The Off Topic Topic

[Razgovory]

Ah - here we go:

North Korea had many times said it was nullifying the Korean War Armistice that stopped, but did not officially end, the three-year war.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/06/world/asia/north-korea-threatens-to-attack-us-with-lighter-and-smaller-nukes.html?_r=0

But did they ever officially end the armistice?  Everything I see indicates the armistice is still in place.

Is there a reason, other than a possible negative PRChina response--though at this point they seem really embarrassed by and unconcerned with the fate of their former ally--that the RoK doesn't just attack the DPRK?  Would they not win?  Are the armed forces of the DPRK not complete garbage by this point?  If I were a North Korean, I'd spit in the face of a RoKker on that day in the far future when peaceful reunification takes place, assuming I survived to see it, for letting millions of their countrymen languish in a prison country for FUCKING DECADES.

It's like if Canada turned into a totalitarian country and we did practically nothing about it for several generations.

I don't see you volunteering to go run down to Mexico to stop the war that has killed somewhere between 60,000-100,000 people.

[Barrister]

It takes a lot to burn a city to the ground.  Besides, surely they have bunkers and evacuation plans?  Who puts their capital next to a DMZ without bunkers and evacuation plans?

How do you evacuate half of your population?

[Ideologue]

Ah - here we go:

North Korea had many times said it was nullifying the Korean War Armistice that stopped, but did not officially end, the three-year war.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/06/world/asia/north-korea-threatens-to-attack-us-with-lighter-and-smaller-nukes.html?_r=0

But did they ever officially end the armistice?  Everything I see indicates the armistice is still in place.

Is there a reason, other than a possible negative PRChina response--though at this point they seem really embarrassed by and unconcerned with the fate of their former ally--that the RoK doesn't just attack the DPRK?  Would they not win?  Are the armed forces of the DPRK not complete garbage by this point?  If I were a North Korean, I'd spit in the face of a RoKker on that day in the far future when peaceful reunification takes place, assuming I survived to see it, for letting millions of their countrymen languish in a prison country for FUCKING DECADES.

It's like if Canada turned into a totalitarian country and we did practically nothing about it for several generations.

I don't see you volunteering to go run down to Mexico to stop the war that has killed somewhere between 60,000-100,000 people.

I don't see a lot of Mexicans sharing a thousand years of Anglo-American history and language with me.

That said, I think I have said that intervening in Mexico would be a very good idea, probably a much better idea than our interventions halfway across the world, although I also supported those wars.  But I didn't volunteer to go join the fucking Northern Alliance and hang out with a bunch of Kyrgs and Uzbeks, so I guess that support is pretty half-hearted, right?

[Ed Anger]

It takes a lot to burn a city to the ground.  Besides, surely they have bunkers and evacuation plans?  Who puts their capital next to a DMZ without bunkers and evacuation plans?

How do you evacuate half of your population?

They are tiny Asians. I suggest pacing crates and containers.

[Ed Anger]

I'm slightly buzzed on apple brandy.

[Ideologue]

It takes a lot to burn a city to the ground.  Besides, surely they have bunkers and evacuation plans?  Who puts their capital next to a DMZ without bunkers and evacuation plans?

How do you evacuate half of your population?

I'd imagine most would leave by train.

Also, I'm unsure to what degree the RoK armed forces could not deal with the DPRK threat to Seoul in a preemptive strike.  I'm not saying they could totally neutralize it, I'm saying I don't know that the DPRK forces would be able to effectively counter a dedicated effort to overrun/destroy/degrade the rocket and artillery emplacements and C3 that goes along with it.

I would be willing to be bet at least $50 that another Korean War would involve massive defections by the People's forces.

[Neil]

Don't be stupid Ide.  Why would the RoK want to sacrifice their prosperity for the sake of North Korea.  North Korea has a shitload of rockets and conventional artillery tubes to destroy Seoul, and that means one of the top ten economies in the world is reduced to the stone age overnight.

[Razgovory]

Ah - here we go:

North Korea had many times said it was nullifying the Korean War Armistice that stopped, but did not officially end, the three-year war.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/06/world/asia/north-korea-threatens-to-attack-us-with-lighter-and-smaller-nukes.html?_r=0

But did they ever officially end the armistice?  Everything I see indicates the armistice is still in place.

Is there a reason, other than a possible negative PRChina response--though at this point they seem really embarrassed by and unconcerned with the fate of their former ally--that the RoK doesn't just attack the DPRK?  Would they not win?  Are the armed forces of the DPRK not complete garbage by this point?  If I were a North Korean, I'd spit in the face of a RoKker on that day in the far future when peaceful reunification takes place, assuming I survived to see it, for letting millions of their countrymen languish in a prison country for FUCKING DECADES.

It's like if Canada turned into a totalitarian country and we did practically nothing about it for several generations.

I don't see you volunteering to go run down to Mexico to stop the war that has killed somewhere between 60,000-100,000 people.

I don't see a lot of Mexicans sharing a thousand years of Anglo-American history and language with me.

That said, I think I have said that intervening in Mexico would be a very good idea, probably a much better idea than our interventions halfway across the world, although I also supported those wars.  But I didn't volunteer to go join the fucking Northern Alliance and hang out with a bunch of Kyrgs and Uzbeks, so I guess that support is pretty half-hearted, right?

Wait a second, aren't you Hispanic or speak Spanish?  The Mexicans are having a war and they are our neighbor that seems more relevant to argument you making then the Northern Alliance.  Look, most people don't have a death wish and don't want to sacrifice their lives, the lives of their children and the well being of their entire country out of nationalist solidarity an enemy.  If SK goes to war with N.K a lot of people will die, and many of those people will be S.Korean civilians.

[Ideologue]

I'm Catalonian, at some remove, and my Spanish is poor.  I have more affinity with and hence care more about what happens in Anglophone countries than in Latin America (or Iberia).

But like I said, I've advocated a military adventure in Mexico for some number of years, and I guess if I were drafted, I would serve--though I'm a little old and worn out to be useful in a combat capacity.

[jimmy olsen]

seoul.

It's 50 mi from the border.  It's also targeted by all kinds of conventional rockets, and widely assumed that it would be utterly vaporized in the case of serious hostilities.

Plus, South Korea doesn't spend a ton on its armed forces, while North Korea has a two million man army.

They have an active military of 600k and 3million in the reserves. That's 1.2% and 6% of their population of 50 million respectively.  That would be 3.6 million and 18 million respectively if they US had a similarly sized military.

[Razgovory]

I'm Catalonian, at some remove, and my Spanish is poor.  I have more affinity with and hence care more about what happens in Anglophone countries than in Latin America (or Iberia).

But like I said, I've advocated a military adventure in Mexico for some number of years, and I guess if I were drafted, I would serve--though I'm a little old and worn out to be useful in a combat capacity.

Whatever Frito Bandito.

[Jacob]

Don't be stupid Ide.  Why would the RoK want to sacrifice their prosperity for the sake of North Korea.  North Korea has a shitload of rockets and conventional artillery tubes to destroy Seoul, and that means one of the top ten economies in the world is reduced to the stone age overnight.

Even if the NK military turns out to be as effective as a wet noodle and RoK wins a quick, convincing, and relatively painless victory - they'll still be jeopardizing their prosperity.  Re-Unification is not going to be cheap.

[jimmy olsen]

Don't be stupid Ide.  Why would the RoK want to sacrifice their prosperity for the sake of North Korea.  North Korea has a shitload of rockets and conventional artillery tubes to destroy Seoul, and that means one of the top ten economies in the world is reduced to the stone age overnight.

Even if the NK military turns out to be as effective as a wet noodle and RoK wins a quick, convincing, and relatively painless victory - they'll still be jeopardizing their prosperity.  Re-Unification is not going to be cheap.

Yeah, it would be an order of magnitude more difficult and expensive than the reunification of Germany.

[Ideologue]

I'm Catalonian, at some remove, and my Spanish is poor.  I have more affinity with and hence care more about what happens in Anglophone countries than in Latin America (or Iberia).

But like I said, I've advocated a military adventure in Mexico for some number of years, and I guess if I were drafted, I would serve--though I'm a little old and worn out to be useful in a combat capacity.

Whatever Frito Bandito.

Man, I want some Fritos.  I've been trying to maintain a ~1500 calorie diet since I've got to drop like fifteen pounds ASAP.  IT SUCKS.

[Syt]

Great, second night I coughed/sneezed through. I though I'd make it through just one winter without catching the common cold.

Guess I'll stay at home today, because I doubt I'd be very productive today.