North Korea

[Pally]

I may be the only one that actually enjoys world news, but this is something that is very concerning to me. Has anyone been keeping up to date with the actions of North Korea? It's pretty scary to think of what they might do next.

Currently, the UN has orderes sanctions against North Korea to punish them for testing nuclear weapons. There is a global ban on any testing of any weapons and North Korea violated that ban. So now, North Korea has been angered by the sanctions and are on high watch as to what their next move may be. The first test was of lower yield and there is no reason not to believe the next tests (which are highly likely now that they have global attention) will be of higher power.

I am pretty scared for the surrounding areas, and even for us, as Korea has been known to have a missile that could possibly reach US borders.

You all can read the current news on whats going on here: www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15298132/

What could we possibly due to stop this dude from doing what he's doing? Stephen Harper isn't the most peaceful man either, as he an advocate of war and is in favour of US actions. So, I guess we have to see how this plays out. I don't think anyone can do anything, when our own government has yet to stand up.

I'm angered. ...DEEPLY

[Gurinder]

North Korea can only reach Japan (Alaska at best). Japan doesn't have an army tho and if something was to happen. North Korea would get destroyed, the US and the rest of the world.

The problem that happens because of this is China. China doesn't want another capitalist country (if the North and South merge), and that could really add fuel to the fire.

[Pally]

Yeah, but Jong Il is just crazy! He seems to want to be the next Hitler (action wise, not politically). To know that a man with such power over his country disregards global concerns and instead, is enraged with how people are spying into his country's actions is fearful. He doesn't care what people want to do to him or his country, and has his hand on the red button to release his weapons. He doesn't seem to be stable.

[kh]

Yeah we were learning about this the other day. He wasn't allowed to test the bombs and he did in the Korean mountains (If you ever go hiking, don't go there the radiation will get ya).

Speaking of nuclear weapons, here's a cool fact: When Hitler was in power, Albert Einstien first went to him with his plans of the Nuclear weapon, however Hitler didn't care for it because AE was a jew. Imagine what crazy old Hitler woulda' done with that (I'm pretty sure that's the jist of it, might be wrong, however I'm pretty sure this is correct info)...

[Raminder]

umm.....Einstein was never an advocate of nuclear weapons, nor did he ever go to Hitler. Einstein never had plans for a nuclear weapon but rather he had the theory, but all physicists at that time knew the power of the nuclear forces. The reason why Hitler never had a nuclear weapon (asides from not having the most talented physicists) was he believed that better missiles, tanks and aircraft were necessary for the war effort, and as a result put less effort in developing atomic weapons. Einstein went to Roosevelt and told him the power of the nuclear force, in particular uranium's nucleus. He himself never worked on the weapon, that was headed by Robert Oppenheimer.

The nuclear detonation by the DPRK (dont know why they call it democratic... ) was a sub-kiloton blast, meaning that it was the weakest initial nuclear detonation by a country ever; implying that North Korea does not know how to manufacture proper weapons yet. Regardless they will not be able to mount a nuclear weapon on a missile in the short future anyway, let alone on their Taepodong-2 which they claim could reach Alaska.

[kh]

-_- I wasn't sure. However that is what I learned at school, I thought it would be right...

[Gurinder]

kh said:

-_- I wasn't sure. However that is what I learned at school, I thought it would be right...

Take his word, he knows his Physics

[kh]

I'm not arguing, I'm just saying that's what I heard, I heard it all school, so I thought it was right. Thus, I spread it . Sorry for the wrong info then...

[Pally]

raminder said:

The nuclear detonation by the DPRK (dont know why they call it democratic... ) was a sub-kiloton blast, meaning that it was the weakest initial nuclear detonation by a country ever; implying that North Korea does not know how to manufacture proper weapons yet. Regardless they will not be able to mount a nuclear weapon on a missile in the short future anyway, let alone on their Taepodong-2 which they claim could reach Alaska.

So other countries have also tested nuke weapons??? Who would that be and did they also recieve punishments?

According to MSNBC, North Korea has been satellited with increased activity around 2 major weapons facilities for the past 24 hours. I just don't get why no one has stepped up! Where is the big evil-all mighty-untouchable-military geniuses of the world, aka the US, with all of this?? They've sent Rice to deal with the situation. What possibly could that little woman do? And where is big Bush? I knew he was a chicken, but man, he needs to grow some ummm and live up to self-concepted name.

[mannai]

I believe if the US has the right to harness nuclear weapons any other country in the world has just as much a right to have them. Any country even if it is a enemy of the United States or an ally of the states. We over here are fed so much propaganda that most people in the western world automatically assume that what the US and its allies do is a move to better the world.

I'm not saying that I am a supporter of Kim Jong Il since he is no great man himself because he lets his people starve. But I just love it how all the bureaucrats in Washington go to sleep knowing that there is a new nuclear power in the world and this one is not their friend. Finally someone who can stand up to them.

I know some of you will obviously not agree with me and will post against my beliefs but my beliefs are my own and yours are yours so don't post in attempt to change my beliefs because you will not succeed in changing them. But post on the subject as you please.

Manpreet Sanghera baby.

[virk]

From a Poli Sci major, the only people that really have to worry is Seoul. NK has 10,000 artillary pieces in range of SK capital city, they dont need nuclear weapons to wipe it off the map. Those artillary pieces is the major reason that north korea is not a nuclear wasteland.

The worst part is what would happen if NK had deploayable Nukes, because the entire region would then "go nuclear", as Japan can probably develop a nuclear warhead in a matter of days. And having a Japan as a nuclear power, would certainly upset China, and if China started developing more Nukes then India, etc, Pakistan, etc. And don't forget this little thing called the NPT (look it up on Wikipedia). So yes, NK having nukes is completely unacceptable. Regime change anyone?

Manpreet, one should always be able to question their own beliefs, if thats not possible that just implies arrogance and can lead to ignorance. Not saying your Anti-Americanism is wrong, but for a University student you should know better. I'm pretty sure you didn't walk in there knowing everything.

[Raminder]

So other countries have also tested nuke weapons??? Who would that be and did they also recieve punishments?

Every country that has nuclear weapons have tested them, we all know the US was first when they conducted the Trinity Test in New Mexico, that was the first fission bomb test. Later during the 50s the Americans and Soviets tested fusion bombs, bombs which are a few thousand times more powerful than the North Korea bomb. The Soviets tested the Tsar Bomb, a 52 Megaton bomb , compared to DPRK's 0.0005Megaton bomb.

The ramifications of these tests were the SALT treaties and the and a bunch of other treaties saying that no more tests would be conducted on the ocean, above ground or in space. (A nuclear detonation ~400 km above the united states could cause an electromagnetic pulse to wipe out most electronics on the continental United States, thus crippling the entire country in 1 shot)

In response to Manni's comments:

I believe if the US has the right to harness nuclear weapons any other country in the world has just as much a right to have them. Any country even if it is a enemy of the United States or an ally of the states. We over here are fed so much propaganda that most people in the western world automatically assume that what the US and its allies do is a move to better the world.

I do agree with the comments to a certian extent. However, North Korea is not a stable country, they are a threat to their neighbours and the peace and security of north east Asia. By having nuclear weapons they have just amplified the situation, if a country is a threat to your allys, you will respond and help your allies to that situaiton.

North Korea does not want any military action, neither does anybody else. If that were to happen we would have China and the US on opposite sides, that could be a very very dangerous situation. North Korea will not use their nuclear weapons in a war (they have no more than a couple) because if they did they would face even stiffer retaliation. The whole goal of North Korea in developing nuclear weapons is to guarantee its own security. Kim Jong il will do anything to keep his regime in power regardless to what it does to his own people. By having nuclear weapons he has somewhat solidified his regime’s longevity. And we all know that this regime should be eliminated.

[mannai]

JUST TO CLARIFY my belief is that I believe if the US has the right to harness nuclear weapons any other country in the world has just as much a right to have them.

For me to question that belief is like saying well the US has the right to do anything they want and the other countries of the world can't have anything the United States possesses.

Therefore I am assuming my belief is a positive and valid one and I don't see a reason why I would want to question this one.

Don't get me wrong here I'm not a supporter of the NK regime.
And yes of course one should be able to question their own beliefs.

[imsunny]

Why does everyone have to be America's "female dog". I don't see anything wrong with another country albeit a millitary dictatorship headed by a supposed "maniac" having a nuclear weapon. Think about it...the US has the most nuclear weapons in service today. Other countries are merely trying to develop them to become safer. Would you attack a nation that had a nuke?? I would think twice. I know some of you will say but we don't know it's only for defesive purposes, I say to you how do you know it isn't? Would the US have invaded Iraq, had it had WMDs?? I think not. What I think North Korea and Iran are trying to do is simply develop a WMD to prevent being invaded by the US. Or they may believe developing a WMD will bring them into the nuclear era...after all the US became a true world power after WW2. This was mainly due to the European nations having faught the war on home soil...but the A-Bomb secured their position for a long time to come. Yeah so I don't agree with these sanctions...

[imsunny]

And whatever news/medi we are presented with is biased! Stephen Harper is an idiot...Man old people need to learn how to vote...