At 20:43 13-8-01 -0500, Dan Minette wrote:
> > >Doesn't that tell you something
> > >about intent? Why spend yourself into the poorhouse on your armed forces
> > >unless you intend to use them?
> >
> > It tells me that the North Korean leaders are scared shitless, and I can't
> > really blame them.
>
>Of what? The US hasn't attacked Cuba in 40 years. Its sending its
>secretary of state to China and Viet Nam.
If the US has such a good relationship with the People's Republic of China,
they have little reason to fear from any North Korea agression. As I
pointed out in a previous post, North Korea's only powerful friend is the
PRC. I seriously doubt that the PRC government will jeopardize their
relationship with the US by supporting North Korean agression; IOW, North
Korea will be pretty much on its own.
>It has only 37,000 troops in
>South Korea. Are you suggesting that a rational person would think that the
>US is likely to invade North Korea with 37,000 troops?
Not just 37,000 troops. Also South Korean troops, and additional US and UN
troops that I expect will be flown in as soon as North Korea invades South
Korea. Add to that the US' superior weapons, and you'll have enough for a
counterstrike, all the way up to the Presidential Palace.
> >They have the US military at their border, with an awful
> > lot of firepower, and the capability to rapidly deploy more weapons and
> > troops if necessary.
>
>Are you seriously arguing that a reasonable person would think that 37,000
>troops deployed against 1.2 million represent a dangerous attack force?
Again, there are also the South Korean troops, additional forces that can
be flown in, and America's superior weapons. You don't need to outnumber
your enemy to defeat them -- better weapons will go a long way in defeating
the enemy. Remember the 1999 gunboat attack by North Korea? Machine guns
vs. guided weapons -- the North Koreans got blown out of the water before
they could yell "Death To America!".
For comparison, imagine that you have a machine gun and plenty of ammo. A
group of people, armed with sticks and stones, comes running towards you
with obvious hostile intent. Who do you think will win, huh? I certainly
wouldn't put my money on that angry mob...
>That is what I think they are scared shitless of: the prosperity of the
>south. That is why they refuse free food.
Was that food really free, or was that "free food" like the "free food"
offered to Iraq: you don't have to pay cash, you only have to let our
people into your military installations? I have a hard time believing that
the US would offer free food (or medicine, or whatever) to a "hostile
country" without demanding something in return.
>They are afraid that their
>people will want reunification with the south, and that they will not be the
>ones in charge of a reunified Korea.
In that case, it still wouldn't make sense to invade South Korea -- all you
need to do is guard your border so your own people won't leave, and South
Korea can't get in.
Jeroen
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