Long Distance Phone Call Execution

[Rexmons]

God Bless America

A North Korean factory boss accused of making international phone calls was executed by a firing squad in front of 150,000 people, it emerged today.

The manager was gunned down in a sports stadium in South Pyongan province after authorities claimed he'd installed 13 in a basement to reach the outside world, the Good Friends aid agency revealed.

Remind me again why we haven't invaded North Korea?

[glatt]

Because they would kick our asses unless we nuked them first.

[Ibby]

Cause look what good invading Iraq did?
Also... do you think that nuclear war with china would be a good idea?

[lookout123]

do they manufacture anything we need? no? then leave them be til they either realize their leaders are nuts and change on their own OR they start really getting out of control and nuke them into the stone age.

[lookout123]

china wouldn't go nuclear Ibram. it is about money now. China is now a part of the world economy even if they pretend not to be. their entire economy is based on the dollar and the US debt that they own. If they go to war with us we say, "we're not making our debt payments to you anymore" and they are out trillions of dollars. won't happen.

[Ibby]

yeah, okay, im only half-serious, and even then exaggerating by a lot.

But still, us vs. korea would end up as us vs. china, the same way china vs. taiwan becomes china vs. us. they would fight us just to save face and such, if nothing else.

[lookout123]

you're right it would be us vs them, but it would shift largely to back room actions with lots of prime time saber rattling. The US and Chinese economies are so tightly linked that it will be devastating even to the winner. Think of Assured Mutual Destruction for the new millenium.

In truth, I believe that we will eventually go toe to toe with China and lose. but that is years down the road. there will come a day where China is the focal point for the planet and they become far more important than the US. the US ego just can't fathom or accept that so there will be a long period of smiles and handshakes with our "partners" in the east, mixed with intermittent saber rattling. then some economic catalyst will meet an ignition source, probably taiwan and then it's on. war, baby. except this time the US will not come out on top. our day on top of the world is done and we will limp on for a few generations denying our fall from importance. like modern france.

or i might just need to adjust my tin foil hat.

[lookout123]

On top of public executions, and other violations, they have this attitude?? How long can this last? I mean really?

isolation has worked for the latter day saints for generations. and they live and work next to us. a siege mentality ingrained from birth is very effective.

[ZenGum]

I think that Lookout's post #8 is an extremely plausible forecast. The current US ascendancy is not going to last forever, just as the British and Spanish and Roman and etc etc. didn't.

Which is one of the major reasons I don't support the war on terror. It is frittering away (well squandering really) financial, human and moral resources and trashing international support, while chasing after bad guys who have in their entire history killed fewer than 10,000 Americans. These resources are needed for managing far more important things: resurgent Russia, united Europe, and especially booming China. Terrorists are trivial.
I suspect the reason the Chinese didn't object to the invasion of Iraq is because they are quite happy to let the US go and bleed in the desert. Meanwhile they have become good friends with Iran.


But I thought posting this

Remind me again why we haven't invaded North Korea?

was ironic, since (depending on your timezone) you apparently posted it on November 27th, the anniversary of the start of the Battle of Chosin Reservoir.

[lookout123]

because they are quite happy to let the US go and bleed in the desert.

hmmm, i wonder if any other country has done this? like maybe in the '80's in afghanistan?

[classicman]

"Its citizens are banned from communicating with the outside world, part of the regime's authoritarian policies seeking to prevent any challenge to the iron-fisted rule of Kim Jong Il."

On top of public executions, and other violations, they have this attitude?? How long can this last? I mean really?

[classicman]

Its been a military tactic for....ever. Only new thing is the ignorance not to learn from the past and repeat the same mistakes.

[BigV]

Originally Posted by classicman

Its been a military tactic for....ever. Only new thing is the ignorance not to learn from the past and repeat the same mistakes.

For...ever?

"When the enemy is making mistakes, do not interrupt." -- Napoleon Bonaparte

It was old wisdom then, too.

[classicman]

Very good BigV, I like that one - a lot.

[BigV]

Originally Posted by classicman

Very good BigV, I like that one - a lot.

Thank you classicman. Welcome to the cellar. I'm glad you like that bit of borrowed wisdom. I'm not a Bonaparte scholar, but I do tend to collect bits like this. They tend to stick in my head. There's a whole collection of them round here somewhere... Quote of the day Found it! Enjoy. Good to have you aboard.