Nulcear North Korea

So, North Korea conducted its third nuclear test apparently.  Another ho-hum day in Seoul for everyone else.

In the absence of any real leverage, Washington and its allies are left warning Beijing that if it does not keep North Korea out of the nuclear club, it risks an arms race in its own neighborhood.

This is from the New York Times article.

I am slightly divided over the right of North Korea to do what it wants so long as they are not harming anyone.  In this case, I refer to people outside of their country.  So far, they have done no wrong to another country(skirmishes aside).

Let me tell you how this game is payed. Earlier this week a “war of words” began.

“The US and enemies, based on their own hypothesis and arguments, jumped to the conclusion that we would stage a third nuclear test,” said the editorial.

– source rt.com

Note that this seeming denial statement merely points to someone else guessing what North Korea was about to do. They did not say they weren’t going to do it.

Besides that little tidbit, the South Korean military had their own statement.

“If [the North] shows a clear intent to use a nuclear weapon, it is better to get rid of it and go to war, rather than being attacked,” said the general, addressing the Joint Chiefs. He added that ”a pre-emptive attack against the North trying to use nuclear weapons does not require consultation with the United States and it is the right of self-defense.”

So….what? Everyone is posturing in the name of “self defense” but really just use that as some sort of excuse to throw around their ego? On one hand, I can appreciate the fact that North Korea wants too stay out of US control and financial ruin. On the other hand, of the people are truly suffering, the whole world has a responsibility to ensure that its inhabitants have the means to survive, if not thrive. Sadly, I feel that our current efforts are misguided and will eventually fail. Perhaps it is time for a change huh?

Ok, back to the topic at hand. Not much has changed. There have been no pre-emptive strikes. Although do you need to detonate a nuclear device to research energy for your country? No, but hey, what do I know?

Next I expect to read that China is finally taking a few stern measures against the little upstart country or that the US “suddenly discovers a reason to invade” and then things will be ugly for awhile. Maybe you’ll see a re-enactment of the middle East, maybe not. In either case, I’m glad I am moving further south to get some distance from this crap.