North Korea's nukes

Right, I'm not saying from a military standpoint. That is obvious.

I'm saying from a political/diplomatic standpoint.

 

Well there would be a few hills to climb after that.

 

Massive understatement.

The big question would be "is it worth it?"

 

I'm not sure. I think North Korea needs to be eliminated. Would have to figure out how to minimalize the blowback

 

There isn't a way.

 

If the world works together, we can knock em out overnight

[video=youtube;9ULZMnM-w8w]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ULZMnM-w8w[/video]

 

Not before they release hundreds of SRBM's, MRBM's, and long range artillery rockets and shells towards cities in South Korea and Japan, potentially with chemical warheads, killing hundreds of thousands of people.

So why would South Korea or Japan go along with such a plan knowing they are condemning their people to die?

 

Hence the lessons learned there. Fighting a limited war is a formula for defeat. The conquest of North Vietnam was never our goal. That would not be the case in a renewed Korean Conflict. Our goal from day one would be the elimination of North Korea as a sovereign nation and the liberation of the North Korean people from what is arguably the most brutal regime on earth.

 

I think that is highly unlikely. North Korea is China's crazy relative you hide in the attic. Their primary fear is hordes of starving refugees streaming across the border. Assuming that could be prevented through a combination of strong border control and rapid aid response I think the danger of that can be minimized.

Nuclear weapons is really not necessary except in a retaliatory strike against NK's use.

 

Any nuclear strike on North Korea would lead to radioactive fallout on Chinese and/or Russian territory.

 

I think they're smart enough to figure out how to bomb them into oblivion before they know what's coming. I'm sure there's a plan. Everything will be fine

 

Ask these starving North Koreans.

 

Its not possible. You can't take out everything before they get off a retaliatory strike unless you use a massive amount of nukes, which would swamp the entire region in fallout, so say goodbye to any support from Japan, South Korea, China, or Russia.

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You mean the ones who would be dead when the retaliation from the US for North Korean chemical attacks on Japan and South Korea flatten the North?

 

I don't disagree. I'm just saying that in the event of a nuclear strike against Seoul, Tokyo, or Honolulu you can rest assured Pyongyang would cease to exist under a giant mushroom cloud.

 

Of course. But there is zero evidence the would launch such an attack.

 

You're thinking pessimistically. They'll figure out a way to level North Korea's main points before they know what hit em. It'll be aight

 

When those missile unit commanders lose contact with central command and see enemy aircraft bombing their country, they will launch.

 

I tend to think much of their equipment is either poorly maintained or is completely nonfunctional. Defector report seem to corroborate stories of the poor shape and morale of the military.

You may want to persue this:

http://www.asiapress.org/rimjin-gang/report/north-korea-army-malnutrition-5/

 

I'm not so sure. When NK collapses, (and it will collapse) I think it will do so in a paroxysm of blind violence. I suspect Un will strike out any way he can in a futile effort to preserve his position.

 

Even if 50% of their artillery and missiles are non-functional, that still leaves hundreds that can be fired against South Korean and Japanese cities.

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Why would China ever let North Korea collapse?

 

By then it'll be too late. They'll be gone.

 

There are waaaay too many of them to kill before they launch a retaliatory strike.

Do you understand how much artillery and missiles North Korea has?

 

In the end China is going to do what is good for business. If they perceive that an increasingly unstable NK is eating into the bottom line, they'll be the first in line to effect a regime change there. Personally I think a reunified Korea would be a gold mine of investment opportunities. The North is going to literally have to be rebuilt from the ground up even without a war. They will lag behind the South for generations to come. The entire population of the North is completely ill prepared to function in the larger world due to useless education, pointless skills, and lack of understanding of the outside world. They are all going to need to be educated, deprogrammed, and trained in useful skills.

 

Guy, once again, you're thinking pessimistically. I'm sure they'll figure out a way. Just relax.

 

I'm being realistic. You are arguing pie-in-the-sky handwavium. There is no way to take out all of North Korea's missiles and artillery before they can launch a retaliatory strike.