are willing to kill others just for money. crazy planet!

 

[Duff-Man]

or pump korea full of aid money for them, we can't, usa can't afford it, it'll fall on china i'd image that they can't afford it either. shamefully this planet is all about money. i keep saying it, there are people on this planet that are willing to kill others just for money. crazy planet!

It's not about "money", it's about political leverage.

North Korea have been trying to extort the US for food aid for decades, while simultaneously refusing to admit they have a food shortage. Most people believe that is ultimately what the current escalation is about (forcing the US back to the negotiating table, and using the threat of nuclear strike to gain a better deal). The monetary cost of providing aid to North Korea is minimal compared to the vast US economy, but how much of it reaches the "common people" is highly questionable. Reports suggest that most of the aid given in the '90s and early '00s by the US was hoarded by the North Korean army, and never made it to those who needed it most.


As for refugees, well China has moved ten thousand or so troops to the North Korean border to "handle" any potential refugee crisis. Whether this means allowing them through and setting up refugee camps, or forcibly sending them back, remains to be seen.

 

[RoboCod]

or pump korea full of aid money for them, we can't, usa can't afford it, it'll fall on china i'd image that they can't afford it either. shamefully this planet is all about money. i keep saying it, there are people on this planet that are willing to kill others just for money. crazy planet!

Seems like you might have the ideal that the world could live in some kind of utopian state if money did not exist. Whilst I agree that money contributes to disparity and inherently poor populations, having a world that was not driven by money wouldn't solve the problem you highlighted either.

What would? Restricting the glut that is humanity. The world is over populated, particularly in regions that are unsuitable for dwelling, Africa being a prime example.

Further to all this, if we weren't killing one another over money it would be over something else like land, or food, etc.

 

[theleg]

Oh dear...

US delays scheduled rockets test to appease North Korea.

Does anybody else think that this is a giant mistake on the part of the US? The test of the ICBM was scheduled long before this round of rehetoric by North Korea (I was reading the wikipedia page on ICBMs over Christmas and saw then that the next scheduled US test was April 2013). Now, thanks to North Korea's threats and rhetoric, the test is being postponed?

Does anybody else feel that this just validates the threats that Mr Kim has been spewing from his propaganda machine over the past few weeks? Surely this (albeit very minor) concession from the US will just embolden them into further bouts of threats?

I think its great and im suroprised the US did it..and i have a lot of respect for them having done so.

its not appeasement, because NK is nothing but talk. there is no real threat from them.

and the launch of an ICBM might be enough to make NK really believe they are being attacked. Do they have the tech to know its just a test missile? its a thoroughly sensible move for the US to do. postponing an ICBM test during the middle of the largest NK tantrum in a long time.

 

[geekyEd]

I think its great and im suroprised the US did it..and i have a lot of respect for them having done so.

its not appeasement, because NK is nothing but talk. there is no real threat from them.

and the launch of an ICBM might be enough to make NK really believe they are being attacked. Do they have the tech to know its just a test missile? its a thoroughly sensible move for the US to do. postponing an ICBM test during the middle of the largest NK tantrum in a long time.

I agree 100%, for once the US is being the bigger man and not worsening the already paranoid NK fears.

 

[robgmun]

Yes but that's all it should do. Anything more then it will hand NK a win

 

[Deluxe1]

At first i was thinking the US should have just went ahead with it and to not back down to NK but as others have said they are taking the moral high ground on the matter and good on them.

 

["andy"]

Oh dear...

US delays scheduled rockets test to appease North Korea.

Does anybody else think that this is a giant mistake on the part of the US? The test of the ICBM was scheduled long before this round of rehetoric by North Korea (I was reading the wikipedia page on ICBMs over Christmas and saw then that the next scheduled US test was April 2013). Now, thanks to North Korea's threats and rhetoric, the test is being postponed?

Does anybody else feel that this just validates the threats that Mr Kim has been spewing from his propaganda machine over the past few weeks? Surely this (albeit very minor) concession from the US will just embolden them into further bouts of threats?

But if us did a test then nk medieval catapulted a nuke across the border then would you have the same opinion ?


Your dates just make me wonder how long this latest level of threats has been going on for , out media picked up on it in the last few weeks but South Koreans don't seem like its news to them. Not seen one news report interviewing South Koreans like you would get with any other 'new' story

 

[illuz]

The BBC's John Sudworth in Seoul says Pyongyang will likely use the delay to its advantage in propaganda, and say the US has been forced to climb down in the face of resilience from the North Korean army.

That's exactly how they'll see it! Just how the South Koreans saw North Korea when Kim was photo'd with a Samsung mobile, they said it proved they make better tech than the north and thus win... He's dragged it on for too long, someone give him a dummy.

 

[estebanrey]

That's exactly how they'll see it! Just how the South Koreans saw North Korea when Kim was photo'd with a Samsung mobile, they said it proved they make better tech than the north and thus win... He's dragged it on for too long, someone give him a dummy.

It wasn't a Samsung...

http://www.phonearena.com/news/Kim-Jong-Uns-mysterious-phone-not-a-Samsung-but-what-is-it_id39480

 

[Matt82]

Looks like an Xperia Arc in a rubber case

 

[Rroff]

Its probably a chinese knock off of another design - some of them are quite close looking to the original device and not terribly behind in terms of spec or functionality i.e. the various clones of the galaxy note.

 

[Edward78]

But if us did a test then nk medieval catapulted a nuke across the border then would you have the same opinion ?


Your dates just make me wonder how long this latest level of threats has been going on for , out media picked up on it in the last few weeks but South Koreans don't seem like its news to them. Not seen one news report interviewing South Koreans like you would get with any other 'new' story

Hehe catapulted a nuke, don't see that working out. It is prob. all made up, the US news is just lieing.

 

[Trifid]

It wasn't a Samsung...

http://www.phonearena.com/news/Kim-Jong-Uns-mysterious-phone-not-a-Samsung-but-what-is-it_id39480

Could be a HTC Desire HD?

 

[Robbo]

Could be a HTC Desire HD?

It's probably a ZTE/HTC. A lot of people seem to think it's a HTC Butterfly, but I'm not sure.

It's such a terrible picture though, it could just be a custom made thing.