|
Korean Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Teachers from Around the World!"
|
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
silkhighway
Joined: 24 Oct 2010
Location: Canada
|
 Posted: Sat Dec 25, 2010 10:36 am Post subject: |
 |
|
| passport220 wrote: |
The North has recently killed a South Korean crew of sailors with the sinking of the Cheonan and shelled a South Korean military base killing military personal and civilians. What other nation would suffer such assults and do next to nothing?
It is incredible to me that people can only see South Korea's response as some sort of pissing contest or plot to effect the national currency. An �in your face� display of force and readiness to send a message that concrete consequences will be doled out if further aggression by the North continues seems a completely measured and appropriate course of action to me. |
I completely agree with this. After two incidents, the South had to do something, and really, what else could they do? I think the South's response was impressive actually. They were open about it, nobody got hurt, and they accomplished what they wanted to accomplish, which was to send a message to the north that they were not going tolerate bullying. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Charlie Bourque
Joined: 27 Jun 2010
|
| Posted: Sat Dec 25, 2010 11:31 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Captain Corea wrote: |
| tideout wrote: |
Something worth considering - N. Koreans as a whole society may not be in quite as bad a shape as they are portrayed. I'm not suggesting they're doing great but one interesting point is that 50% of N. Koreans bribe their way back into N. Korea after leaving. As the professor points out, this is something that never occurred during the cold war with people leaving the former Soviet Union or the Eastern Block. |
That'd be a hard stat to prove. |
They bribe their way back and forth, numerous times. Essentially, younger and healthier people are able to make the trip into China and back quite frequently, returning to care for their family.
Watch Kimjongilia. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
tideout
Joined: 12 Dec 2010
|
| Posted: Sat Dec 25, 2010 3:05 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Charlie Bourque wrote: |
| Captain Corea wrote: |
| tideout wrote: |
Something worth considering - N. Koreans as a whole society may not be in quite as bad a shape as they are portrayed. I'm not suggesting they're doing great but one interesting point is that 50% of N. Koreans bribe their way back into N. Korea after leaving. As the professor points out, this is something that never occurred during the cold war with people leaving the former Soviet Union or the Eastern Block. |
That'd be a hard stat to prove. |
They bribe their way back and forth, numerous times. Essentially, younger and healthier people are able to make the trip into China and back quite frequently, returning to care for their family.
Watch Kimjongilia. |
I was surprised at pics I've seen of the border crossing area. It looks like people probably cross it all the time and even fish in the river. I had this image of the Berlin Wall in my head...... |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
TL
Joined: 30 Mar 2008
|
| Posted: Mon Dec 27, 2010 3:34 am Post subject: |
|
|
More intimidation?
| Quote: |
WP: US Mobilized for Possibility of War in Korea
Write 2010-12-27 07:30:56 Update 2010-12-27 09:09:09
The administration of U.S. President Barack Obama reportedly made preparations recently for the possibility of war on the Korean Peninsula.
Washington Post columnist David Ignatius said in an article on Obama�s foreign policies Sunday that while making few comments in public, the administration mobilized for the possibility of war if North Korea continued its provocations.
Ignatius added that Obama cautioned Chinese President Hu Jintao in a phone call three weeks ago that because North Korea is a nuclear nation, its recklessness threatens the United States.
According to Ignatius, the White House believes the Chinese got the message and warned Pyongyang about engaging in further provocations. |
http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/news_In_detail.htm?No=78243
| Quote: |
U.S. to Send Another Nuke-Powered Aircraft Carrier to NE Asia
The U.S. will deploy another nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in Northeast Asia in response to North Korea's threat of a "sacred war" using nuclear weapons, media reports said. The Ronald Reagan will bring to three the number of U.S. aircraft carrier fleets in the west Pacific, joining the George Washington in Japan and the Carl Vinson that just arrived in Guam.
China's official Xinhua news agency said the new addition could raise tensions in the region, with the Chinese military already calling it the biggest threat to China and North Korea in six decades.
Commissioned in 2003, the Ronald Reagan can carry more than 6,000 sailors and over 80 aircraft. According to a dedicated website, it is scheduled for deployment in the west Pacific in 2011. |
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2010/12/27/2010122701080.html |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Steelrails
Joined: 12 Mar 2009
Location: Earth, Solar System
|
| Posted: Mon Dec 27, 2010 6:07 am Post subject: |
|
|
| tideout wrote: |
| Charlie Bourque wrote: |
| Captain Corea wrote: |
| tideout wrote: |
Something worth considering - N. Koreans as a whole society may not be in quite as bad a shape as they are portrayed. I'm not suggesting they're doing great but one interesting point is that 50% of N. Koreans bribe their way back into N. Korea after leaving. As the professor points out, this is something that never occurred during the cold war with people leaving the former Soviet Union or the Eastern Block. |
That'd be a hard stat to prove. |
They bribe their way back and forth, numerous times. Essentially, younger and healthier people are able to make the trip into China and back quite frequently, returning to care for their family.
Watch Kimjongilia. |
I was surprised at pics I've seen of the border crossing area. It looks like people probably cross it all the time and even fish in the river. I
had this image of the Berlin Wall in my head...... |
So much for the theory of KJI's die-hard disciplined crack legions. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
v88
Joined: 28 Feb 2010
Location: here
|
| Posted: Mon Dec 27, 2010 8:49 am Post subject: |
|
|
| passport220 wrote: |
The North has recently killed a South Korean crew of sailors with the sinking of the Cheonan and shelled a South Korean military base killing military personal and civilians. What other nation would suffer such assults and do next to nothing?
It is incredible to me that people can only see South Korea's response as some sort of pissing contest or plot to effect the national currency. An �in your face� display of force and readiness to send a message that concrete consequences will be doled out if further aggression by the North continues seems a completely measured and appropriate course of action to me. |
Well put.
I think one reason why the South hasn't drawn blood here and made a 'show' of force instead is that it makes them look like the 'better man' on the world's political stage while the North paint themselves into a corner of isolation even from China. The more isolated the North is the easier the target they become and if they do something even more terrible the South and the Americans gain more and more support for an assault to end what might become a dangerous nuclear threat. As it stands now the South is really only justified in giving the North a bloody nose.
As an added bonus this sort of brinkmanship will end badly for the North and they will likely starve their own people to the point of revolt in order to maintain their image of strength. I hope Lil Kim and his no nad son bankrupt themselves and the people they once ruled turn on them and sacrifice them in chopped up little bits to the gods of democracy. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
comm
Joined: 22 Jun 2010
|
| Posted: Mon Dec 27, 2010 9:31 am Post subject: |
|
|
| wrote: |
The U.S. will deploy another nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in Northeast Asia in response to North Korea's threat of a "sacred war" using nuclear weapons, media reports said. The Ronald Reagan will bring to three the number of U.S. aircraft carrier fleets in the west Pacific, joining the George Washington in Japan and the Carl Vinson that just arrived in Guam. |
That actually makes me much more nervous than the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island. The North won't intentionally start a war because it would be suicide, but one day the South might try to make a big play against the guns aimed at Seoul.
A few U.S. supercarriers in the region will put them much closer to that capability. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
