Kim Jong-un orders country to be ready to use nuclear weapons "at any time"

[Jludo]

Shouldn't be too much longer before China takes the little sh*t out behind the wood shed.

I don't understand what's taken them this long, I understand the humanitarian and strategic side but you'd think China would have the pull to edge them towards a more stable path. I don't see how Korea, as it sits now, is a good thing for the Chinese.

 

[KittySlayer]

I don't understand what's taken them this long, I understand the humanitarian and strategic side but you'd think China would have the pull to edge then towards a more stable path. I don't see how Korea, as it sits now, is a good thing for the Chinese.

I was thinking the same thing, what's the purpose of China allowing this spoiled child free reign in their backyard?
+ Buffer between US troops and Chinese border.
+ Distraction for US as China builds their new islands and keeps its eyes on Hong Kong.
- Excuse for US to keep a mass of military assets nearby.
- Potential little Kim will do something stupid without permission (invade S.K. or use a nuke).
- Forced to step into some S. storm little Kim creates.
- Financial drain supporting this puppet.

 

[IndyDave1776]

I had a more pedestrian guess along the lines of China temporarily reacting like this:

 

[printcraft]

NK is a world unto its own. Really a fascinating look down the rabbit hole if you have the time.
Lil Kim was brought up in this world, the entire country is institutionalized.
It's not a matter of being nuts, it a matter of not having the info available to compare with the rest of the world.
A dog doesn't know its a dog.

 

[IndyDave1776]

NK is a world unto its own. Really a fascinating look down the rabbit hole if you have the time.
Lil Kim was brought up in this world, the entire country is institutionalized.
It's not a matter of being nuts, it a matter of not having the info available to compare with the rest of the world.
A dog doesn't know its a dog.

At the time the brush-headed lunatic died, my prediction was that one of two things would happen with Little Kim, which were that either spending several years in the West would have had enough influence on him to make a positive difference when he took power or else he would be just as nutty and power-mad as dad and grandpa, with the latter actually happening. My best explanation is that it is not ignorance as he has plenty long enough to learn the alternative, but rather that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. While the DPRK is laughable on the world stage aside from occasional manifestations of its nuisance value, Little Kim is the absolute power in his little corner of the world with no accountability to anyone at any time, a sort of a battleship in a bathtub if you will. That said, I will argue that he deliberately chose his course although it is difficult to say at this point if he is charting his course or his course is charting him given the chain of evolution in the process of becoming corrupted and ultimately as mad as his father. Given the level of sadism he has demonstrated in his executions, among other indicators, I am really not sure what point he has reached regarding the question of whether he is steering the madness or it is steering him.

 

[spec4]

Killing a top military guy has not made him popular with the military. A coup would not be out of the realm of possibility.

 

[ArcadiaGP]

I'm OK with this.

Russia has warned North Korea that threats to deliver “preventive nuclear strikes” could create a legal basis for the use of military force against the country

 

[mrjarrell]

Lil' Kim says they have miniaturised their nuclear warheads to fit on their ballistic missiles. I'm going to take this with a grain of salt, for now, but it moves things in a more dangerous direction if true.

North Korea 'has miniature nuclear warhead', says Kim Jong-un - BBC News

 

[BogWalker]

And just how many could they field at one time?

 

[IndyDave1776]

And just how many could they field at one time?

That depends on how many of those orange farm tractors they actually have. After all, there were only two in the picture towing rocket launchers!

 

[BugI02]

Lil' Kim says they have miniaturised their nuclear warheads to fit on their ballistic missiles. I'm going to take this with a grain of salt, for now, but it moves things in a more dangerous direction if true.

North Korea 'has miniature nuclear warhead', says Kim Jong-un - BBC News

Likely an Aegis or two off their coast 24/7/365. Wouldn't surprise me if an unannounced launch encountered 'problems'

 

[ArcadiaGP]

First on CNN: U.S. says North Korean submarine missing - CNNPolitics.com

 

[Jludo]

First on CNN: U.S. says North Korean submarine missing - CNNPolitics.com

It's probably difficult to keep those coal powered subs going for long

 

[actaeon277]

First on CNN: U.S. says North Korean submarine missing - CNNPolitics.com

It's probably difficult to keep those coal powered subs going for long

North Korea is known for dropping spies/saboteurs off from mini-subs. They are difficult to detect on battery and submerged.
However, mini subs are not very forgiving, and so they get "lost".
It's a price people are willing to pay, when they are the ones not going in the sub, like the dear leader.

And while I like it when NorK gets a stick in the eye, being an ex-submariner I cannot cheer.
It's a little too close to home for me.

 

[Kutnupe14]

Surprised that no one has mentioned that the North Koreans won't admit the loss due to their error, but due to some American shenanigans.

 

[actaeon277]

Surprised that no one has mentioned that the North Koreans won't admit the loss due to their error, but due to some American shenanigans.

Admitting a loss would be admitting they are not perfect. Won't happen.
And the great Russian navy wouldn't admit they lost a sub till everyone in the world knew.
Then, they said they didn't need help with the rescue, even though there was ZERO chance they could effect the rescue themselves.
Like they just hoped it would rise on it's own.

 

[IndyDave1776]

First on CNN: U.S. says North Korean submarine missing - CNNPolitics.com

I couldn't help but notice in this linked article that there was a table of military personnel and hardware presented in such a way as to suppose parity by unit, which couldn't be further from the truth. Particularly in the cases of tanks and aircraft, the South Koreans have modern equipment that would eat the North Koreans' antiques for breakfast no matter how many of them there may be.

As for the sub, it stands in evidence of the level of quality prevalent in the DPRK, particularly regarding equipment that no one deemed 'important' has to use personally.

North Korea is known for dropping spies/saboteurs off from mini-subs. They are difficult to detect on battery and submerged.
However, mini subs are not very forgiving, and so they get "lost".
It's a price people are willing to pay, when they are the ones not going in the sub, like the dear leader.

And while I like it when NorK gets a stick in the eye, being an ex-submariner I cannot cheer.
It's a little too close to home for me.

Agreed. It is extremely difficult to celebrate the deaths of a dozen or so people who were doing what they were doing as a way of eating five days a week instead of just three like everyone else. Now, if someone takes Little Kim for a ride on one of our aircraft carriers, ties his stupid ass to an anchor, and jettisons it over the Marianas Trench, I would be ready to call for a kegger and I don't even drink!

 

[BugI02]

One of Our Submarines (is missing)

[video=youtube;CG5eyJv9e-g]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CG5eyJv9e-g[/video]

 

[actaeon277]

One of Our Submarines (is missing)

[video=youtube;CG5eyJv9e-g]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CG5eyJv9e-g[/video]

I'll put that on my list of music to never listen to again.

 

[actaeon277]

I'm trying (unsuccessfully) to find a clip on the end of "Hunt for Red October".
Where the Russian Diplomat says, another one of our subs is missing.