North Korea conducts Nuke Test

[Roy Karrde]

Well just breaking news, North Korea has tested their first nukes. It's been confirmed by the North Korean News Agency after a South Korea report leaked. Weeks ago North Korea tested missles that could be loaded with nukes and fired them off. The nukes splashed off in the Sea of Japan but could reach Japan and the West Coast of North America. So what does everyone think? Will the US try and forward deplomacy now? Or will we be moving ships to the Sea of Japan for air strikes?

[Magmar]

The US needs to stop being so... I don't know, trying to rule the world kinda

[Andrew]

America! Fuck yeah! Coming again to save the motherfucking day yeah!

Do we have a google news link?

Still, I never have been fond of north korea.

[Roy Karrde]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15190745/?GT1=8618
http://news.yahoo.com/fc/World/North_Korea

There are some links. But I would suggest watching either CNN or Fox News. I was watching CNN till they had a caller blame Bush for this situation and decided to move to Fox. Also Rude Boy, I would suggest looking further than just how the US handles this situation. North Korea has the power and the craziness to hit Japan, South Korea, or the Western Seaboard of America. North Korea having nukes is about as deadly as Iran having nukes, maybe even worse. Iran can only really go after Isreal. North Korea has ICBMs that can kill millions if not billions of people.

Edit: USGS Is now reporting that a 4.2 hit North Korea at 10:32 am, meaning it was a larger nuke than first thought.

[Andrew]

I don't watch CNN or Fox news mainly for their biased and sensationalised reporting system that isn't fair and extremely conservative to represent Murdoch's views.

[mr_pikachu]

The test could spur Japan and South Korea to try to get nuclear weapons of their own in order to defend against this possible threat. Even if the U.S. is trying to become a "world police force" - and I'm not about to argue that we are - we can't do everything at once. Japan and South Korea can't afford to sit back and rely on us to defend them.

[Austrian ViceMaster Alex]

North Korea and Iran have quickly learned their lesson after the US attacked Iraq and hasten to arm themselves with nukes. It puts them into a position to not worry much about invasion plans of other countries as they have a powerful ace in the hole now. Ironical that out of the Axis of evil the US attacked the one country that had no nuclear weapon development plan anymore.

I think it's already been reported that Japan is planning to strengthen its missile defense.

[Elekidkid]

Well, you also have to consider the position the United States are in regarding North Korea. If my memory serves me well enough, China has already said that if we enter North Korea, they won't be afraid to retaliate against us. Last American presence in Eastern Asia certainly didn't go well, so China's threats are certainly plausible in an effort to prevent what had happened. Also, it would be a threat to Chinese affairs, as a military presence of such a powerful nation could pose a threat to Chinese wants, regardless of the United States' desires in China.

Bottom line is, if we run the risk of a Chinese retaliation, the chances are slim that we'll go into North Korea before someone else really starts it. To put yourself up against China is essentially suicide; regardless of which side wins, too many lives would be lost to make it worthwhile, and I think the American government realizes this.

It's going to be a waiting game now. While North Korea has displayed that they have this weaponry, it's also likely that they won't do anything. The nation has been making idle threats for years now mostly as a scare tactic. This could simply be another attempt at shaking up world politics. However it could just as likely be the start of nuclear winter. We're in quite the Catch 22.

[Dark-San]

[b][size=3]America already has an ally in form of Taiwan which happens to be just next to China. So would North Korea falls, this would make two American allies just behind their backdoor. Something which the Chinese wouldn't want. Hence with invasion out of the picture, the only sensible actions would be either returning to the six party talks or just applying sanctions on the North Koreans.

If North Korean's nuke test had post much of a threat, then we in Asia are in much far greater danger. Even the Asian economies suffered when investment pulled due last minute when the blast was conducted.

Hence I wouldn't mind USA becoming the global police or not but something has to come out to stop the North Korean into developing these weapons of mass destruction.

[Heald]

Economic sanctions would worsen the situation, if anything. Kim and his closest allies are a bunch of crooks who live off cognac and lobster and sanctions would only harm the North Korean people, the vast majority of which are in dire poverty and live off tree bark. They rely on Western aid to live as Kim isn't going to do jack to help them. If the West withdraws their aid, not only will a lot of innocent people be worse off and will die, this will also build anti-West feelings that Kim will capitalise on and make him stronger in his own country. The only realistic way of taking down North Korea without the threat of nuclear war or a Chinese retaliation is to build anti-Kim sentiments in North Korea and hope they perform a coup d'etat.

On the whole, Kim is not going to launch a nuclear weapon on the West. However, more likely, and therefore a greater danger, is that he will manufacture these weapons and sell them to terrorists or Islamist regimes who will then pass them onto terrorists. Terrorists have nothing to lose when using nuclear weapons and even Islamist regimes are threats as they're into this whole 'kill the West and win 44 virgins in heaven' bullshit, meaning they'll have little qualms over dying if they annihilate the West in the process.

However, the most obvious problem this nuclear test is going to cause is that it is going to regenerate the arm race. The international community was doing so well in these post-war years but not only do we now have to thank the British-American (and Polish) coalition for their interference in Iraq and Afghanistan in causing Middle-Eastern countries to seek arms, nuclear weapons and to back terrorist groups, but now the nuclear arms race is back on. No doubt the nuclear community will begin rebuilding its stores and several more countries will want to join the nuclear club. Nuclear arms are useless - we're wasting billions on pointless, poisonous measures that could be better used to combat disease and poverty.

[Dark-San]

The only realistic way of taking down North Korea without the threat of nuclear war or a Chinese retaliation is to build anti-Kim sentiments in North Korea and hope they perform a coup d'etat.

[b][size=3]That would be good but I don't think that would work on citizens who are already practically brainwash by the regime. But still as you had mentioned that this is the best solution that is the most realistic as well.

[Heald]

[b][size=3]That would be good but I don't think that would work on citizens who are already practically brainwash by the regime. But still as you had mentioned that this is the best solution that is the most realistic as well.

The only reason that they're brainwashed is that they either suffer in silence or get shot in the face.

[DarkTemplarZero]

I think Uncyclopedia put it best;

"North Korea tests nukes. America builds comsat stations. Iran upgrades Zealots."