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China-Japan-Koreas
N Korea planning 'mass' missile launches
2008-10-09
Posted by:Oztralian

#9  Anybody familiar with the Thirty Years War in what is now Germany knows that what we consider war nowadays is a day at the beach. Go back to that kind of viciousness and you'll see lots of folks thinking war isn't such a good idea.
Posted by: Jolutch Mussolini7800   2008-10-09 23:44  

#8  AlanC, you have a point. I read an article a long time ago that said historically wars come and generally someone wins and the loser is often less likely to provoke again either because they were destroyed, occupied, humiliated or just plain terrified. In the modern day and age that equation is gone because the Superpowers or the UN would step in and prevent a total loss so you get smaller powers constantly provoking and provoking and they never really get theirs so there is no real downside the way there once was.
Posted by: rjschwarz   2008-10-09 16:10  

#7  And it would really suck to be hired on as the newest Red Shirted Crewman.....
Posted by: USN, Ret.   2008-10-09 15:04  

#6  Jim Kirk wouldn't last two minutes in today's world. He'd be brought up on sex harassment charges before transiting the globe.
Posted by: Anon4021   2008-10-09 14:12  

#5  There is much to be learned from the simple wisdom of the Original Series. We need a Jim Kirk now more than ever.
Posted by: bigjim-ky   2008-10-09 11:15  

#4  Incidents like this always remind me of an original Star Trek episode. Remember the one where the two planets are at war and everything is run by computers with people herded into disintigration chambers depending on the results of a computre simulation?

Kirk blows up one of the machines and tells them that now that they are forced to face the real horrors of war, maybe they'll do something to really end it.

I wonder if all the humanitarian aid and diplomatic feel goodism that the West engages in (like feeding the Norks) doesn't have that same numbing effect. After all how bad is it really, the West always ponies up some cash to make everyone feel better.

The Paleos are the primary example. I think that the total devastation of Japan & Germany was a strong motivator to change their behavior after WWII.
Posted by: AlanC   2008-10-09 10:05  

#3  "If North Korea fires missiles en masse, it can hardly be part of a routine exercise. Its intentions should be analysed in various ways," the source said.

I can analyze it right now, they need food and winter is coming on, so they need fuel oil quite badly. The rice crop was prolly a disaster and they are shitting their pants cause the party supporters don't even have enough food. Just ignore them.
Posted by: bigjim-ky   2008-10-09 09:51  

#2  Subtract the equivalent value from food and oil aid.
Posted by: ed   2008-10-09 08:53  

#1  Somebody's feeling unappreciated. I think they'd have to actually shell Seoul to catch anyone's attention right now.

Um, I kind of hope it doesn't come to that.
Posted by: Mitch H.   2008-10-09 07:40  

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