CFR: The Systematic Downfall of North Korea

originally posted by: beezzer
a reply to: eisegesis

We should allow North Korea to do whatever they want.
We should allow China to take back Taiwan and anything else they want.
We should allow Russia to annex the Ukraine and whoever else they want.
We should allow Iran to develop nukes.
We should allow ISIS to run rampant.
We should allow Boko Harum to continue his growth in Africa.

Just so the world will be a better place without American intervention.

So the side the US picks is the good guys? That's awfully conceited of you. We don't side with the good guys or the just guys in the fight. We side with the ones who will implement policies favorable to us.

The Iran deal is favorable to us. China taking Taiwan isn't, and so go the rest.

Korea we have obligated ourselves to defend, and really that's all we can do. We're not going to beat them through attrition, and a battle will involve very savage fighting with NK using any type of WMD it has.

I just don't see NK cracking under pressure, atleast not if you're targeting the leadership. Creating programs that funnel out the higher members of government with their families, and an occasional rescue from a prison camp is just about the most overt action you can take against them.

The best option we have with NK is giving them western goods in exchange for saner policy, but they're not going to go along with that. Iran will, but Iran has a different mentality.

a reply to: eisegesis

I'm confused. Where do you stand on US-North Korea policy? Since the cease-fire, the stated policy has always been a combination of containment and limited engagement. In that time, almost no Korean blood has been shed. I don't understand your use of the "blood soaked" metaphor. As has been pointed out, the United States always prefers the devil it knows. There is no point wasting American blood and treasure to destabilize DPRK; it would have a negative impact on the economy of the region.

Please explain what you think the correct policy the United States should have towards the two feuding states on the Korean peninsula.