North Korea's No. 2 leader blasts U.S.

[Son of Norway]

Not worried about Kim Jong Il. We've had ICBM's for over 40 years and this dick-wad just figured out how to make a rocket. He can't build enough nukes to "eliminate" the threat from the U.S.

Look what the arms race did for the USSR. North Korea can't even get started in a game like that. We have submarines with more nuclear capabilities than most countries and if we want North Korea to be the biggest crater on earth, that's no problem. It is a complete waste of precious resources that they just don't have much of. By the time they figure out how to make a reliable rocket we will have the technology to destroy it before it leaves Korea.

The real danger lies where Kim Jong Il realizes that this is a stupid endeavor and has a nuclear garage sale to whoever hates America.

[Neomet]

Originally Posted by hacker15

Can't quite agree with you on this one. My remarks about Slick Willy concern the fact (well documented) that he (and his administration) laid out several attractive alternatives for the DRNK without any intention of every delivering on these. These alternatives and inducements were designed to get the DRNK to stop work on any nuc development. The DRNK agreed. Willy (and Co) did this to buy time to slip out of the White House (with all the china, silverware, lighting fixtures, cloths hangers, etc., etc., etc.....), thus passing the potato on the GWB (who has proven less than capible of handling a potato of this size/shape/texture/heat.

The Chamberlin issue was never really popular in England, but prehaps that position is based on 20/20 hindsite by their militery leaders who published after WW2. I may be old, but not old enough to remember pre-1939.

My bad...I thought you were talking about Iraq, which kind of lost me. I agree he failed miserably with DRNK although I do think that they probably would have continued to build whatever the hell they could at any cost, even to their own general population.

I'm also not quite old enough to remember pre-war England, but have studied the subject pretty extensively (see mom, that major in history has finally come in handy!). Your thought is right. Few people are willing to say they supported a plan that "failed". If you read the papers in the late 30's there was large, but not unanimous support for that path.

Good points sir, good points.

[hacker15]

Originally Posted by Neomet

My bad...I thought you were talking about Iraq, which kind of lost me. I agree he failed miserably with DRNK although I do think that they probably would have continued to build whatever the hell they could at any cost, even to their own general population.

I'm also not quite old enough to remember pre-war England, but have studied the subject pretty extensively (see mom, that major in history has finally come in handy!). Your thought is right. Few people are willing to say they supported a plan that "failed". If you read the papers in the late 30's there was large, but not unanimous support for that path.

Good points sir, good points.

I also believe that the DRNK would have continued to develop their nuke program, regardless of any aid received from any outside source. The only power the DRNK fears is China, who can crush them like an insect without even breathing hard. It is not in China's best interest to cause the DRNK to cease their program at this time - they know that any strike by potentially developed weapons will not be made against them and that the continued development is an element that further destabilizes the region and unsettles the US interest and influence there, all to the benefit of the Chinese. In point of fact, I believe we can look to the Chinese assisting the North Koreans in their development program, but on a very sub rosé basis.

My historical interests center more on the military/political relationship between the Roman Empire and the Germanic tribes, so I really have less interest in the latter part of the 19th and 20th century. However, I do keep informed of what I would consider critical events up here, and WW2 was a critical watershed for our culture and way of life. The Lindberg’s of the world were given great coverage before Pearl Harbor but their voice was lost in the roar of outrage after that attack.

[Neomet]

I always had trouble keeping the various tribes straight. Plus I was a little leery of what I read about the tribes (as opposed to just Rome' relationship with them) as it was all written by the Romans so you have to consider the point of view of the authors. Were you able to find anything written from the Germanic point of view?

[hacker15]

Originally Posted by Neomet

I always had trouble keeping the various tribes straight. Plus I was a little leery of what I read about the tribes (as opposed to just Rome' relationship with them) as it was all written by the Romans so you have to consider the point of view of the authors. Were you able to find anything written from the Germanic point of view?

Not really. Their culture was based on an oral tradition. They didn't consolidate their various heroic tales until well after exposure to Rome and the passing of these various tribal tales thrugh the filter of written expression. By that time, most of the information had "mellowed" to a great degree.

Rome, on the other hand, always sought to make these tribes much more fearsome so as to enhance their own militery accomplishments. Not that these tribes were pushovers, by any means - remember the Teutoburger Wald! I know Publius Quinctilius Varus and Hermann Arminius would......

BTW - sorry for hijacking the tread.....this is REALLY off topic!