[Public_Domain]

[Gunnair]

Mr_Canada Mr_Canada:

I'd like to hear your theories on how what I'm for 'opposes' the notion of civilization.

Because I could argue on and on about alienation and how capitalism destroys the very imagination of 'community'.

I'm not sure why you bother engaging in such a waste of time. It's the US way or the highway.

Find something better to do. Go for a walk; read a book; or better yet, remind yourself that you live in the best country in the world and simply leave it at that.

[BartSimpson]

Mr_Canada Mr_Canada:

I'd like to hear your theories on how what I'm for 'opposes' the notion of civilization.

Because I could argue on and on about alienation and how capitalism destroys the very imagination of 'community'.

That you subscribe to the views of that sick, twisted, and pathetic fuck Marx who was more intent on his vicious scribblings than feeding his two daughters says so much. Heh, it's rather ironic and a foretelling of Marx's ideas that his daughters starved to death. That you can't stop cheerleading for a philosophy of repression that was born in blood and which caused more deaths than even any single plague makes me wonder about you.

You're obviously an intelligent young man, yet you deny the evidence of history in order to cling to some romanticized ideal of communism. An ideal that simply cannot be.

And now you don't mind a war against North Korea so long as NATO isn't in charge at the end or maybe you want some vague 'democracy' to take place there. Meaning you'd love to see 'free and fair' one party elections? They already have that in North Korea. They can vote for their Dear Leader any time they want.

Mr. C, let me just cut this short and say that you are seeking a time that never existed and you're fighting for a cause that was defeated by it's own corruption.

[Zipperfish]

Gunnair Gunnair:

$1:

North Korea’s fat little dictator can still be taught a lesson

Before everyone gets too excited about North Korea shelling a South Korean island 75 miles offshore from Seoul, there’s virtually no likelihood that such an aggressive act will escalate into war.

That may seem a foolhardy observation, given North Korea’s repeated aggressions against the South, and it’s record of violating every treaty or agreement it has ever signed.

By the same token, North Korea does not have a friend in the world.
China and Russia are allies of convenience, but their patience is stretched thin by the antics of ailing Kim Jong-il who seems not long for this world and has appointed his son, Kim Jong-un as his successor.

At the same time he has promoted his unpleasant daughter to the rank of Major-General. A dynasty in the making.

The last thing China wants is a war or a crisis on its border. Yet even China can’t harness Kim Jong-il’s rogue regime.

Last year, North Korea declared the 1953 ceasefire that ended the Korean war, was no longer valid. In other words, it felt free to attack, provoke, mischief-make at will, gambling that South Korea and the U.S. would swallow whatever indignities and outrages foisted on them.

Last March, as if in preparing for shelling the island of Yeonpeong that killed two and injured a couple of dozen, a North Korean torpedo sank a South Korean warship, the Cheoan, killing 46 sailors.

That in itself was a warlike act that demanded retaliation. But no. The world urged restraint, as it always does when North Korea needs its butt kicked.

Of course, North Korea is a dangerous country. It should be brought to heel, but is unlikely to be when the Western world is guided by the leaders now in charge. No Reagan or Thatcher on the horizon. Certainly not Obama who prefers to apologize rather than challenge.

North Korea has again reneged on nuclear agreements, and has revved up its nuclear weapons program. It yearns to be viewed as a nuclear power.

What western countries should do, is suspend all aid and commerce with North Korea, whose meager resources are funneled into the military – an army of some 1.2 million, a navy of 1,000 warships, an air force of 2,000 aircraft, plus a potential nuclear force.

All this at the expense of the people. Up to 800,000 North Koreans starve to death annually. Kim Jong-il is, arguably, the only fat chap in the north.

The U.S. and especially South Korea, send food to North Korea, which goes to the military, not the people. Proportionately, this country of 23 million has the biggest army in the world. So let’s stop feeding it. Maybe the generals will then revolt.

Despite its huge military, North Korea is vulnerable. It has no staying power – no oil or resources necessary to fight a war if China and Russia withhold support, as well they may. A big punch, but no follow through.

The last thing China wants is its erratic client state starting a war that would affect China’s economic relations with the U.S. Russia also has limited patience with the fruitcake regime.

So drawing a line in the sand and inflicting judicious punishment on North Korea when it behaves barbarously may be the only way to persuade Kim Jong-il that he is not Genghis Khan.

We should have done it long ago, but it’s never too late to educate dictators.

http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2010/11/24/peter-worthington-kim-jong-il-needs-to-be-taught-a-lesson/

I knew a steaming pile of crap like that had to come from the National Post. God, how do these shallow people get jobs writing foreign policy for a major publication?

[EyeBrock]

Read the Toronto Star instead then Zip!

[andyt]

Gunnair Gunnair:

Mr_Canada Mr_Canada:

I'd like to hear your theories on how what I'm for 'opposes' the notion of civilization.

Because I could argue on and on about alienation and how capitalism destroys the very imagination of 'community'.

I'm not sure why you bother engaging in such a waste of time. It's the US way or the highway.

remind yourself that you live in the best country in the world and simply leave it at that.

This is the best country in the world because we live under the protection of America. Otherwise we'd all be speaking Russian now and the line ups at Comrade Horton's would be way longer than they are now. So America isn't the best country in the world only because they sacrifice so much to protect our freedoms. So of course it's the US way or no way.

[Zipperfish]

EyeBrock EyeBrock:

Read the Toronto Star instead then Zip!

We don't get that one out here I'm afraid.

[EyeBrock]

Their web site isn't bad, once you get past the uber-lefty columns.

[Zipperfish]

EyeBrock EyeBrock:

Their web site isn't bad, once you get past the uber-lefty columns.

My problem wiht the above-quoted article wasn't that it was left or right, it was just very shallow. Reminds me of the op-eds leading up to Iraq. Mostly about how nasty Saddam was and what a mighty military machine he'd managed to put together. Saddam was gone in days, but--guess-what?--none of the op-ed writers and none of the war planners had any idea what to do next. I mean Saddam was gone and his military crushed, so it should have all been roses strewn at the feet of the American liberators, right? Didn't quite turn out that way, as anyone with half a brain and concept of history could have told them.

[EyeBrock]

The Post isn't bad but a few bad columns get published. The Star has Heather Mallick and a few other crazies, the Post has the odd idiot too.

[andyt]

Zipperfish Zipperfish:

EyeBrock EyeBrock:

Their web site isn't bad, once you get past the uber-lefty columns.

My problem wiht the above-quoted article wasn't that it was left or right, it was just very shallow. Reminds me of the op-eds leading up to Iraq. Mostly about how nasty Saddam was and what a mighty military machine he'd managed to put together. Saddam was gone in days, but--guess-what?--none of the op-ed writers and none of the war planners had any idea what to do next. I mean Saddam was gone and his military crushed, so it should have all been roses strewn at the feet of the American liberators, right? Didn't quite turn out that way, as anyone with half a brain and concept of history could have told them.

Everybody knows what we do next - march into NK and bring them the joys of democracy. China will of course cheer us on.

[BartSimpson]

andyt andyt:

Everybody knows what we do next - march into NK and bring them the joys of democracy. China will of course cheer us on.

China is in a quandary right now because if they go to war in favor of North Korea then the US can simply declare China's vast holdings of Treasury bills null and void. The resulting chaos in the financial markets would hurt the US, of course, but China's government would collapse and they know it.

I expect that what will happen will be (in order of likelyhood):

1. Business as usual. The South will have to suck it up and the North will receive bribes of food and fuel in exchange for peace.

2. South Korea goes it alone and goes to war. Chickensnot Obama stays out of it and that would give China the 'out' to support NK without US ramifications.

3. The US and SK take a hard line that forces the twit in NK to do something stupid that causes a war. China stays out of it and cautions the US and SK not to violate China's borders. Meanwhile, millions of NK stream into China to escape the war and that causes stress in China.

[Gunnair]

andyt andyt:

Gunnair Gunnair:

Mr_Canada Mr_Canada:

I'd like to hear your theories on how what I'm for 'opposes' the notion of civilization.

Because I could argue on and on about alienation and how capitalism destroys the very imagination of 'community'.

I'm not sure why you bother engaging in such a waste of time. It's the US way or the highway.

remind yourself that you live in the best country in the world and simply leave it at that.

This is the best country in the world because we live under the protection of America. Otherwise we'd all be speaking Russian now and the line ups at Comrade Horton's would be way longer than they are now. So America isn't the best country in the world only because they sacrifice so much to protect our freedoms. So of course it's the US way or no way.

Well, that tirade meant little.

[Gunnair]

Zipperfish Zipperfish:

Gunnair Gunnair:

$1:

North Korea’s fat little dictator can still be taught a lesson

Before everyone gets too excited about North Korea shelling a South Korean island 75 miles offshore from Seoul, there’s virtually no likelihood that such an aggressive act will escalate into war.

That may seem a foolhardy observation, given North Korea’s repeated aggressions against the South, and it’s record of violating every treaty or agreement it has ever signed.

By the same token, North Korea does not have a friend in the world.
China and Russia are allies of convenience, but their patience is stretched thin by the antics of ailing Kim Jong-il who seems not long for this world and has appointed his son, Kim Jong-un as his successor.

At the same time he has promoted his unpleasant daughter to the rank of Major-General. A dynasty in the making.

The last thing China wants is a war or a crisis on its border. Yet even China can’t harness Kim Jong-il’s rogue regime.

Last year, North Korea declared the 1953 ceasefire that ended the Korean war, was no longer valid. In other words, it felt free to attack, provoke, mischief-make at will, gambling that South Korea and the U.S. would swallow whatever indignities and outrages foisted on them.

Last March, as if in preparing for shelling the island of Yeonpeong that killed two and injured a couple of dozen, a North Korean torpedo sank a South Korean warship, the Cheoan, killing 46 sailors.

That in itself was a warlike act that demanded retaliation. But no. The world urged restraint, as it always does when North Korea needs its butt kicked.

Of course, North Korea is a dangerous country. It should be brought to heel, but is unlikely to be when the Western world is guided by the leaders now in charge. No Reagan or Thatcher on the horizon. Certainly not Obama who prefers to apologize rather than challenge.

North Korea has again reneged on nuclear agreements, and has revved up its nuclear weapons program. It yearns to be viewed as a nuclear power.

What western countries should do, is suspend all aid and commerce with North Korea, whose meager resources are funneled into the military – an army of some 1.2 million, a navy of 1,000 warships, an air force of 2,000 aircraft, plus a potential nuclear force.

All this at the expense of the people. Up to 800,000 North Koreans starve to death annually. Kim Jong-il is, arguably, the only fat chap in the north.

The U.S. and especially South Korea, send food to North Korea, which goes to the military, not the people. Proportionately, this country of 23 million has the biggest army in the world. So let’s stop feeding it. Maybe the generals will then revolt.

Despite its huge military, North Korea is vulnerable. It has no staying power – no oil or resources necessary to fight a war if China and Russia withhold support, as well they may. A big punch, but no follow through.

The last thing China wants is its erratic client state starting a war that would affect China’s economic relations with the U.S. Russia also has limited patience with the fruitcake regime.

So drawing a line in the sand and inflicting judicious punishment on North Korea when it behaves barbarously may be the only way to persuade Kim Jong-il that he is not Genghis Khan.

We should have done it long ago, but it’s never too late to educate dictators.

http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2010/11/24/peter-worthington-kim-jong-il-needs-to-be-taught-a-lesson/

I knew a steaming pile of crap like that had to come from the National Post. God, how do these shallow people get jobs writing foreign policy for a major publication?

It's an opinion piece, Zip, hardly foriegn policy.

[billypilgrim]

i wonder how many n. koreans would be happy to switch teams, if they knew they could make it through DMZ in one piece?

regardless of what happens next, i hope that little bastard jong-il kicks the bucket soon.