The Korean War has raged on since 1950, and a state of permanent war with North Korea has become such a staple of US policy that some people can’t even imagine what the alternative looks like. That includes UN Command Lt. Gen. Wayne Eyre
Lt. Gen. Eyre said he doesn’t understand why North Korea is “pushing so hard for that end-of-war declaration,” He accused North Korea of plotting to try to split those who are allied in that 68-year-long war.
Incredibly, Eyre went on to claim that a state of peace would itself be a “slippery slope” on the Korean Peninsula, on the grounds that if there’s not a war, people might ask what the UN Command is even doing there, or further still, whether the US needs a massive military presence in South Korea.
Permanent states of war are a valuable form of job security for career generals, of course, but the UN Command overseeing the 1953 armistice was never meant to be an eternal military force in Korea. Rather, it was expected to last until the peace treaty could be finalized, which wasn’t supposed to take 68 years. Now that it has, top members of the command are worried what they’ll do without such a justification.
How could the USA survive without a constant state of war?
You betcha. The greatest threat to the (western) anglo-zionists is an outbreak of peace.
I guess the MIC needs another Pearl Harbor (like 9/11) to keep “defense” spending up around a trillion per year. Coming right up, folks!
The alarums over Iran and Russia are reaching a fever pitch, and there could easily be an attack on vulnerable US forces, say perhaps in Syria. In fact that’s probably why they are there. Washington doesn’t have Saddam or Osama any longer, but it has Mad Vlad (as he’s called at Breaking Defense). It’s important to personalize the enemy, but while it works with Russia, Syria and North Korea, they have found it impossible with Iran. Mad Mullahs?
Thanks for mention of that industry website that allows comments.
Ah, yes, the old US troops as a trip-wire trick. Just leave them out there exposed to a “surprise” attack, like a new Pearl Harbor.
Toy soldiers who don’t fight have easy lives.
They don’t want to lose the gravy train.
A few years or so ago a guy started commenting on this antiwar site . And he called most of us traitors for always making such bad comments about what our government is doing wrong . He promised to never listen to us traitors again and stay off this terrible site . Lately he is back on and now he sounds like one of us . So evidently we can influence some people .
US generals hate that ‘Slippery Slope’ to peace, especially in Korea where they have it made. Canadian General Eyre is the second in command in the UN Command to US General Vincent Brooks who is the current commander of United States Forces Korea (USFK), United Nations Command (UNC) and ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC). That means that Brooks has operational control over more than 600,000 active-duty military personnel of all services, of both countries. In wartime, augmentation could include some 3.5 million ROK reservists as well as additional U.S. forces deployed from outside the ROK. The only military force commanded by another country in a bilateral arrangement! Can’t get more poodle than that.
Any peace agreement might change the US military control of South Korea, including changes to the US military HQs. In fact USFK and UNC have just moved into a new building and they’d hate to give that up. The speeches at the building’s grand opening in June are illustrative of the Korea-US split on peace.
>Minister Song Young-moo of the Ministry of National Defense: “Service members of the UNC and the USFK will have to be charged with new responsibilities suiting a new era.” He stressed that the new roles are to not only ensure peace on the Korean Peninsula, but also to play a significant role of keeping the balance as an equilibrator in the Northeast Asia, thus contributing to global peace. “Peace and prosperity of today are shining on dedicated services and sacrifices of the veterans of the Korean War,” he said.
>US Gen. Brooks of the UNC and the USFK said the USFK headquarters within the U.S. military complex represented an investment in the long-term presence of the U.S. forces in Korea. His comment may be construed as a hint that the USFK will play a “maneuver corps” or “peace-keeping force” in Northeast Asia down the road in the context of discussing denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula and establishing a new peace regime. . .here
new headquarters south of capital at Camp Humphreys
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Declare a war over, what’s next withdraw out troops?! YES GENIUS!
Corrupt War Pigs. They don’t know anything else but to wallow in their own feces.
If you want lasting peace, leave the US out of the discussions.
There is another side to this. The US military is stretched thin now in too many wars.
Pulling US forces out of Korea would free up the 2nd Infantry Division and a lot of supporting forces, air and naval and special forces, to deploy in the other US wars ongoing and constantly being threatened.
It could be worse for the prospects of unending war than just leaving them sit there staring across the 38th Parallel. Sad but true.
The 23-year-old soldier just killed in Afghanistan was North Carolina National Guard, which is supposed to be available to be called up in national emergencies.
Spc. James A. Slape, from Morehead City, North Carolina
https://www.stripes.com/polopoly_fs/1.550692.1538838594!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/300×200/image.jpg
Lt. Gen. Eyre said he doesn’t understand why North Korea is “pushing so hard for that end-of-war declaration.”
There’s stupid, there’s stupider and then stupidest. Eyre deserves the latter. But that’s how he made general. Why don’t the Koreans want a forever war?
Without foreign bases, military morale would be lower. Foreign locations like Korea provide diversions for the troops – bars and prostitutes for the young enlisted; foreign travel for the married troops; and even a chance for the general’s wife to shop for goods fort the antique store she wants to open when the general retires. The stateside bases are usually in boring rural areas – can you imagine a 20 year military career shuffling only between Ft. Benning and Ft. Hood?
So, we can never expect the military to voluntarily give up any foreign base. It is a perk that they have become used to – has nothing to do with the mission.
Yes, it’s a great morale factor. I know I enjoyed it. Plus the host countries foot a lot of the bill, especially in South Korea. So the Pentagon saves money while it shows the flag in hundreds of bases around the world, as visual proof of US world hegemony. And in Korea it gives the US Air Force assets one air-hour from Beijing and Shanghai.
Not to detract from your morale factor, just to round out some of the other reasons for the Pentagon’s love of forward basing.
If the South Koreans want peace, who in the hell are we to butt in to their internal Korean matter?
We are the butt that created a prosperous South Korea. That prosperity comes with a price, their Seoul.
It’s rascals like you that cheer on the evil doers of the world with cockamamie sophistry.
Not cheering anyone’s evil. Just an observation from the banking families perspective on how South Korea chose not to be overrun by the reds from the north in exchange for their Seoul to Uncle Sham.
Did you think, after 60 years, they can just walk away from their deal? I don’t think so Amon.
They can. Once we start amending the deal unilaterally. Like they cannot trade or do business in their national interest if US decides that while we eill not buy from them — they cannot sell to China or Russia. South and North digned the deal in reconnectjng Transkorean railway, opening the whole new world of trade and economic griwth for their businesd accross Asia.
We break deal, they are free. Aton.
Such bligrence! It sounds like South Korea needs a new prime minister or a regime change soon.
I know. But there is a time tested method applied in South Korea and now practiced in ofher places. All former presidents go to jail. That is their retirement plan. Even their spouses occassionally — why waste retirement money. Just keep thise “independent” judges in pocket, problem solved.
In other words — we bribed allies with privileged trade, loans. We give them security against anybody we declare our enemy. Now that bribing resulted in our debt, our destroyed economy — the bribes we paid are now called in. Devil came to claim the souls. From Europe to Korea, now it is time for them to pay us by being on the front line of imperial fronterr. Europe for the third time to go in Russia, while motley Asian collection to start squeezing China. And at the same time — start paying back in trade concessions. If not, courts will be found to punish the recalcitrant ally by big banking fees, suddenly discovered emisdion violators, etc.
Not so many in words, but yes.
Remember this famous song:
Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall,
Humpty Dumpty took great big fall,
All of the King’s horses, and all of his men, couldn’t put Humpty back together again.
Peace is war.
Makes sense.
When your Career is on the line…
Great story. Could not illustrate the imperial mindset any better if you tried.
What a story! An amazingly selfish, narcissistic, sociopathic individual to whom war is the way of life, and anybody trying yo end it — is abnormal. We have plenty of those, but most know that you cannot say it this brazenly. So they will say how we need to continue sanctions until North Korea denuclearizes, then their missiles will be the isue. then university courses in science, then bow and arrows.. until adminisfreation changes and — cancels the treaty.
Well, the general is right! Why, a state of non-war with North Korea could lead us inexorably towards — PEACE! Anathema!