I personally am unsure whether or not to believe North Korea has the capacity to make a nuclear weapon or it it has already. I am leaning more in the direction that it does not have a nuclear weapon. However that could just be me hoping that they don't. I don't really like the idea of any country having a nuclear weapon, but with that being said I don't think the United States really needs to get involved right now. With my limited knowledge on the subject it seems to me that we, the United States that is, should leave the issue to North Korea and South Korea for now and see what happens.
Personally, I believe the North Korans are serious in their threat of starting a war because they have been seeking the production of nuclear missiles since the 1960s, but they are forgetting how the United States would react towards this type of threat. They want to attack the United States, but the US has far greater nuclear missiles and other types of nuclear gadgets in order to fight back and make sure the Koreans never aim at the US again. I definitively believe that the US and the world in general should be taking threats seriously regardless of where the threat is coming from and always be ready in the case of a nuclear attack aimed, but I do think, as Alexandra commented, that the United States should leave the issue to North Korea and South Korea rather than indulging into their affairs at the present moment. If North Korea begins to threaten the US more and actually does test a missile, then the United States needs to take action against them through a missile.
Although I believe that North Korea’s nuclear threats should be taken seriously, it seems that Kim Jong-un is attempting to separate himself as a ruler from his father through these actions. Kim Jong-un has said that he thought his father was too cautious about the North Korean nuclear program and as a new, young leader, Kim Jong-un is trying to solidify his power and return legitimacy to North Korea through intimidation tactics with no concrete outcome. Also, the last time North Korea threatened with nuclear weapons, their test failed. North Korea is really threatening with nuclear weapons, in order to negotiate economic deals, like better bank loans or food credits with other countries. If, however, North Korea follows through with their nuclear launches, it is a strong possibility that this could cause a world conflict. Iran is the real nuclear threat to the United States, and if North Korea pulls the trigger, it is possible that Iran will speed up their nuclear program, making a nuclear alliance with North Korea. This could be detrimental to the United States and even possibly spark a world war if China and Russia decide to get involved. North Korea, if they follow through, will just be a catalyst to the nuclear threat that is looming with Iran. At the present moment, I do think that the United States should get involved with North Korea. The United States obviously does not have the means to start another war, but realistically, I think that President Obama will decide to act quickly to North Korea’s nuclear launches, in order to deter other countries, mainly Iran, from threatening with nuclear weapons in the future. The United States’ response will probably not be nuclear. Instead, they will probably use the highest possible non-nuclear response to send a strong message to North Korea and indirectly to Iran. China will also probably step in to contain the conflict with convention weapons as well because the Chinese understand that North Korea is a loose cannon, so they must protect their own country.
I believe that North Korea is inching its way toward nuclear capability, and that threat should be taken seriously because of the unstable nature of the North Korean leaders. The United States needs to be concerned about this issue and involved in its resolution, especially since the United States is a staunch ally of South Korea and we have had troops stationed there since the Korean War. In addition, a nuclear confrontation initiated by North Korea would have worldwide implications, as Gabriella mentioned. There is a high probability that these actions would lead to a third world war that would be more dangerous than ever due to the fact that it would be fought mainly with nuclear weapons. I also agree with Gabriella that North Korea is engaging in its longtime game of escalating tensions in their area with the hope of being rewarded with monetary assistance if they cease their bellicose actions. Failure of other world powers to address North Korea's actions could encourage other bad actors in the world, such as Iran, to proceed with their nuclear ambitions if they perceive that the United States and other countries do not have the stomach to confront the nuclear threat.
I do think North Korea might have nuclear capability and their threat should be taken very seriously. As a nation and world leader, we have to show that we aren't going be threatened or seen as weak. We have to deal with this issue just to prevent another world war which could be detrimental. I don't think North Korea's intentions are that severe right now though. I think North Korea is making this threat just to receive aid and other concessions since North Korea has made similar threats before.
It is important that the United States impress upon China how important it is for them to assert the control they have over North Korea to prevent any escalation of the nuclear threat. It appears that Secretary of State John Kerry is trying to do just that with a trip to China and Japan this weekend. This would be a very important development as China, more than any other country, is able to influence North Korea because it is one of its major benefactors in terms of providing North Korea with fuel, food, etc. In addition to pursuing this diplomatic solution through China, I believe it is important for the United States to continue to show its strength through joint military exercises with South Korea. Additional pressure from the U.N. will help to solidify North Korea as a pariah in the international community. If North Korea is foolish enough to launch a nuclear missile, they will find themselves with no allies. As Kerry said, Kim Jong-un "needs to understand, as I think he probably does, what the outcome of a conflict would be."
After reading everyone's comments, I find myself agreeing with my peers. I think Magarets post was very interesting about John Kerrys trip especially. I hope that North Korea does not try to start a nuclear war because that would bd very bad on all fronts. It would force other nations to get involved and force the u.s. to also engage in nuclear warfare and it would be a bad idea for any country or nation to nuclearly involved.
Although no one can say for sure, I think that as I said before, North Korea is probably attempting to intimidate other countries through their missile launch plans. North Korea’s motives are more methodical because they just want to gain legitimacy and resources for their country. It seems that Kim Jong-un is intelligent enough to know that if he launches nuclear weapons, he is putting his country and his people in great danger. North Korea will be greeted with a barrage of consequences from the United States and China, among other countries. Iran, however, is not this cautious. Their motives for acquiring nuclear weapons are for more destructive purposes because they view wars with the United States as religious conquests for which they are willing to die as martyrs for their religion. As a result, Iran is a wild card that cannot be inspired by North Korea’s actions. This is why the United States must act quickly and effectively if North Korea follows through, in order to dissuade any other countries, like Iran, from trying anything similar.
I certainly think that the North Koreans are serious in their threats for nuclear missile attacks. Correspondingly, these threats should be taken very seriously by both international organizations, and perhaps most importantly, the United States. As Margaret clearly specified in her post, our secretary of state John Kerry is attempting to use the strong force of diplomacy on his tour to Asia and Japan. Although this certainly is not the first time that North Korea has drawn international attention for disrupting weaponry "equilibrium" through tests, this simple fact should not distract from the gravity of a situation in which any nation, especially North Korea would deploy a nuclear weapon. Another excellent point that Gabriella pointed out pertains to Kim Jong-un and his power "strife." When he initially came to power, he was seen by many in the international setting as someone who simply would stand in the background. Creating this nuclear issue a clear attempt by Kim Jon-un to attain legitimacy and hegemony within the international community. To prevent full escalation of warfare, brought on by such a strike, it is imperative that the United States use whatever means necessary to prevent escalation.
According to the New York TImes, a CIA source "leaked" verification that NK has nuclear capability. According to this source, the NKs were sold a nuclear weapon from a private Russian dealer. This is not confirmed, but plausible. Russian "firms" have been dealing weapons to American enemies (Iran), and could be doing the same in NK. As the second largest trader of weapons, it is certainly possible that this occurred. According to the source, however, even though NK (supposedly) has the weapon, it is doubtful that it is miniaturized, meaning that it is not small enough to be carried to long range deployment. That means that is unlikely that the NK's threats of nuking far off Asian countries is unlikely, let alone the west coast of the United States. If this technology exists, it is unreliable at best. That means short-term safety from NK nuclear missals, however it does mean that a hastily deployed weapon could mistakenly land almost anywhere.
In my opinion, the possibility of North Korea possessing nuclear weapons seems very real. That being said, it is of the utmost importance that the United States, as a potentially threatened country and a strong world power, remain attentive to the situation and ready to react at any moment. However, I feel that at this time, as we still don't really know all the details it seems, we should stay out of the situation and not barge in and cause more problems. It is not really our business until we are made involved by someone else.
After re-reading everyone's comments, I still stand by my opinion that North Korea is serious in their threat of launching a nuclear weapon, but the United States will not stand back in reacting towards it. As Jacquelyn stated, the United States should be attentive to the threat that North Korea is making and ready to react at any moment, but they should let things play out the way they are between North Korea and South Korea, they should not meddle between their affairs. They should not meddle between their affairs, the US should only act towards North Korea if North Korea actually launches a nuclear weapon. I do believe North Korea is serious in their threats.
Although I'm not sure whether or not North Korea have nuclear capacity just yet, I do think we should take their threat seriously. No matter who is involved, nuclear weaponry needs to always be taken seriously. Just as Gabriella and Margaret stated, this whole ordeal is kind of a biggie because it could honestly start a third world war - involving dangerous countries such as Iran. The United States doesn’t want a nuclear war - so they should deal with this before it comes even close to that. We don't have the means to fully involve ourselves, but yet - as Logan said and as we talked about earlier in the year - we also don't want to appear weak and careless. So I don't know what to do or think. This is scary business. As Margaret mentioned, just as China saves our butt when it comes to cute little trinkets, let's hope they can save our butt now.
As everybody else has said whether or nor North Korea has nuclear weapons, their threat should be taken seriously. We need to do all means necessary to keep our country safe. I think the first step to this is through dialogue and talking to increase our understanding of the new leader. That's why I think it is smart of John Kerry to be open to talks with North Korea only if they are serious about denuclearizing the Korean peninsula. Hopefully tensions can soon die down.
I feel that North Korea is close to having nuclear weapons and that their threats should be taken as warnings. Although, we are not sure if these threats of nuclear war are true we must as a nation protect ourselves and make sure that ever step towards creating some type of peace with North Korea is taken. They could be bluffing but I feel that it is highly unlikely that they would publicize this topic as much as they have if they were not at least trying to create nuclear weapons.
I personally am unsure whether or not to believe North Korea has the capacity to make a nuclear weapon or it it has already. I am leaning more in the direction that it does not have a nuclear weapon. However that could just be me hoping that they don't. I don't really like the idea of any country having a nuclear weapon, but with that being said I don't think the United States really needs to get involved right now. With my limited knowledge on the subject it seems to me that we, the United States that is, should leave the issue to North Korea and South Korea for now and see what happens.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I believe the North Korans are serious in their threat of starting a war because they have been seeking the production of nuclear missiles since the 1960s, but they are forgetting how the United States would react towards this type of threat. They want to attack the United States, but the US has far greater nuclear missiles and other types of nuclear gadgets in order to fight back and make sure the Koreans never aim at the US again. I definitively believe that the US and the world in general should be taking threats seriously regardless of where the threat is coming from and always be ready in the case of a nuclear attack aimed, but I do think, as Alexandra commented, that the United States should leave the issue to North Korea and South Korea rather than indulging into their affairs at the present moment. If North Korea begins to threaten the US more and actually does test a missile, then the United States needs to take action against them through a missile.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteAlthough I believe that North Korea’s nuclear threats should be taken seriously, it seems that Kim Jong-un is attempting to separate himself as a ruler from his father through these actions. Kim Jong-un has said that he thought his father was too cautious about the North Korean nuclear program and as a new, young leader, Kim Jong-un is trying to solidify his power and return legitimacy to North Korea through intimidation tactics with no concrete outcome. Also, the last time North Korea threatened with nuclear weapons, their test failed. North Korea is really threatening with nuclear weapons, in order to negotiate economic deals, like better bank loans or food credits with other countries. If, however, North Korea follows through with their nuclear launches, it is a strong possibility that this could cause a world conflict. Iran is the real nuclear threat to the United States, and if North Korea pulls the trigger, it is possible that Iran will speed up their nuclear program, making a nuclear alliance with North Korea. This could be detrimental to the United States and even possibly spark a world war if China and Russia decide to get involved. North Korea, if they follow through, will just be a catalyst to the nuclear threat that is looming with Iran. At the present moment, I do think that the United States should get involved with North Korea. The United States obviously does not have the means to start another war, but realistically, I think that President Obama will decide to act quickly to North Korea’s nuclear launches, in order to deter other countries, mainly Iran, from threatening with nuclear weapons in the future. The United States’ response will probably not be nuclear. Instead, they will probably use the highest possible non-nuclear response to send a strong message to North Korea and indirectly to Iran. China will also probably step in to contain the conflict with convention weapons as well because the Chinese understand that North Korea is a loose cannon, so they must protect their own country.
I believe that North Korea is inching its way toward nuclear capability, and that threat should be taken seriously because of the unstable nature of the North Korean leaders. The United States needs to be concerned about this issue and involved in its resolution, especially since the United States is a staunch ally of South Korea and we have had troops stationed there since the Korean War. In addition, a nuclear confrontation initiated by North Korea would have worldwide implications, as Gabriella mentioned. There is a high probability that these actions would lead to a third world war that would be more dangerous than ever due to the fact that it would be fought mainly with nuclear weapons. I also agree with Gabriella that North Korea is engaging in its longtime game of escalating tensions in their area with the hope of being rewarded with monetary assistance if they cease their bellicose actions. Failure of other world powers to address North Korea's actions could encourage other bad actors in the world, such as Iran, to proceed with their nuclear ambitions if they perceive that the United States and other countries do not have the stomach to confront the nuclear threat.
ReplyDeleteI do think North Korea might have nuclear capability and their threat should be taken very seriously. As a nation and world leader, we have to show that we aren't going be threatened or seen as weak. We have to deal with this issue just to prevent another world war which could be detrimental. I don't think North Korea's intentions are that severe right now though. I think North Korea is making this threat just to receive aid and other concessions since North Korea has made similar threats before.
ReplyDeleteIt is important that the United States impress upon China how important it is for them to assert the control they have over North Korea to prevent any escalation of the nuclear threat. It appears that Secretary of State John Kerry is trying to do just that with a trip to China and Japan this weekend. This would be a very important development as China, more than any other country, is able to influence North Korea because it is one of its major benefactors in terms of providing North Korea with fuel, food, etc. In addition to pursuing this diplomatic solution through China, I believe it is important for the United States to continue to show its strength through joint military exercises with South Korea. Additional pressure from the U.N. will help to solidify North Korea as a pariah in the international community. If North Korea is foolish enough to launch a nuclear missile, they will find themselves with no allies. As Kerry said, Kim Jong-un "needs to understand, as I think he probably does, what the outcome of a conflict would be."
ReplyDeleteAfter reading everyone's comments, I find myself agreeing with my peers. I think Magarets post was very interesting about John Kerrys trip especially. I hope that North Korea does not try to start a nuclear war because that would bd very bad on all fronts. It would force other nations to get involved and force the u.s. to also engage in nuclear warfare and it would be a bad idea for any country or nation to nuclearly involved.
ReplyDeleteAlthough no one can say for sure, I think that as I said before, North Korea is probably attempting to intimidate other countries through their missile launch plans. North Korea’s motives are more methodical because they just want to gain legitimacy and resources for their country. It seems that Kim Jong-un is intelligent enough to know that if he launches nuclear weapons, he is putting his country and his people in great danger. North Korea will be greeted with a barrage of consequences from the United States and China, among other countries. Iran, however, is not this cautious. Their motives for acquiring nuclear weapons are for more destructive purposes because they view wars with the United States as religious conquests for which they are willing to die as martyrs for their religion. As a result, Iran is a wild card that cannot be inspired by North Korea’s actions. This is why the United States must act quickly and effectively if North Korea follows through, in order to dissuade any other countries, like Iran, from trying anything similar.
ReplyDeleteI certainly think that the North Koreans are serious in their threats for nuclear missile attacks. Correspondingly, these threats should be taken very seriously by both international organizations, and perhaps most importantly, the United States. As Margaret clearly specified in her post, our secretary of state John Kerry is attempting to use the strong force of diplomacy on his tour to Asia and Japan. Although this certainly is not the first time that North Korea has drawn international attention for disrupting weaponry "equilibrium" through tests, this simple fact should not distract from the gravity of a situation in which any nation, especially North Korea would deploy a nuclear weapon.
ReplyDeleteAnother excellent point that Gabriella pointed out pertains to Kim Jong-un and his power "strife." When he initially came to power, he was seen by many in the international setting as someone who simply would stand in the background. Creating this nuclear issue a clear attempt by Kim Jon-un to attain legitimacy and hegemony within the international community. To prevent full escalation of warfare, brought on by such a strike, it is imperative that the United States use whatever means necessary to prevent escalation.
According to the New York TImes, a CIA source "leaked" verification that NK has nuclear capability. According to this source, the NKs were sold a nuclear weapon from a private Russian dealer. This is not confirmed, but plausible. Russian "firms" have been dealing weapons to American enemies (Iran), and could be doing the same in NK. As the second largest trader of weapons, it is certainly possible that this occurred. According to the source, however, even though NK (supposedly) has the weapon, it is doubtful that it is miniaturized, meaning that it is not small enough to be carried to long range deployment. That means that is unlikely that the NK's threats of nuking far off Asian countries is unlikely, let alone the west coast of the United States. If this technology exists, it is unreliable at best. That means short-term safety from NK nuclear missals, however it does mean that a hastily deployed weapon could mistakenly land almost anywhere.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, the possibility of North Korea possessing nuclear weapons seems very real. That being said, it is of the utmost importance that the United States, as a potentially threatened country and a strong world power, remain attentive to the situation and ready to react at any moment. However, I feel that at this time, as we still don't really know all the details it seems, we should stay out of the situation and not barge in and cause more problems. It is not really our business until we are made involved by someone else.
ReplyDeleteAfter re-reading everyone's comments, I still stand by my opinion that North Korea is serious in their threat of launching a nuclear weapon, but the United States will not stand back in reacting towards it. As Jacquelyn stated, the United States should be attentive to the threat that North Korea is making and ready to react at any moment, but they should let things play out the way they are between North Korea and South Korea, they should not meddle between their affairs. They should not meddle between their affairs, the US should only act towards North Korea if North Korea actually launches a nuclear weapon. I do believe North Korea is serious in their threats.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I'm not sure whether or not North Korea have nuclear capacity just yet, I do think we should take their threat seriously. No matter who is involved, nuclear weaponry needs to always be taken seriously. Just as Gabriella and Margaret stated, this whole ordeal is kind of a biggie because it could honestly start a third world war - involving dangerous countries such as Iran. The United States doesn’t want a nuclear war - so they should deal with this before it comes even close to that. We don't have the means to fully involve ourselves, but yet - as Logan said and as we talked about earlier in the year - we also don't want to appear weak and careless. So I don't know what to do or think. This is scary business. As Margaret mentioned, just as China saves our butt when it comes to cute little trinkets, let's hope they can save our butt now.
ReplyDeleteAs everybody else has said whether or nor North Korea has nuclear weapons, their threat should be taken seriously. We need to do all means necessary to keep our country safe. I think the first step to this is through dialogue and talking to increase our understanding of the new leader. That's why I think it is smart of John Kerry to be open to talks with North Korea only if they are serious about denuclearizing the Korean peninsula. Hopefully tensions can soon die down.
ReplyDeleteI feel that North Korea is close to having nuclear weapons and that their threats should be taken as warnings. Although, we are not sure if these threats of nuclear war are true we must as a nation protect ourselves and make sure that ever step towards creating some type of peace with North Korea is taken. They could be bluffing but I feel that it is highly unlikely that they would publicize this topic as much as they have if they were not at least trying to create nuclear weapons.
ReplyDelete