U.S. military in Japan prepares for war

[Steve Bildermann]

This is very unnerving. Very unnerving indeed.

The U.S. armed forces in Japan will carry out night landing practice (NLP) of fighters in mid-January in preparation for a possible confrontation with North Korea

http://mdn.mainichi.co.jp/news/20021228p2a00m0fp005000c.html

[Maciamo]

Bad news indeed. Let's hope NK doesn't atomized Tokyo in retaliation.

[GuyJean]

This is very unnerving. Very unnerving indeed.

Get ready for a nuclear arms build-up..

Oh, Mista Jimmy Carter.. please help

GJ

[Andocrates]

I never thought I'd miss Bill Clinton

[Taro Toporific]

Let's hope NK doesn't atomized Tokyo in retaliation.

Sheeee-it, those NK missles can't hit anything. Figure the last time NK shot at us, they missed Tokyo and just buzzed Tohoku.

[Steve Bildermann]

just buzzed Tohoku.

Close counts in horseshoes, hand grenades and unfortunately strategic thermonuclear weapons

[cstaylor]

I was under the impression that Seoul would be obliterated in the opening moments of any military confrontation.

Now, did anyone happen to catch where the new NK Uranium nuclear weapon facility was located? On the Yalu... oh boy, talk about repeating history.

[cstaylor]

Well, it looks from the news today that America is backing off... they plan to let (economic) nature take its course and see what happens

[cstaylor]

South Korea Criticizes U.S. Plan to Increase Pressure on the North

South Korea, underscoring differences with the United States, said Monday that pressure and isolation would not persuade communist North Korea to halt its nuclear brinkmanship.

``Pressure and isolation have never been successful with communist countries -- Cuba is one example,'' Kim told his cabinet, according to remarks published by the presidential Blue House.

And the Soviet Union is another... oh, wait, pressure and isolation actually worked in that case.

[cstaylor]

South Koreans Divided on North Korean Atom Threat

This time, many younger South Koreans, whose memories are of steadily rising affluence instead of the hardships of the Korean War, believe that Korean blood is thicker than political ideology.

Asked about a nuclear threat to this affluent society, he replied: "They wouldn't attack South Korea with it. It is not for attack, but for defense.

On Dec. 19, it was largely voters in their 20's and 30's who overwhelmingly elected as president Roh Moo Hyun, a 56-year-old liberal who advocates a relationship with North Korea based on aid, trade and dialogue. As soon as the election was over, North Korea moved to free its nuclear program from international controls

Earlier in the day, President-elect Roh met with the protest leaders, hoping to turn off the anti-American movement that helped him win the election. "I earnestly appeal to you to stop the candlelight demonstrations," he said, adding, "You should not demand a U.S. surrender." Protest leaders said they would continue to organize protests.

A little late for that now.

[cstaylor]

S. Koreans Take North Nuke Plan in Stride

Far from fearing war, some South Koreans believe they can benefit from North Korea's nuclear weapons development if and when the two countries reunify their peninsula.

While many in the South view the North's moves to restart its nuclear facilities as a threat to their safety, a number of mostly young people admire their communist neighbor's technical know-how and defiance toward the United States

``I don't oppose North Korea having nuclear weapons because ultimately the weapons will protect the whole Korean Peninsula,'' said Joon Kim, a worker at a telecommunications company in Seoul. The Koreas were divided at the end of World War II by U.S. and Soviet troops.

``Having nuclear weapons gives a lot of leverage in negotiations with other countries,'' Kim said.

And who, prey tell, are they planning to "negotiate" with using nuclear weapons? Japan?

``North Korea is not threatening us with its nuclear weapons program, and I can understand why North Korea is acting the way they are now because they have nothing to rely on,'' said Kim Eun-suk, a teacher.

``They are being driven into a corner by the United States, so what else can they do?'' she said.

Thousands of South Koreans have joined recent candlelit protests against the U.S. military following the deaths of two South Korean girls struck by a U.S. military vehicle on a training mission. However, protests against North Korea's nuclear development have drawn fewer than 100 people, most of them elderly.

I'm sorry, but you almost wish that the youngn's get their comeuppance and are forced to wear Fat Bastard pins for the rest of their lives.

[Steve Bildermann]

[Darkwing]

I doubt that China has an interest in seeing SK and NK unite unless the US moved from Korea altogether, and NK has equal share in the control of a united country. East Germany was absorbed into the West and political control of the pre-unitification government in the East was totally lost. I doubt that Kim Jung will allow his family to loose power.

I dont know what NK's game is. The US would be left with no choice but to counter attack NK if they started something and NK does not have the troops, air power, or even food to occupy SK and at the same time prevent the US from kicking their bitch asses. If they used nukes on any other country the US would likely have global backing to obliterate NK and the issue would essentially be solved.

The NK's are just sabre rattling. The US has taken the right approach with the idea of economic isolation and trying to avoid a war that would be costly on both sides.

Iraq. The US is supposed to be able to fight 3 wars simultaineously alone. I doubt they can acheive that but with full NATO support they could easily fight 2 wars if the American people are willing to accept high looses.

DW

[Maciamo]

When one reflects on the present situation, one comes with the following elements :

- The last major earthquake in Tokyo was in 1923. Catastophic earthquakes happen in average once every 70 years in the region. Oops ! Are we arriving to the deadline (without pun intended) ?

- NK might drop a nuke on Tokyo in retaliation against the US forces there.

- The emperor has prostate cancer and might die or abdicate soon. Princess Akiko being the only heir, Japan is up for a radical change. Either an empress in a country where women are just good to serve tea to men and stay at home to raise the children. Or the end of the monarchy after millenia of uninterrupted reign (except for the power to the shogun).

- The economy might crash at any time, while banks should already be bankrupt. Is Japan going to lose its world-class savings ? What about combining this to the earthquake in waiting ? Tokyo flattened and the world economy sink with it ! (for Japan possess lots of US$ in bonds, stocks and other investments).

Just a hypothesis...

All together sounds bad though...

Really, there is just the emperor that I don't care about much...

Then I found this article that says :

The Japanese were described as secretive, narrow-minded egoists with no moral code or international outlook, and may be secretly developing nuclear weapons, in an analysis of the country's psyche written by Britain's departing ambassador to Tokyo in 1972.

Hmm...

[Taro Toporific]

When one reflects on the present situation, one comes with the following elements :
- The last major earthquake in Tokyo was in 1923. Catastophic earthquakes happen in average once every 70 years
<snip>
- The economy might crash at any time, while banks should already be bankrupt. Is Japan going to lose its world-class savings ? What about combining this to the earthquake in waiting ? Tokyo flattened and the world economy sink with it ! (for Japan possess lots of US$ in bonds, stocks and other investments).
All together sounds bad though.....

ACTUALLY, the Big Quake or a nuke or two would be only thing that would wake up Zombie Japan's economy and living-dead spirit of its people.
The Worst case scenario is the Best case scenario...

[Maciamo]

Well, if you allow me to choose, I'd go for the earthquake instead of the nuke, after all.

Sadly it' true, the destruction would boost the now ailing construction industry and revive the economy... after having destroyed it. It'd be ok if the quake is about the same as in Kobe in 95, but if it's bigger, much bigger... then Japan will go back to Edo jidai in a single day. (exaggerating of course, but the stock and the yen would plummet and most companies go bust within a few days).

I realise that the Western economy (especially the US's) has started an endless slump, as if the bubble had burst in its own fashion. Not sure what's going to happen, but we can't dismiss the hypothesis that the US economy continue to go down slowly during the next decade as Japan did. It is possible that all matured economy eventually do that. The reasons I see offhand are that :

- most people have their house and equipment they need (washing machine, TV, car...) > people buy less
- There is no real need for more roads or bridges > public construction down
- More people travel abroad and spend their money there > national curency down
- the fertility rate falls > population stop growing then decrease (like in Japan, Germany, etc.)
- aging of the population > less workforce and less dynamic ; old people oppose reforms that could heal the economy.
- people become richer. Children are used to confortable life and become lazier than the previous generation.
...

[cstaylor]

Three-Ring Circus

Instead of merely going to the U.N. for bold finger-wagging, President Bush should order a drawdown of U.S. troops in South Korea, where they are now reviled and serve only as hostages to the North. Let Koreans pursue bold dialogues with each other