Korean Peninsula.

[BenThere]

As regards Korea, the big wild card is about how serious are North Korea's threats to initiate nuclear weapons attacks, and what capabilities they have to do so. It's a question we continue to wrestle with as North Korea seems progress toward the ability to launch devastating attacks, and we're not certain they won't cross that line, given their insularity, dogma, paranoia, and sense of grievance.

Is the answer to stop it all while we can, or try to control it and negotiate a safe agreement? My bet is on stopping his regime now, with whatever it takes, before it obtains the capacity to inflict nuclear weapons on Japan, S. Korea, and even the US and Australia, as it has threatened to do.

We're playing the odds here. Is the better bet to stay the course or end the game?

[John Hill]

If you only have a hammer everything looks like a nail, if you are a yank......

[BenThere]

So what's your solution, John Hill? The hammer has been there for some time, never used.

[John Hill]

I have been saying for years what should be done but you have your own idea whereas mine just happen to align somewhat with the opinion of the voters of the ROK.

You just go ahead and do what you think is right and I am sure it will turn out just hunky-dory as it has in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and so on.

[BenThere]

So would you say again what you've been saying for years? I'm all ears now. Don't be brief, lay out your ideas for the avoidance of nuclear war with North Korea.

[John Hill]

You should have paid attention when you had the chance.

[BenThere]

I should have, maybe, but didn't. So in the interest of saving the world, would you be so kind as to tell us what to do now?

[John Hill]

You are a troll Benny and no matter what I say you will never change that.

[BenThere]

You're squirming like a worm, John Hill. I'm not a troll and have argued my opinions for years, here and elsewhere. I asked you a straight forward question. Please don't deflect with the 'troll' gambit. It's so droll.

[John Hill]

You are a sad case Benny.

[Chuks]

Oh, it is interesting, all right. Fascinating, even. The problem is that this fresh approach is actually rather old: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunshine_Policy

The crazy thing is that what the Kimster craves is positive engagement of any sort. That's what he then uses to show his people that "See! We (meaning me, the living embodiment of true Korea) are at the center of world affairs! The President of the USA is coming to see me, and the President of the so-called Republic of Korea too. All shall bow before my magnificence! You first, though; all bow. Yes, yes, very good. Now show me the goose-step. Very good. Next ... THE MISSILES! (Oops, I think I just came in my pants.) Finally, put those flash cards up and show me smashing the lickspittle running dogs of capitalism. Aaaaah."

Kim has it all worked out, for now .... Why should he risk any changes to the same old, same old? It's good to be the King. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StJS51d1Fzg

John, if you were a house we'd call you a split-level, what with your abysmally low self-knowledge combined with your insanely high self-esteem. Ben is the troll here, is he? Let's have a look around .... Anybody see any other trolls here? Nope, no other trolls, no other trolls at all .... John, speaking as a fellow troll, I have to tell you that Ben is straight as a die when it comes to trolling. He's not even a member of our club, but you are King of the Trolls for now. (Donald Trump, he's the Emperor ... and Kim Jong Un is the God of the Trolls. Both of those guys, when they troll, people die!)

All you have to offer here, John, is mindless repetition of your same old themes along with re-phrased repetition of snippets culled from the news. In a nutshell the USA is evil and insanely aggressive towards poor little North Korea; Kim Jong Un is cleverly pursuing quite sane and basically non-aggressive policies that are only aimed at self-preservation; and you know what you are talking about because, because ... beats me .... Because you are John Hill?

John, give us a reasoned discussion of who started the Korean War and in light of that, why the Sunshine Policy failed the first time it was tried, and tried very diligently at that. I don't see it working, for reasons mostly to do with North Korea, but feel free to tell us all why that notion is mistaken. What do you see happening this time around?

[John Hill]

Sleep tight tonight! WWIII is just around the corner and will not be a walk in the park! North Korea will very soon have nuclear weapons able to reach the most distant points of the globe and Kim will not be slow to launch them but try to do anything about it and you will find it harder than you think!

How do I know this? I read it on Faux http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/05/ ... ality.html These are not alternative facts!

[Chuks]

John, you little scamp you! I know what you are up to here.

Some day you are going to say exactly what you mean, in plain English, when a whole slew of your fans are going to drop dead from shock! Meanwhile, there's always a job waiting for you down at the corkscrew factory, swallowing nails ....

[John Hill]

Is Kim Jong-un rational? The Prof seems to think so..

Prof Delury said that there was nothing irrational about Kim Jong-un's drive to obtain credible nuclear weapons: "He has no reliable allies to guarantee his safety, and he faces a hostile superpower that has, in recent memory, invaded sovereign states around the world and overthrown their governments.
"The lesson North Koreans learned from the invasion of Iraq was that if Saddam Hussein really possessed those weapons of mass destruction, he might have survived."
Could Kim Jong-un's drive to achieve a nuclear capability safeguard his regime's future?
This was compounded by the lesson of Libya, according to Prof Lankov: "Did American promises of American prosperity help Gaddafi and his family? Kim Jong-un knows perfectly well what happened to the only fool who believed Western promises and renounced the development of nuclear weapons. And he's not going to make that mistake. Once you don't have nuclear weapons you are completely unprotected.
"Did Russian or American and British promises to guarantee Ukrainian integrity help Ukraine? No. Why should he expect American, Russian or Chinese promises to help him stay alive? He is rational."

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-39269783

[John Hill]

Meanwhile Trump will do what the US has been doing for decades but trying harder in the hope there will be a different result. Is that rational?

[obgraham]

Perhaps if Kimmy had selected mentors of a higher quality than Saddam and Gaddafi, his whole life situation would be better nowadays.

[John Hill]

Perhaps if Kimmy had selected mentors of a higher quality than Saddam and Gaddafi, his whole life situation would be better nowadays.

Such an intriguing comment and I can't wait to read Cluks' take on it.

[BenThere]

Seems to me President Trump is breaking away from what the US has been doing for decades (to poor effect).

One aspect of President Trump Kim must take into account is, "How crazy is he?" Would he sent one of those big bombs my way? Do I have to live deep underground from now on, and even then, will I be safe? And who can I trust? I've killed most of my relatives.

[John Hill]

Trump is doing the same old stuff but with more effort seeking that elusive change in result. Kim is trying harder too but at least he is making some progress in what he is doing.

[BenThere]

he is making some progress in what he is doing

What. Can he make North Koreans even hungrier? They already scavenge to find green grass to eat, that is if they're not slaving from prison.

It always struck me when I used to fly into Gimpo, and later, Incheon, how well lit was South Korea and how dark was North Korea. I sympathize with those condemned to live under Socialism, but I know it's not eternal. North Koreans will one day taste Freedom and opportunity.