Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[Diana]

Well, the B1 and B52 bombers are now on Guam, and more are on the way according to President Bush. They've already begun increasing the military here as a result of North Korea. My brother's ship, which is an aircraft carrier, is also in the Pacific region because of North Korea. I hope North Korea gives up its nuclear weapons program. I hope we can find some peace in the Pacific region.

[Chris]

If George Bush hadn't said that North Korea was among all evils throughout this world maybe this wouldn't have occured. Certainly, this regime is far more dangerous than the Iraki one and all you've read about Saddam Hussein is certainly "Alice In The Wonderland" likened to this strong stalinist country. Not sure that the USA will have the same behaviour towards them because here you haven't a third class army but a very tough one.

[Diana]

Hi Chris,

I did not have a problem when Bush said that the United States will stand against any country that supports terrorism. The problem I had was when he started NAMING those countries, which I feel is unnecessary. After all, I'm sure those countries know who they are.

I honestly don't understand North Korea. Bush did say that he has no interest in attacking North Korea, and they are even sending food to the starving people there. So, why is North Korea putting itself in the radar screen? They're even firing test missiles north of Japan. Do you think they're trying to see if their missiles can reach Guam?

Guam has played a vital role in the past in taking in Vietnamese refugees during the Vietnam War and Kurdish refugess in 1996. I guess we are going to be playing that same role again if the US goes to war with Iraq. I just hope we can find a peaceful solution with North Korea.

[Chris]

Hi Diana,

Frankly, I'm not sure that he has the capacity to reach Guam with his missiles but that's certainly a big threat for Japan and perhaps South Korea only because there are American troops there. I will say that this regime is playing a double game, on one hand they want to normalize their relation with the South but on the other one they want to show that they could be a major player in the region. Only one thing is sure, this regime is tougher, stronger than the one you can see in Irak: that's why George Bush and his warmonger agents, in brief the far right of the Republicans, among his Cabinet can't respond to them in the same way than towards Hussein.

North Korea is a pure national communist country, the same that you could find around the former USSR during the cold war like for instance Romania when she was ruled by Caucescu. I remember that you've been most impressed by Saddam's cult of personality but in Northern Korea this expression of the power is far more developed.

Personally, I haven't ever heard or read that this regime was supporting different terrorist squads around the world and I think, for the West, we must focus on all radical religious groups to eradicate them which are the major threat. When you want to mix politics and religion, that's the biggest fuel to retrieve a lot of troubles. That's why now there's an antagonism between the "Old Europe" and the USA: we do not either want of the islamic jihad or a christian crusade. That's all.

[Diana]

Hi Chris,

Well, now Japan is threatening to sanction North Korea if it continues to fire test missiles toward them. I know that Bush stopped sending oil to North Korea because the Koreans claimed that they already have a nuclear weapon.

I agree that religion should stay out of politics. Religion is an individual thing and should have no place in governing human beings with different sets of beliefs. The role of the government should only be to establish law and order in society, promote equality, and provide services such as public education and health care to its citizens.