With North Korea not having the warheads or missiles to actually launch such an attack, threats to nuke the US mainland have mostly been shrugged off by the Obama Administration, with officials reacting with a hard line against “provocations.”
North Korea’s inability to hit the US directly may be all well and good, but experts are warning that as the rhetoric continues to ratchet up, the US may force North Korea to react by hitting South Korean targets, since they very easily could do that.
South Korean government officials thrive on this exchange of threats, and seem to be egging the US on in this, including getting them to sign a deal obliging the US to start a war over any attacks by North Korea.
The North Korean government’s own position, however, has always relied on making mostly empty threats and occasionally lashing out at South Korea if things get too heated, which inevitably gets other regional powers interested enough to cool things off.
Yet with those threats hitting a new all-time high, and the new pact suggesting things could escalate a lot more, a lot faster, the violent blow-off could also be a lot worse, and the US hard line could cost South Korea dearly.
Jason.., there wasn't any south or North Korea.., USA made it possible and divided the nation of Korea.., so was the case with Vietnam.., so is the case with every other wars that are orchestrated by the west in recent years.., Yugoslavia was another one. Look: western "powers".., as is called.., are in business dividing nations using either religious, fascism, or dictatorial system.., as they do in Syria by the way of kissing the hands of Saudis thanking them for the help that west is getting.
Well said, Mojo, very well said. You left out the part on how the US divides its own population in order to keep control (divisions by race, political party, economical status, religious beliefs, immigrants verses citizens, etc) and they do an excellent job at it.
Unfortunately, eventually the house of cards will collapse. The animus between the ideologues (and their followers and advocates) is such that it is not a stretch to see a point where direct confrontation is inevitable and violent. Each year the verbiage and bellicosity increases and the lines are more clearly drawn. Will it come to neighbor fighting neighbor as this is not like the past – a regional conflict. There really don't seem to be any "cooler heads" to prevail. Sad.
The point made by Ditz, that the South Korean government thrives on this, is absolutely spot-on. The Grand National Party (now Saenuri Party) has been using the North as a means to galvanize support. Fear is the best means to gain mandate from the populous and curtail civil liberties and here we are at it again. Further, this show by the US is a great way to remind the Southern population how integral they are to their security. I live in Seoul and can tell you the population isn't worried (nor am I) that anything will actually come from this. But I shake my head in sorrow every day I see the same tactics being employed by the US and ruling South Korean elite, knowing this could have easily been resolved years ago during the Clinton administration and probably still could be if the US will to power and dominance wasn't so strong.