This page will be used for Mr. Webber's PRS students to complete assignments and to communicate with fellow students on issues surrounding our 10th grade World History class.
Monday, April 8, 2013
North Korea QQC
Please post your QQC (Question, Quote, and Comment) below:
Q: "The lesson from the history of totalitarianism is clear: The controlling logic behind the acts of a closed regime is paranoia. It sees enemies everywhere."
C: I find it very ironic that a 'closed regime' would be critiqued in the introduction to an article in The China post considering the fact China's government censors media. It is also interesting that China, one of the countries that used to be most similar to North Korea, realizes that North Korea has gone crazy trying to make enemies with every country. As the quote says, The third Reich's controlling logic was very similar to North Korea's. Hitler believe that the Aryan Germans were some kind of superior human and that Jews and citizens in surrounding territories should be exterminated. Hitler was making enemies out of people who were once his followers because of his mad beliefs to control the human population to end starvation. It is a very similar concept with Kim Jong Un. Kim Jong Un, wants to exterminate anyone outside of North Korea that does not worship him as their God. In a sense, Kim Jong Un threatening to nuke the world could be considered a modernized, more severe 'solution' tom Jong Un's problems similarly to the Hitlers holocaust. Like Hitler, Kim Jong Un believes that his people are superior to the world and though his cult of personality brings his country to follow him, it turns the rest of the world against him. Like the articles says, Kim Jong Un's reign and the totalitarianism government in North korea will most likely collapse if history repeats itself; however, nuclear threats could put the world in enough fear to not fight against Jon Un.
Q: How strong are North Korea's nuclear weapons? Do they have the potential to harm the entire world? Will countries take North Korea's threat seriously enough to wait before attacking?
Q: "Whatever the factors in play, in the last few weeks North Korea has taken a truly belligerent stance: ratcheting its official rhetoric to new levels of aggressiveness, issuing threats to aim a missile with a nuclear warhead at American cities, even announcing a declaration of war on South Korea."
C: North Korea is in a state of panic and they are trying to seem as much of a threat as possible. To me, it seems that they are trying to put up this strong outside shell to possibly protect them from what will follow the collapse of the current regime. When the regime collapses, they will be vulnerable and probably want to come off as big and tough now so outside powers won't take advantage of their shift in power.
Q: Instead of declaring war on South Korea and conducting more missile tests even under UN sanctions, why doesn't North Korea try to stabilize themselves for the collapse of the Kim Jong Un regime that will inevitably tear them apart?
Q: “The increasing impact of UN sanctions in the wake of continuing North Korean attempts to conduct more missile tests, the election of a woman leader in South Korea, the so-called American pivot to Asia under the Obama administration, perhaps especially the structural stress involved in the young Kim's campaign to consolidate absolute power in the world's last Stalinist state have had some bearing on the turn of events.”
Q: Will this actually be the world’s last Stalinist state?
C: I pulled out this quote because it had a direct connection to what we have been discussing in class: Stalin. It’s crazy to think that one country (or one person for that matter) desires “absolute power.” The threat of nuclear warfare is, in Kim Jong Un’s eyes, a dramatic step in strengthening North Korea’s national defense. However, threatening the whole world is only asking for trouble. Then again, even though the rest of the world does not experience the same kind of fear his own people do, these threats may be too powerful and may force us to back down. The fear I’m referring to is that which is created under totalitarian rule. People were raised to worship Kim Jong Un, but obviously they still fear him and his capabilities enough to risk their lives and flee the country. Now, addressing my question above, it is obviously preferred, and essential, that this is in fact the last Stalinist state. As technology advances, who knows what kind of weapons could be created, and what kind of threats could ensue. Nevertheless, as shown countless times, history has a way of repeating itself.
Quote: “Whatever the factors in play, in the last few weeks North Korea has taken a truly belligerent stance: ratcheting its official rhetoric to new levels of aggressiveness, issuing threats to aim a missile with a nuclear warhead at American cities, even announcing a declaration of war on South Korea. (Technically, the two Koreas have been at war since the 1950s, because a cessation of hostilities was never declared at the “end” of the Korean War.)”
Comment: Like the article says, there is no way for Kim Jong Un to be a good leader in the eyes of his people. If they follow through with this the repercussions will be far greater than the rewards, even in the unusual case of north korea coming out of a conflict unscaved the people will look down upon their leader because of the way that they revere him as a god sent ruler. If he does nothing, his high ranking government officials will view him as weak and inferior to his dad. He has a lot of pressure just to do something aggressive from all around him that he is just a ticking time bomb. The moment that he lashes out the whole UN will meet him with retaliation.
Question: How long will the totalitarian rule or even the country of north korea last?
“The controlling logic behind the acts of a closed regime is paranoia. It sees enemies everywhere. North Korea's unusually bellicose statements and provocative actions of late may be best understood, then, as paranoid — but, to borrow Henry Kissinger's infamous phrase, even a paranoid has real enemies.”
Comment / Questions
If North Korea is indeed paranoid, and “even a paranoid has real enemies”, who would North Korea’s enemies be if it were to stop the threats and go about being a passive country? North Korea, if taken over, would be more of a burden than anything else to the reigning country; millions of people would need to be incorporated into the economy. Also, their nuclear weapons provide an insurance against an invasion. A country hoping to take over would suffer the casualties of a bomb, as would many innocent people. A cold war or economic sanctions would not be concerns either, for if North Korea kept to itself and ceased to test missiles, the rest of the world would have no reason to want to punish them. It seems that North Korea has backed itself into a corner with all the threats, weapon testing, and style of government. It would be much easier for the world to forgive a dictator who only focuses internally than one who shakes a knife at everyone else. By making threats and showing signs of aggression, North Korea has heightened the distrust that other countries feel towards it, a distrust already felt because of its political system. North Korea would not have anything to be paranoid about if it stopped making threats that were paradoxically said to be made out of paranoia.
Quote: “The strident defensiveness of the United States government and its massive military in the face of North Korea's posturing has only fed Pyongyang's paranoia, confirming the regime's own view of the reasonableness of its operative logic.”
Comment: I believe that every last person in North Korea has been brainwashed to the very core to believe that America is the mortal enemy of the state, including the leaders themselves (Kim Jong Un). It is because of this that I think that North Korea has no inkling of an idea as to what they are doing trifling with the United States of America. This fact also adds to their paranoia, which, according to both the article and what I believe, is the reasoning behind their open aggression. Additionally, we are acting as an enemy to their state, and this adds to the paranoia.
Question: Is it possible for the North Koreans to not be paranoid in the face of this situation?
Quote: "Whatever the factors in play, in the last few weeks North Korea has taken a truly belligerent stance: ratcheting its official rhetoric to new levels of aggressiveness, issuing threats to aim a missile with a nuclear warhead at American cities, even announcing a declaration of war on South Korea."
Comment: The article states that there North Koreans dislike for their leader, Kim Jong Un, mainly because there country is communist. They can not leave the country, they must obey their leaders as god-like figures. He will never be the 'great' leader they want him to be. I feel like they are saying all of this nonsense about how strong their army is and how powerful their country is because I think Kim Jong Un is scared. Scared that his country will collapse and that he will lose power.
Question: Will the North Koreans be couragous enough to rebel against Kim Jong Un?
Quote: "The lesson from the history of totalitarianism is clear: The controlling logic behind the acts of a closed regime is paranoia. It sees enemies everywhere. North Korea's unusually bellicose statements and provocative actions of late may be best understood, then, as paranoid — but, to borrow Henry Kissinger's infamous phrase, even a paranoid has real enemies."
Comment: North Korea has a very strict and powerful government. This allows the leader, Kim Jong Un, to take control of all aspects of social media and any ways of disobeying his rule. He does this out of paranoia. If he doesn't have a tight grasp on his people, than he isn't much of a ruler at all. The name ruler entails that this person creates the rules and makes it their responsibility to enforce them, but any means necessary. The article borrows Henry Kissinger's phrase, "even a paranoid has real enemies," and that was a key element to why I chose this quote. This made me realize that although some people are less concerned than others about their social or economic status, or amount of power in their possession, that doesn't mean that those who are concerned don't have something that is driving them to worry. Just because Kim Jong Un and his followers may seem paranoid of the situation at hand, past events and current struggles have led them to feel this tension and pressure.
Question: If Kim Jong Un's predictions of disaster prove to be true, will his people decide to obey him and understand him, or will his paranoia increase/decrease? His paranoia could increase because he has proof that these events increase, but it could also decrease because he could be soothed of his concerns because they are in the past.
Quote: “But American response is a different matter. In part this is because U.S. diplomats have had long experience negotiating with the North Koreans, and they have a better idea than most about how that closed regime really thinks; they've dealt with North Korean bluster before.”
Question: Does the author of this article believe America should negotiate with North Korea instead of South Korea negotiating with North Kores?
Quote: “The strident defensiveness of the United States government and its massive military in the face of North Korea's posturing has only fed Pyongyang's paranoia”
Comment: I do not believe North Korea is at all paranoid. With the research we have done in class, and the outside research I have done myself, I feel that most of North Korea may not know the dangers the outside world poses to all of North Korea. Most of the North Koreans are ignorant to what is outside of North Korean borders and do not think the world, let alone America, has enough power to destroy North Korea. I do believe there are a few select individuals who know, and perhaps some of the higher ranking officials and those who have crossed between the borders, but for the most part. I think the average day North Korean citizen is not very paranoid about the war.
Quote: “But shouldn't all this muscle-flexing be met with requisite resolve? Surely no one can fault Seoul if South Koreans are now on heightened military alert.”
Comment: I agree with this statement; however, I believe that the increase of military action in South Korea may actually backfire because the increase in military action shows that South Korea views North Korea as a threat. By knowing that they are a threat to South Korea, North Korea’s ego will blow through the roof and they might actually believe they have a chance. However, the counterpoint to this would be by not doing anything at all, North Korea would lash out anyways in order to make a statement. Either way has positives and negatives, but could all of this military preparation and action be for the worse?
Quote: "The lesson from the history of totalitarianism is clear: The controlling logic behind the acts of a closed regime is paranoia. It sees enemies everywhere. North Korea's unusually bellicose statements and provocative actions of late may be best understood, then, as paranoid — but, to borrow Henry Kissinger's infamous phrase, even a paranoid has real enemies."
Question #1: Is North Korea really paranoid? If so, why would they be provoking the US and South Korea to fight with them?
Question #2: Are Korea's weapons really going to be used? If so, how would this effect America and the rest of the world? Would they actually be able to do serious damage if they decided to attack?
Comment: This quote really makes me wonder if North Korea really is paranoid, or if they are just trying to prove a point. Usually, someone who was paranoid wouldn't try to pick a fight with the thing they were afraid of. So maybe North Korea really isn't paranoid after all. The people of North Korea are arguably brainwashed, and they don't even know the truth about what is going on. However, they might be getting mixed messages, and are afraid, so they are acting on their fear. This isn't paranoia though, this is being brainwashed by the government. They probably think that their country is unstoppable. This is exactly what the North Korean government wants, for them to be clueless, so that they won't be able to have any other opinion. The ruler of North Korea doesn't want the citizens to get in the way of how he is ruling, and the decisions that he is making. I have also seen in the news North Korea having a parade of their weapons, showing their power. I don't think they are very paranoid, they probably think that they are the most powerful country and if anybody tries to attack them, that country wouldn't stand a chance.
Q: “No amount of forceful argument or careful diplomacy will convince Kim Jong Un and the North Korean military that they do not face dire external threats; that, in fact, the only real threat to North Korea is the chaos that will follow from the regime's inevitable collapse.”
Q: Is the collapse of North Korea really inevitable?
C: Societies with controlling governments and strict rules for their citizens tend to break down much quicker than ones who allow their people freedoms and power. This is usually due to the people inside the country uprising or the involvement of other countries. If no countries were to attack North Korea without its initiation, would the collapse of the North Korean regime still be impending? While I believe the likelihood of collapse is high, I would not say it is inevitable to occur in the near future, especially if a revolution looks unlikely and no countries would attack North Korea unprovoked. If Kim Jong Un were to back away from his threats I believe that the North Korean government, seeing it as a safe and smart decision, could change and allow more freedoms to the people without collapse.
Q: "No amount of forceful argument or careful diplomacy will convince Kim Jong Un and the North Korean military that they do not face dire external threats; that, in fact, the only real threat to North Korea is the chaos that will follow from the regime's inevitable collapse."
C: There is no doubt that North Korea is a threat to itself. The government practically cares nothing for its people. While it is concentrated on expansion and power, the people suffer. They dont have access to basic necessities like sustenance, shelter, work, or proper social services. They have also been brainwashed into thinking that the rest of the world hates them, and Kin Jon Un cares for them. Their view of the world has been so distorted that when the veil around them is torn down and they see how the world really is, the resulting chaos will destroy North Korea. However, despite that North Korea is a threat to itself, I doubt that they are not subject to external destruction. The world is quickly losing patience with the North Korean business. And while many believe that North Korea is no threat at all, others take the threat seriously and will not hesitate to attack if they feel provoked. Nuclear weapons are the most advanced weapon technology we have at the time, and even if they destroy nothing, the nuclear fallout could be devastating. However, one thing is certain. Whether it is due to external or internal forces, North Korea will collapse.
Q: Should people being willing to risk their lives in order to destroy someone else's?
Quote: “The strident defensiveness of the United States government and its massive military in the face of North Korea's posturing has only fed Pyongyang's paranoia, confirming the regime's own view of the reasonableness of its operative logic.”
Comment: I thought this was interesting because here, the article says that the way the United States is dealing with this situation is increasing North Korea’s paranoia. Even so, the article later states that the United States is dealing with North Korea is more effective than South Korea’s actions. I do not think there is a very dependable way to deal with North Korea and Kim Jong Un without resulting in a collapse of North Korea. The collapse of North Korea is, as the article says, inevitable, and the North Koreans will have to deal with the collapse of their country when it comes. Even though the rest of the world sees Kim Jong Un as an unstable leader, all of North Korea is believes in him, and this may pose a problem when their government falls, because they will want someone like Kim Jong Un as another leader. This will just push them into a cycle of similar leaders who do not treat the North Koreans very well. IF Kim Jong Un stopped their threats toward the United STates, they would pose less of a problem for themselves, because provoking the United States can only hurt them.
Question: Is there any way we could lessen the North Korean’s suffering and chaos after their country collapses? How? Will the North Koreans see that their previous leaders hurt their country, or will they still be devoted and in awe of them?
Q: "No amount of forceful argument or careful diplomacy will convince Kim Jong Un and the North Korean military that they do not face dire external threats; that, in fact, the only real threat to North Korea is the chaos that will follow from the regime's inevitable collapse."
C: North Korea may be lead by an insane dictator, but that does not necessarily mean Kim is the only person that needs to be convinced. If outside countries find a way to make contact with other powerful North Koreans, North Korea's government and Kim Jong Un could give the plans a second thought. The idea sounds unlikely, but there are some people out there that really know their ways around the human mind. I definitely do not think persuasion would be impossible.
Q: Is Kim aware of North Korea's "inevitable collapse"?
Q: “The strident defensiveness of the United States government and its massive military in the face of North Korea's posturing has only fed Pyongyang's paranoia, confirming the regime's own view of the reasonableness of its operative logic.”
Q: If North Korea is so paranoid, do you believe that Kim Jong Un would go to the extreme to create a terrorists group and eventually send them to both South Korea and America?
C: I picked this quote, because it does not just deal with what North Korea is just doing but what it is thinking. The United States is helping South Korea and that makes North Korea very nervous. North Korea is probably thinking, well I have to do something or else my country will end. With this in mind, of course North Korea feels paranoid. North is just digging itself into a bigger hole, because it is trying to attack America and South Korea. Adding to Kim Jong Un being paranoid, he is also making his people paranoid. His people supposedly love him, some do and some don't. However, they will all support him and help him. This means that America or South Korea cannot help out his people, because the people do not believe in them and think that they are the enemies. North Korea believes that what they are doing is right for their country, because they think that they are protecting it. That however is not true and will result in disaster. Many people, including me believe that if North Korea does not stop then there will not be a North Korea in the end. North Korea will fall with lack of support form other countries, lack of experience, and lack of soldiers. The people of his country will be devastated and will not want to go with any other country, because they will believe that it is their fault for the collapse.
Quote: “But American response is a different matter. In part this is because U.S. diplomats have had long experience negotiating with the North Koreans, and they have a better idea than most about how that closed regime really thinks; they've dealt with North Korean bluster before.”
Comment: America does know how North Korea functions from past experiences. It’s not that the United States under-estimates North Korea. They are just more familiar with North Korea than most of the world. The US is now able to predict North Korea’s next move because they have been in a quarrel with them before. They don’t think very rationally, which might be scariest part about them. There are many common bonds between Kim Jong-Un and Kim Jong-il. We have already dealt with Kim Jong-il. Now his son has taken the throne to continue isolating the country of North Korea from the rest of the world. He will also continue to tell the citizens of North Korea that the United States is evil and the enemy. Because they are so isolated from the rest of the world, it seems like it is hard for them to imagine the consequences they might face if they plan an attack on America. The U.S. understands that North Korea’s nuclear weapons have developed. But because the U.S. undoubtedly has the most powerful military in the world, they feel relatively safe from the threats of North Korea. This is also because the most advanced missiles that North Korea attains can’t even reach U.S. soil. (They might be able to reach Alaska but nothing more)
Question: Why doesn’t North Korea think about how the external powers (especially the U.S.) might react before putting an irrational plan into motion?
Quote: “No amount of forceful argument or careful diplomacy will convince Kim Jong Un and the North Korean military that they do not face dire external threats; that, in fact, the only real threat to North Korea is the chaos that will follow from the regime's inevitable collapse.”
Comment: According to this article, knowing the fears of Korea will help governments to understand Korea itself. As a leader, Pyongyang feels threatened by other nations’ power, and instead of using his fear to better his nation, he is slowly becoming more and more paranoid. Kim Jong Un has an extraordinarily powerful influence over his people, and is instilling his fears in Korean citizens. The fear of collapse is more prevalent than the fear of controlling an unhappy nation. He is overlooking the needs of his nation, and succumbing to the paranoid assumption he has made about the world. He then abuses the power he has over his people to create an idea of imminent war, and that the path of destruction is the way to world domination.
Question: Was there ever a way for the world to create a less fearful North Korea without sacrificing their own military.
"That this posturing will hurt the North Korean people the most is evidenced by Pyongyang's decision to bar workers from the special economic zone it manages with Seoul. Even though we can assume that most of the revenues from such an arrangement will benefit the North Korean military, increasing economic pressures inside the hermit kingdom can only add to the burden of Kim's impoverished people."
Seoul is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. Today, Seoul is considered a leading and rapidly rising global city, resulting from an "economic boom and growth known as the Miracle on the Han River which transformed it from the ashes of the Korean War to the world's fourth largest metropolitan economy with a GDP of US $773.9 billion in 2012 after Tokyo, New York City and Los Angeles" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seoul). Thus, it can be assumed that the ties North Korea has with Seoul are beneficial to it's economy. Therefore, announcing nuclear threats and war against South Korea does not make sense because it will only hurt North Korea and force it to fall even deeper into economic crisis. This shows the impetuosity of Kim's decision making. From the article, I believe that North Korea is dangerous because of how paranoid and rash it has shown to be (especially if it has in hands nuclear weapons). America has done its best in the past to negotiate with North Korea, and in the process, it has gotten to know the closed regime quite well. Thus, I think that if North Korea is making bomb threats to many American cities, it is finally giving America a fair reason to protect it's people and put a rest to the unruly accusations, threats, and leaders within North Korea.
However, my question is how. How can America do that without causing chaos?
Quote: “[I]n fact, the only real threat to North Korea is the chaos that will follow from the regime's inevitable collapse.”
Comment: It is ridiculous to assume that the young leader will be more lenient than his ancestors. He is young and inexperienced and wants to show his country and the world that he can maintain control over his dark swath of land. His threats are likely coming from a sense of inferiority, a sense that North Korea is being ignored. He wants North Korea to become a superpower like the United States and will do anything to establish his power. The new North Korean ruler is not a fool. He is merely inexperienced in displaying his brawn.
The North Koreans can talk all they want. Until they prove that they are a threat to the United States or other countries, they are an insignificant spot of land. The United States is right to be cautious, but not so cautious that many resources are devoted to protecting against North Korean threats.
Clearly, the North Korean leader does not understand the art of diplomacy and negotiations. He wants to continue the legacy of hard-core totalitarianism his father and grandfather established. Perhaps he will never relent. Perhaps he does not know how to shift the North Korean society into a democratic one. We shall have to wait and see.
Question: Who will take control if the North Korean regime collapses? Is the United States willing to extend its help or will the world powers let North Korea flounder? How will China react if the North Korean government crumbles? Does Kim understand the implications of his actions?
“No amount of forceful argument or careful diplomacy will convince Kim Jong Un and the North Korean military that they do not face dire external threats; that, in fact, the only real threat to North Korea is the chaos that will follow from the regime's inevitable collapse.”
Questions: Is this statement undermining the Obama administration for attempting to showcase our strength? Is it criticizing the administration’s decision to fly fighter jets in close proximity?
Comment:
Although the motivations for such threats remain unclear, it is starting to become more evident that Kim Jong Un is willing to follow through as in the past few days he has recommended foreigners leave both North and South Korea. Even though the author believes that no matter how much strength the United States shows in order to deter future conflict North Korea will act, I believe the opposite. At this point, I think that it is essential that the government acknowledge the threats made and show Korea who has the superior military, not necessarily by going to war, but by moving supplies. This allows the United States to make a power play without danger. If the article is correct and Kim Jong Un does decide to attack, our movements will have been useful as we will be prepared for immediate action. In terms of the article’s comment on North Korea’s “inevitable collapse,” I question the future of the country. Despite the fact that fifty years ago Korea remained united, the advancements that South Korea has made over that short period of time are incomparable to those of North Korea. What are South Korean leaders thinking? Do they want unification? In my opinion, unification is possible, but only if the South Koreans are willing to take a risk. We saw the reunification of Germany after the Soviet Union fell, which put substantial strain on the West Germans. Today, still there is a difference between the mindset of the people in East Germany compared to that of those in West Germany. However, Germany’s unification is seen as successful. The success of the unification would depend on the willingness of the South Korean people, as when Germany was placed in that same situation, the reunification was supported popularly. It is hard to see what is to come at this point for Korea. Over the course of the next few weeks, the world will watch as motivations and points of action are unveiled.
Quote: “No amount of forceful argument or careful diplomacy will convince Kim Jong Un and the North Korean military that they do not face dire external threats; that, in fact, the only real threat to North Korea is the chaos that will follow from the regime's inevitable collapse.”
Question: Is a collapse of the regime of North Korea really inevitable, along with chaos from the citizens?
Comment: Kim Jong Un and the North Korean military do not have a specific reason for their threats. The people in North Korea are suffering because of the tension that the North Korean military is causing. The threats that North Korea is making seem to only be harming the country itself and no other countries. The quotation is saying that North Korea’s military does not realize that there are no threats from other countries, and that they are only damaging their country further. This internal damage from North Korea itself will inevitably cause the regime to collapse and chaos to ensue. Is this collapse really inevitable? Is there really no possible action that can be done to help the citizens of North Korea from their country’s collapse? If the regime does collapse, which looks likely, will the citizens wreak havoc? They praise their leaders and do not question them, so if someone replaced Kim Jong Un after a possible collapse of his regime, would the people still cause mayhem? Chaos from the loyal citizens might be less likely compared to the collapse of the regime.
“But American response is a different matter. In part this is because U.S. diplomats have had long experience negotiating with the North Koreans, and they have a better idea than most about how that closed regime really thinks; they've dealt with North Korean bluster before.”
If United States diplomats understand North Korea to just be bluster, why is the U.S. propagating how dangerous North Korea is and installing numerous anti-missile stations in Alaska?
I think that the whole situation involving North Korea is overblown. I have trouble understanding North Korea’s logic to start wars with everyone because even Kim Jong Un must understand how suicidal it is. As we’ve talked about in class, North Korea’s main motivation for all of this is being recognized as a higher power, and all countries with a say in the matter don’t want their power reduced by adding another powerful country. As the article says, U.S. diplomats know they are blustering, and it leads me to wonder why our credible news outlets are telling us how scared we should be about North Korea and how they are a direct threat to us if our diplomats know it is just bluster.
Quote: “No amount of forceful argument or careful diplomacy will convince Kim Jong Un and the North Korean military that they do not face dire external threats” Comment: This quote really expresses the heart of the issue with the North Koreans and the world. The current leader Kim Jong Un feels very isolated right now and wants to prove to the world and the North Korean people that he is a great, powerful leader. He does not want to listen to the voices in the outer world, as he is the one with all the power in North Korea and is seen as the son of god from the North Korean people. This causes him to make the decisions himself, as he wants to prove that although he is young, he is a great leader, which will lead North Korea to success. In addition North Korea is one of the last totalitarianism states. This makes North Korea feel like they are the outsiders of the world, which therefor makes it hard for Kim Jung Un to listen to any other suggestions. One may ask why North Korea is obsessed in their totalitarians and communist ways. The truth is that right after the Korean War, North Korea was by far the wealthiest country on the Korean Peninsula under communist rule. This is why Kim Jung Un is still holding to this way of dictatorship as he wants to bring North Korea back to its old, great days. Do you think that China should continue to have a business relationship with North Korea? Do you think Kim Jung Un cares to listen to China anymore? Does Kim Jung Un realize how the world is reacting to his statements? Do you think the North Korean crisis is a problem that should be dealt with by negotiating or by force?
Quote: No amount of forceful argument or careful diplomacy will convince Kim Jong Un and the North Korean military that they do not face dire external threats; that, in fact, the only real threat to North Korea is the chaos that will follow from the regime's inevitable collapse. Comment: Even though Kim Jong Un and his government is doing some really wrong things such as being aggressive to its neighbors esspecially South Korea, I don't think it should be a reason for all other countries to claim war to North Korea, because the people there are innocent, they are just simply brain-washed, which is not their fault. Just like this quote say, the history has proved that this kind of government will collapse soon or later. Instead of declare a war to "free" the people there, I would rather say it might be better just to wait the people there to start a revolution. The Kim's family can't cover the truth forever. The Soviet Union was one of the greatest powers in the world, but because of the system, the government finally collapsed. After Soviet Union dismissed, we can see Russia, which is pretty much Soviet Union, is growing its economy well and now it has tended to rise again. China as another instance, rised after its internal revolution, without "help"of other countries.If the european countries and America really declared war to North Korea, I definitly believe that Kim 's government could be wiped out from the planet, but North Korea will probably become another Iraq or Afganistan after being "helped" by other countries. A country's own problem should be solved by itself, instead of other countries.
Question: Is there any chance the crisis of North Korea nuclear weapons develops into another world war?
Q: "But shouldn't all this muscle-flexing be met with requisite resolve?"
C: In the eyes of North Korea, the United States could easily taken as the kid on the playground who is all talk and no game. Many indirect empty jabs at North Korea such as clear political standings, test bombing runs over the country, and openness to the idea of nuclear war with no real follow ups in over 55 years leave North Korea questioning the United States' actual military power. North Korea's political standings and previous behavior suggest that they want to front the huge talk of the United States, ignoring the fact that the world will turn against them and they will be ultimately defeated. North Korea will put up a fight, but lose. They probably understand that and it is possible that their only motivation is to stand up to the world super powers turned against them. In this situation if a nuclear world war is waged, any causalities suffered by the United States will be at the hand of the United States itself with it's clear border-line hatred of communism, oppression of the North Korean people, and empty yet agitating threats to North Korea.
Q: Is the elimination of a communist nation that wishes to be isolated and do it's own thing in the world worth a nuclear world war?
Colton Bancroft 4-09-13 QQC for N. Korean people the biggest victims of latest saber-rattling.
Quote: “The strident defensiveness of the United States government and its massive military in the face of North Korea’s posturing has only fed Pyongyang’s paranoia, confirming the regime’s own view of the reasonableness of its operative logic.”
Comment: It is true that Kim Jong Un is always paranoid of something, however it is also true that the United States has a military worth being fearful of. The US is taking defensive actions against North Korea’s threats, however in no means are we being offensive. Though this is true, I understand why Kim Jong Un would be paranoid. The United States has a very advanced military with nuclear technology. What bothers me is that even though we have these threats, by no means have the U.S showed signs that they would use them on North Korea; the U.S has simply taken the necessary defensive actions to their threats. If there was a misunderstanding with nuclear testing, it is clear now that the United States does not want any sort of war with North Korea. With this being known it would be wise of Kim Jong Un to relax and understand that the United States does not want any sort of war. It is a problem that Kim Jong Un is paranoid from or defensive actions because until North Korea backs off, I Don’t think the United States will let off their guard. Hopefully this does not cause Kim Jong Un to do anything irrational, however it would be unwise for The United States to let of their defensive guard.
Questions What do you think would happen if the United States did let up their Defensive guard? Do you think if the U.S doesn’t let up their defensive guard war will break out?
Do You think the reason for Kim Jong Un’s paranoia is due to the amount of enemies North Korea has? If yes do you think this problem could be resolved?
Q: But shouldn't all this muscle-flexing be met with requisite resolve?
C: Although the US has finally decided to see North Korea as a potentially serious threat, most countries who are on North Korea's target list are doing nothing about the potential nuclear threat they pose. It is clear that North Korea's absolute leader has decided that they will do whatever is in North Korea's to turn many US cities into ashes and destroy South Korea. It is especially surprising that South Korea has made no official response to the potential threat of all out war. It is true that the Koreas have been technically at a state of way since the 50's, but that doesn't mean North Korea shouldn't be taken seriously. As history has shown, a crazed absolute leader can cause massive destruction in the world. Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin are prime examples of absolute rulers who are arguable responsible for the killing of millions of people. Kim Jong Un now has the same power over his own country and definitely has the influence over his people to drive them to war against any country. Given these circumstances North Korea seems like it would be a serious threat and it's claims should not be taken lightly.
Q: given that north korea is a serious threat to many countries with the potential of starting a nuclear war, why has American pop culture made North Korea seem like a joke?
Questions: Is Kim Jong Un simply trying to gain his people's support for his regime through making world threats, or is he seriously considering launching nuclear international ballistic missiles and causing war?
Comment: It is quite clear that many of North Korea's threats are due to being poked and prodded by the rest of the world. U.S launched U.N sanctions, military drills, and increasing nuclear defense programs in Alaska and Hawaii. Many experts say that Kim Jong Un is just trying to get more support from his people. North Korea reports an Army of approximately 9,000,000 military personnel. Despite these astonishingly high numbers, only under 1,500,000 are active duty and approximately 8,500,000 are "reserve". North Korea's infrastructure and military equipment (including its nuclear I.C.B.M) weapons simply would not it realistic for the country to decide to make war. Even its own "ally", China, is warning North Korea that it might reduce food transport support to North Korea if they continue with their world nuclear threats. Aside from the threats, Kim Jong Un is already allowing atrocities to be committed on a mass scale in his government. There are hundreds of Prison/Labor-Camps set up around his country due to Kim Jong Il's "three generation punishment" if there is defiance against the government. Public executions happen and his people starve. Before he threatens to take on the world, he should make his own country somewhat humane.
Quote: Whatever the factors in play, in the last few weeks North Korea has taken a truly belligerent stance: ratcheting its official rhetoric to new levels of aggressiveness, issuing threats to aim a missile with a nuclear warhead at American cities, even announcing a declaration of war on South Korea.
Please post your QQC (Question, Quote, and Comment) below:
Q:
ReplyDelete"The lesson from the history of totalitarianism is clear: The controlling logic behind the acts of a closed regime is paranoia. It sees enemies everywhere."
C:
I find it very ironic that a 'closed regime' would be critiqued in the introduction to an article in The China post considering the fact China's government censors media. It is also interesting that China, one of the countries that used to be most similar to North Korea, realizes that North Korea has gone crazy trying to make enemies with every country. As the quote says, The third Reich's controlling logic was very similar to North Korea's. Hitler believe that the Aryan Germans were some kind of superior human and that Jews and citizens in surrounding territories should be exterminated. Hitler was making enemies out of people who were once his followers because of his mad beliefs to control the human population to end starvation. It is a very similar concept with Kim Jong Un. Kim Jong Un, wants to exterminate anyone outside of North Korea that does not worship him as their God. In a sense, Kim Jong Un threatening to nuke the world could be considered a modernized, more severe 'solution' tom Jong Un's problems similarly to the Hitlers holocaust. Like Hitler, Kim Jong Un believes that his people are superior to the world and though his cult of personality brings his country to follow him, it turns the rest of the world against him. Like the articles says, Kim Jong Un's reign and the totalitarianism government in North korea will most likely collapse if history repeats itself; however, nuclear threats could put the world in enough fear to not fight against Jon Un.
Q: How strong are North Korea's nuclear weapons? Do they have the potential to harm the entire world? Will countries take North Korea's threat seriously enough to wait before attacking?
Q:
ReplyDelete"Whatever the factors in play, in the last few weeks North Korea has taken a truly belligerent stance: ratcheting its official rhetoric to new levels of aggressiveness, issuing threats to aim a missile with a nuclear warhead at American cities, even announcing a declaration of war on South Korea."
C:
North Korea is in a state of panic and they are trying to seem as much of a threat as possible. To me, it seems that they are trying to put up this strong outside shell to possibly protect them from what will follow the collapse of the current regime. When the regime collapses, they will be vulnerable and probably want to come off as big and tough now so outside powers won't take advantage of their shift in power.
Q:
Instead of declaring war on South Korea and conducting more missile tests even under UN sanctions, why doesn't North Korea try to stabilize themselves for the collapse of the Kim Jong Un regime that will inevitably tear them apart?
Q:
ReplyDelete“The increasing impact of UN sanctions in the wake of continuing North Korean attempts to conduct more missile tests, the election of a woman leader in South Korea, the so-called American pivot to Asia under the Obama administration, perhaps especially the structural stress involved in the young Kim's campaign to consolidate absolute power in the world's last Stalinist state have had some bearing on the turn of events.”
Q:
Will this actually be the world’s last Stalinist state?
C:
I pulled out this quote because it had a direct connection to what we have been discussing in class: Stalin. It’s crazy to think that one country (or one person for that matter) desires “absolute power.” The threat of nuclear warfare is, in Kim Jong Un’s eyes, a dramatic step in strengthening North Korea’s national defense. However, threatening the whole world is only asking for trouble. Then again, even though the rest of the world does not experience the same kind of fear his own people do, these threats may be too powerful and may force us to back down. The fear I’m referring to is that which is created under totalitarian rule. People were raised to worship Kim Jong Un, but obviously they still fear him and his capabilities enough to risk their lives and flee the country.
Now, addressing my question above, it is obviously preferred, and essential, that this is in fact the last Stalinist state. As technology advances, who knows what kind of weapons could be created, and what kind of threats could ensue. Nevertheless, as shown countless times, history has a way of repeating itself.
Quote: “Whatever the factors in play, in the last few weeks North Korea has taken a truly belligerent stance: ratcheting its official rhetoric to new levels of aggressiveness, issuing threats to aim a missile with a nuclear warhead at American cities, even announcing a declaration of war on South Korea. (Technically, the two Koreas have been at war since the 1950s, because a cessation of hostilities was never declared at the “end” of the Korean War.)”
ReplyDeleteComment: Like the article says, there is no way for Kim Jong Un to be a good leader in the eyes of his people. If they follow through with this the repercussions will be far greater than the rewards, even in the unusual case of north korea coming out of a conflict unscaved the people will look down upon their leader because of the way that they revere him as a god sent ruler. If he does nothing, his high ranking government officials will view him as weak and inferior to his dad. He has a lot of pressure just to do something aggressive from all around him that he is just a ticking time bomb. The moment that he lashes out the whole UN will meet him with retaliation.
Question: How long will the totalitarian rule or even the country of north korea last?
Quote
ReplyDelete“The controlling logic behind the acts of a closed regime is paranoia. It sees enemies everywhere. North Korea's unusually bellicose statements and provocative actions of late may be best understood, then, as paranoid — but, to borrow Henry Kissinger's infamous phrase, even a paranoid has real enemies.”
Comment / Questions
If North Korea is indeed paranoid, and “even a paranoid has real enemies”, who would North Korea’s enemies be if it were to stop the threats and go about being a passive country? North Korea, if taken over, would be more of a burden than anything else to the reigning country; millions of people would need to be incorporated into the economy. Also, their nuclear weapons provide an insurance against an invasion. A country hoping to take over would suffer the casualties of a bomb, as would many innocent people. A cold war or economic sanctions would not be concerns either, for if North Korea kept to itself and ceased to test missiles, the rest of the world would have no reason to want to punish them. It seems that North Korea has backed itself into a corner with all the threats, weapon testing, and style of government. It would be much easier for the world to forgive a dictator who only focuses internally than one who shakes a knife at everyone else. By making threats and showing signs of aggression, North Korea has heightened the distrust that other countries feel towards it, a distrust already felt because of its political system. North Korea would not have anything to be paranoid about if it stopped making threats that were paradoxically said to be made out of paranoia.
Quote:
ReplyDelete“The strident defensiveness of the United States government and its massive military in the face of North Korea's posturing has only fed Pyongyang's paranoia, confirming the regime's own view of the reasonableness of its operative logic.”
Comment:
I believe that every last person in North Korea has been brainwashed to the very core to believe that America is the mortal enemy of the state, including the leaders themselves (Kim Jong Un). It is because of this that I think that North Korea has no inkling of an idea as to what they are doing trifling with the United States of America. This fact also adds to their paranoia, which, according to both the article and what I believe, is the reasoning behind their open aggression. Additionally, we are acting as an enemy to their state, and this adds to the paranoia.
Question:
Is it possible for the North Koreans to not be paranoid in the face of this situation?
Quote: "Whatever the factors in play, in the last few weeks North Korea has taken a truly belligerent stance: ratcheting its official rhetoric to new levels of aggressiveness, issuing threats to aim a missile with a nuclear warhead at American cities, even announcing a declaration of war on South Korea."
ReplyDeleteComment: The article states that there North Koreans dislike for their leader, Kim Jong Un, mainly because there country is communist. They can not leave the country, they must obey their leaders as god-like figures. He will never be the 'great' leader they want him to be. I feel like they are saying all of this nonsense about how strong their army is and how powerful their country is because I think Kim Jong Un is scared. Scared that his country will collapse and that he will lose power.
Question: Will the North Koreans be couragous enough to rebel against Kim Jong Un?
Quote: "The lesson from the history of totalitarianism is clear: The controlling logic behind the acts of a closed regime is paranoia. It sees enemies everywhere. North Korea's unusually bellicose statements and provocative actions of late may be best understood, then, as paranoid — but, to borrow Henry Kissinger's infamous phrase, even a paranoid has real enemies."
ReplyDeleteComment: North Korea has a very strict and powerful government. This allows the leader, Kim Jong Un, to take control of all aspects of social media and any ways of disobeying his rule. He does this out of paranoia. If he doesn't have a tight grasp on his people, than he isn't much of a ruler at all. The name ruler entails that this person creates the rules and makes it their responsibility to enforce them, but any means necessary. The article borrows Henry Kissinger's phrase, "even a paranoid has real enemies," and that was a key element to why I chose this quote. This made me realize that although some people are less concerned than others about their social or economic status, or amount of power in their possession, that doesn't mean that those who are concerned don't have something that is driving them to worry. Just because Kim Jong Un and his followers may seem paranoid of the situation at hand, past events and current struggles have led them to feel this tension and pressure.
Question: If Kim Jong Un's predictions of disaster prove to be true, will his people decide to obey him and understand him, or will his paranoia increase/decrease? His paranoia could increase because he has proof that these events increase, but it could also decrease because he could be soothed of his concerns because they are in the past.
Quote: “But American response is a different matter. In part this is because U.S. diplomats have had long experience negotiating with the North Koreans, and they have a better idea than most about how that closed regime really thinks; they've dealt with North Korean bluster before.”
ReplyDeleteQuestion: Does the author of this article believe America should negotiate with North Korea instead of South Korea negotiating with North Kores?
Quote: “The strident defensiveness of the United States government and its massive military in the face of North Korea's posturing has only fed Pyongyang's paranoia”
Comment: I do not believe North Korea is at all paranoid. With the research we have done in class, and the outside research I have done myself, I feel that most of North Korea may not know the dangers the outside world poses to all of North Korea. Most of the North Koreans are ignorant to what is outside of North Korean borders and do not think the world, let alone America, has enough power to destroy North Korea. I do believe there are a few select individuals who know, and perhaps some of the higher ranking officials and those who have crossed between the borders, but for the most part. I think the average day North Korean citizen is not very paranoid about the war.
Quote: “But shouldn't all this muscle-flexing be met with requisite resolve? Surely no one can fault Seoul if South Koreans are now on heightened military alert.”
Comment: I agree with this statement; however, I believe that the increase of military action in South Korea may actually backfire because the increase in military action shows that South Korea views North Korea as a threat. By knowing that they are a threat to South Korea, North Korea’s ego will blow through the roof and they might actually believe they have a chance. However, the counterpoint to this would be by not doing anything at all, North Korea would lash out anyways in order to make a statement. Either way has positives and negatives, but could all of this military preparation and action be for the worse?
Quote: "The lesson from the history of totalitarianism is clear: The controlling logic behind the acts of a closed regime is paranoia. It sees enemies everywhere. North Korea's unusually bellicose statements and provocative actions of late may be best understood, then, as paranoid — but, to borrow Henry Kissinger's infamous phrase, even a paranoid has real enemies."
ReplyDeleteQuestion #1:
Is North Korea really paranoid? If so, why would they be provoking the US and South Korea to fight with them?
Question #2: Are Korea's weapons really going to be used? If so, how would this effect America and the rest of the world? Would they actually be able to do serious damage if they decided to attack?
Comment: This quote really makes me wonder if North Korea really is paranoid, or if they are just trying to prove a point. Usually, someone who was paranoid wouldn't try to pick a fight with the thing they were afraid of. So maybe North Korea really isn't paranoid after all. The people of North Korea are arguably brainwashed, and they don't even know the truth about what is going on. However, they might be getting mixed messages, and are afraid, so they are acting on their fear. This isn't paranoia though, this is being brainwashed by the government. They probably think that their country is unstoppable. This is exactly what the North Korean government wants, for them to be clueless, so that they won't be able to have any other opinion. The ruler of North Korea doesn't want the citizens to get in the way of how he is ruling, and the decisions that he is making. I have also seen in the news North Korea having a parade of their weapons, showing their power. I don't think they are very paranoid, they probably think that they are the most powerful country and if anybody tries to attack them, that country wouldn't stand a chance.
Q: “No amount of forceful argument or careful diplomacy will convince Kim Jong Un and the North Korean military that they do not face dire external threats; that, in fact, the only real threat to North Korea is the chaos that will follow from the regime's inevitable collapse.”
ReplyDeleteQ: Is the collapse of North Korea really inevitable?
C: Societies with controlling governments and strict rules for their citizens tend to break down much quicker than ones who allow their people freedoms and power. This is usually due to the people inside the country uprising or the involvement of other countries. If no countries were to attack North Korea without its initiation, would the collapse of the North Korean regime still be impending? While I believe the likelihood of collapse is high, I would not say it is inevitable to occur in the near future, especially if a revolution looks unlikely and no countries would attack North Korea unprovoked. If Kim Jong Un were to back away from his threats I believe that the North Korean government, seeing it as a safe and smart decision, could change and allow more freedoms to the people without collapse.
Q: "No amount of forceful argument or careful diplomacy will convince Kim Jong Un and the North Korean military that they do not face dire external threats; that, in fact, the only real threat to North Korea is the chaos that will follow from the regime's inevitable collapse."
ReplyDeleteC: There is no doubt that North Korea is a threat to itself. The government practically cares nothing for its people. While it is concentrated on expansion and power, the people suffer. They dont have access to basic necessities like sustenance, shelter, work, or proper social services. They have also been brainwashed into thinking that the rest of the world hates them, and Kin Jon Un cares for them. Their view of the world has been so distorted that when the veil around them is torn down and they see how the world really is, the resulting chaos will destroy North Korea. However, despite that North Korea is a threat to itself, I doubt that they are not subject to external destruction. The world is quickly losing patience with the North Korean business. And while many believe that North Korea is no threat at all, others take the threat seriously and will not hesitate to attack if they feel provoked. Nuclear weapons are the most advanced weapon technology we have at the time, and even if they destroy nothing, the nuclear fallout could be devastating. However, one thing is certain. Whether it is due to external or internal forces, North Korea will collapse.
Q: Should people being willing to risk their lives in order to destroy someone else's?
Quote: “The strident defensiveness of the United States government and its massive military in the face of North Korea's posturing has only fed Pyongyang's paranoia, confirming the regime's own view of the reasonableness of its operative logic.”
ReplyDeleteComment: I thought this was interesting because here, the article says that the way the United States is dealing with this situation is increasing North Korea’s paranoia. Even so, the article later states that the United States is dealing with North Korea is more effective than South Korea’s actions. I do not think there is a very dependable way to deal with North Korea and Kim Jong Un without resulting in a collapse of North Korea. The collapse of North Korea is, as the article says, inevitable, and the North Koreans will have to deal with the collapse of their country when it comes. Even though the rest of the world sees Kim Jong Un as an unstable leader, all of North Korea is believes in him, and this may pose a problem when their government falls, because they will want someone like Kim Jong Un as another leader. This will just push them into a cycle of similar leaders who do not treat the North Koreans very well. IF Kim Jong Un stopped their threats toward the United STates, they would pose less of a problem for themselves, because provoking the United States can only hurt them.
Question: Is there any way we could lessen the North Korean’s suffering and chaos after their country collapses? How? Will the North Koreans see that their previous leaders hurt their country, or will they still be devoted and in awe of them?
Q: "No amount of forceful argument or careful diplomacy will convince Kim Jong Un and the North Korean military that they do not face dire external threats; that, in fact, the only real threat to North Korea is the chaos that will follow from the regime's inevitable collapse."
ReplyDeleteC: North Korea may be lead by an insane dictator, but that does not necessarily mean Kim is the only person that needs to be convinced. If outside countries find a way to make contact with other powerful North Koreans, North Korea's government and Kim Jong Un could give the plans a second thought. The idea sounds unlikely, but there are some people out there that really know their ways around the human mind. I definitely do not think persuasion would be impossible.
Q: Is Kim aware of North Korea's "inevitable collapse"?
Q: “The strident defensiveness of the United States government and its massive military in the face of North Korea's posturing has only fed Pyongyang's paranoia, confirming the regime's own view of the reasonableness of its operative logic.”
ReplyDeleteQ: If North Korea is so paranoid, do you believe that Kim Jong Un would go to the extreme to create a terrorists group and eventually send them to both South Korea and America?
C: I picked this quote, because it does not just deal with what North Korea is just doing but what it is thinking. The United States is helping South Korea and that makes North Korea very nervous. North Korea is probably thinking, well I have to do something or else my country will end. With this in mind, of course North Korea feels paranoid. North is just digging itself into a bigger hole, because it is trying to attack America and South Korea. Adding to Kim Jong Un being paranoid, he is also making his people paranoid. His people supposedly love him, some do and some don't. However, they will all support him and help him. This means that America or South Korea cannot help out his people, because the people do not believe in them and think that they are the enemies. North Korea believes that what they are doing is right for their country, because they think that they are protecting it. That however is not true and will result in disaster. Many people, including me believe that if North Korea does not stop then there will not be a North Korea in the end. North Korea will fall with lack of support form other countries, lack of experience, and lack of soldiers. The people of his country will be devastated and will not want to go with any other country, because they will believe that it is their fault for the collapse.
QCQ
ReplyDeleteQuote: “But American response is a different matter. In part this is because U.S. diplomats have had long experience negotiating with the North Koreans, and they have a better idea than most about how that closed regime really thinks; they've dealt with North Korean bluster before.”
Comment: America does know how North Korea functions from past experiences. It’s not that the United States under-estimates North Korea. They are just more familiar with North Korea than most of the world. The US is now able to predict North Korea’s next move because they have been in a quarrel with them before. They don’t think very rationally, which might be scariest part about them. There are many common bonds between Kim Jong-Un and Kim Jong-il. We have already dealt with Kim Jong-il. Now his son has taken the throne to continue isolating the country of North Korea from the rest of the world. He will also continue to tell the citizens of North Korea that the United States is evil and the enemy. Because they are so isolated from the rest of the world, it seems like it is hard for them to imagine the consequences they might face if they plan an attack on America. The U.S. understands that North Korea’s nuclear weapons have developed. But because the U.S. undoubtedly has the most powerful military in the world, they feel relatively safe from the threats of North Korea. This is also because the most advanced missiles that North Korea attains can’t even reach U.S. soil. (They might be able to reach Alaska but nothing more)
Question: Why doesn’t North Korea think about how the external powers (especially the U.S.) might react before putting an irrational plan into motion?
Quote: “No amount of forceful argument or careful diplomacy will convince Kim Jong Un and the North Korean military that they do not face dire external threats; that, in fact, the only real threat to North Korea is the chaos that will follow from the regime's inevitable collapse.”
ReplyDeleteComment: According to this article, knowing the fears of Korea will help governments to understand Korea itself. As a leader, Pyongyang feels threatened by other nations’ power, and instead of using his fear to better his nation, he is slowly becoming more and more paranoid. Kim Jong Un has an extraordinarily powerful influence over his people, and is instilling his fears in Korean citizens. The fear of collapse is more prevalent than the fear of controlling an unhappy nation. He is overlooking the needs of his nation, and succumbing to the paranoid assumption he has made about the world. He then abuses the power he has over his people to create an idea of imminent war, and that the path of destruction is the way to world domination.
Question: Was there ever a way for the world to create a less fearful North Korea without sacrificing their own military.
"That this posturing will hurt the North Korean people the most is evidenced by Pyongyang's decision to bar workers from the special economic zone it manages with Seoul. Even though we can assume that most of the revenues from such an arrangement will benefit the North Korean military, increasing economic pressures inside the hermit kingdom can only add to the burden of Kim's impoverished people."
ReplyDeleteSeoul is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. Today, Seoul is considered a leading and rapidly rising global city, resulting from an "economic boom and growth known as the Miracle on the Han River which transformed it from the ashes of the Korean War to the world's fourth largest metropolitan economy with a GDP of US $773.9 billion in 2012 after Tokyo, New York City and Los Angeles" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seoul). Thus, it can be assumed that the ties North Korea has with Seoul are beneficial to it's economy. Therefore, announcing nuclear threats and war against South Korea does not make sense because it will only hurt North Korea and force it to fall even deeper into economic crisis. This shows the impetuosity of Kim's decision making.
From the article, I believe that North Korea is dangerous because of how paranoid and rash it has shown to be (especially if it has in hands nuclear weapons). America has done its best in the past to negotiate with North Korea, and in the process, it has gotten to know the closed regime quite well. Thus, I think that if North Korea is making bomb threats to many American cities, it is finally giving America a fair reason to protect it's people and put a rest to the unruly accusations, threats, and leaders within North Korea.
However, my question is how. How can America do that without causing chaos?
Quote:
ReplyDelete“[I]n fact, the only real threat to North Korea is the chaos that will follow from the regime's inevitable collapse.”
Comment:
It is ridiculous to assume that the young leader will be more lenient than his ancestors. He is young and inexperienced and wants to show his country and the world that he can maintain control over his dark swath of land. His threats are likely coming from a sense of inferiority, a sense that North Korea is being ignored. He wants North Korea to become a superpower like the United States and will do anything to establish his power. The new North Korean ruler is not a fool. He is merely inexperienced in displaying his brawn.
The North Koreans can talk all they want. Until they prove that they are a threat to the United States or other countries, they are an insignificant spot of land. The United States is right to be cautious, but not so cautious that many resources are devoted to protecting against North Korean threats.
Clearly, the North Korean leader does not understand the art of diplomacy and negotiations. He wants to continue the legacy of hard-core totalitarianism his father and grandfather established. Perhaps he will never relent. Perhaps he does not know how to shift the North Korean society into a democratic one. We shall have to wait and see.
Question:
Who will take control if the North Korean regime collapses?
Is the United States willing to extend its help or will the world powers let North Korea flounder?
How will China react if the North Korean government crumbles?
Does Kim understand the implications of his actions?
“No amount of forceful argument or careful diplomacy will convince Kim Jong Un and the North Korean military that they do not face dire external threats; that, in fact, the only real threat to North Korea is the chaos that will follow from the regime's inevitable collapse.”
ReplyDeleteQuestions: Is this statement undermining the Obama administration for attempting to showcase our strength? Is it criticizing the administration’s decision to fly fighter jets in close proximity?
Comment:
Although the motivations for such threats remain unclear, it is starting to become more evident that Kim Jong Un is willing to follow through as in the past few days he has recommended foreigners leave both North and South Korea. Even though the author believes that no matter how much strength the United States shows in order to deter future conflict North Korea will act, I believe the opposite. At this point, I think that it is essential that the government acknowledge the threats made and show Korea who has the superior military, not necessarily by going to war, but by moving supplies. This allows the United States to make a power play without danger. If the article is correct and Kim Jong Un does decide to attack, our movements will have been useful as we will be prepared for immediate action. In terms of the article’s comment on North Korea’s “inevitable collapse,” I question the future of the country. Despite the fact that fifty years ago Korea remained united, the advancements that South Korea has made over that short period of time are incomparable to those of North Korea. What are South Korean leaders thinking? Do they want unification? In my opinion, unification is possible, but only if the South Koreans are willing to take a risk. We saw the reunification of Germany after the Soviet Union fell, which put substantial strain on the West Germans. Today, still there is a difference between the mindset of the people in East Germany compared to that of those in West Germany. However, Germany’s unification is seen as successful. The success of the unification would depend on the willingness of the South Korean people, as when Germany was placed in that same situation, the reunification was supported popularly. It is hard to see what is to come at this point for Korea. Over the course of the next few weeks, the world will watch as motivations and points of action are unveiled.
Quote: “No amount of forceful argument or careful diplomacy will convince Kim Jong Un and the North Korean military that they do not face dire external threats; that, in fact, the only real threat to North Korea is the chaos that will follow from the regime's inevitable collapse.”
ReplyDeleteQuestion: Is a collapse of the regime of North Korea really inevitable, along with chaos from the citizens?
Comment: Kim Jong Un and the North Korean military do not have a specific reason for their threats. The people in North Korea are suffering because of the tension that the North Korean military is causing. The threats that North Korea is making seem to only be harming the country itself and no other countries. The quotation is saying that North Korea’s military does not realize that there are no threats from other countries, and that they are only damaging their country further. This internal damage from North Korea itself will inevitably cause the regime to collapse and chaos to ensue. Is this collapse really inevitable? Is there really no possible action that can be done to help the citizens of North Korea from their country’s collapse? If the regime does collapse, which looks likely, will the citizens wreak havoc? They praise their leaders and do not question them, so if someone replaced Kim Jong Un after a possible collapse of his regime, would the people still cause mayhem? Chaos from the loyal citizens might be less likely compared to the collapse of the regime.
“But American response is a different matter. In part this is because U.S. diplomats have had long experience negotiating with the North Koreans, and they have a better idea than most about how that closed regime really thinks; they've dealt with North Korean bluster before.”
ReplyDeleteIf United States diplomats understand North Korea to just be bluster, why is the U.S. propagating how dangerous North Korea is and installing numerous anti-missile stations in Alaska?
I think that the whole situation involving North Korea is overblown. I have trouble understanding North Korea’s logic to start wars with everyone because even Kim Jong Un must understand how suicidal it is. As we’ve talked about in class, North Korea’s main motivation for all of this is being recognized as a higher power, and all countries with a say in the matter don’t want their power reduced by adding another powerful country. As the article says, U.S. diplomats know they are blustering, and it leads me to wonder why our credible news outlets are telling us how scared we should be about North Korea and how they are a direct threat to us if our diplomats know it is just bluster.
Quote: “No amount of forceful argument or careful diplomacy will convince Kim Jong Un and the North Korean military that they do not face dire external threats”
ReplyDeleteComment: This quote really expresses the heart of the issue with the North Koreans and the world. The current leader Kim Jong Un feels very isolated right now and wants to prove to the world and the North Korean people that he is a great, powerful leader. He does not want to listen to the voices in the outer world, as he is the one with all the power in North Korea and is seen as the son of god from the North Korean people. This causes him to make the decisions himself, as he wants to prove that although he is young, he is a great leader, which will lead North Korea to success. In addition North Korea is one of the last totalitarianism states. This makes North Korea feel like they are the outsiders of the world, which therefor makes it hard for Kim Jung Un to listen to any other suggestions. One may ask why North Korea is obsessed in their totalitarians and communist ways. The truth is that right after the Korean War, North Korea was by far the wealthiest country on the Korean Peninsula under communist rule. This is why Kim Jung Un is still holding to this way of dictatorship as he wants to bring North Korea back to its old, great days.
Do you think that China should continue to have a business relationship with North Korea?
Do you think Kim Jung Un cares to listen to China anymore?
Does Kim Jung Un realize how the world is reacting to his statements?
Do you think the North Korean crisis is a problem that should be dealt with by negotiating or by force?
Quote: No amount of forceful argument or careful diplomacy will convince Kim Jong Un and the North Korean military that they do not face dire external threats; that, in fact, the only real threat to North Korea is the chaos that will follow from the regime's inevitable collapse.
ReplyDeleteComment: Even though Kim Jong Un and his government is doing some really wrong things such as being aggressive to its neighbors esspecially South Korea, I don't think it should be a reason for all other countries to claim war to North Korea, because the people there are innocent, they are just simply brain-washed, which is not their fault. Just like this quote say, the history has proved that this kind of government will collapse soon or later. Instead of declare a war to "free" the people there, I would rather say it might be better just to wait the people there to start a revolution. The Kim's family can't cover the truth forever. The Soviet Union was one of the greatest powers in the world, but because of the system, the government finally collapsed. After Soviet Union dismissed, we can see Russia, which is pretty much Soviet Union, is growing its economy well and now it has tended to rise again. China as another instance, rised after its internal revolution, without "help"of other countries.If the european countries and America really declared war to North Korea, I definitly believe that Kim 's government could be wiped out from the planet, but North Korea will probably become another Iraq or Afganistan after being "helped" by other countries. A country's own problem should be solved by itself, instead of other countries.
Question: Is there any chance the crisis of North Korea nuclear weapons develops into another world war?
Q: "But shouldn't all this muscle-flexing be met with requisite resolve?"
ReplyDeleteC: In the eyes of North Korea, the United States could easily taken as the kid on the playground who is all talk and no game. Many indirect empty jabs at North Korea such as clear political standings, test bombing runs over the country, and openness to the idea of nuclear war with no real follow ups in over 55 years leave North Korea questioning the United States' actual military power. North Korea's political standings and previous behavior suggest that they want to front the huge talk of the United States, ignoring the fact that the world will turn against them and they will be ultimately defeated. North Korea will put up a fight, but lose. They probably understand that and it is possible that their only motivation is to stand up to the world super powers turned against them. In this situation if a nuclear world war is waged, any causalities suffered by the United States will be at the hand of the United States itself with it's clear border-line hatred of communism, oppression of the North Korean people, and empty yet agitating threats to North Korea.
Q: Is the elimination of a communist nation that wishes to be isolated and do it's own thing in the world worth a nuclear world war?
Colton Bancroft
ReplyDelete4-09-13
QQC for N. Korean people the biggest victims of latest saber-rattling.
Quote: “The strident defensiveness of the United States government and its massive military in the face of North Korea’s posturing has only fed Pyongyang’s paranoia, confirming the regime’s own view of the reasonableness of its operative logic.”
Comment:
It is true that Kim Jong Un is always paranoid of something, however it is also true that the United States has a military worth being fearful of. The US is taking defensive actions against North Korea’s threats, however in no means are we being offensive. Though this is true, I understand why Kim Jong Un would be paranoid. The United States has a very advanced military with nuclear technology. What bothers me is that even though we have these threats, by no means have the U.S showed signs that they would use them on North Korea; the U.S has simply taken the necessary defensive actions to their threats. If there was a misunderstanding with nuclear testing, it is clear now that the United States does not want any sort of war with North Korea. With this being known it would be wise of Kim Jong Un to relax and understand that the United States does not want any sort of war. It is a problem that Kim Jong Un is paranoid from or defensive actions because until North Korea backs off, I Don’t think the United States will let off their guard. Hopefully this does not cause Kim Jong Un to do anything irrational, however it would be unwise for The United States to let of their defensive guard.
Questions
What do you think would happen if the United States did let up their Defensive guard?
Do you think if the U.S doesn’t let up their defensive guard war will break out?
Do You think the reason for Kim Jong Un’s paranoia is due to the amount of enemies North Korea has? If yes do you think this problem could be resolved?
Q: But shouldn't all this muscle-flexing be met with requisite resolve?
ReplyDeleteC: Although the US has finally decided to see North Korea as a potentially serious threat, most countries who are on North Korea's target list are doing nothing about the potential nuclear threat they pose. It is clear that North Korea's absolute leader has decided that they will do whatever is in North Korea's to turn many US cities into ashes and destroy South Korea. It is especially surprising that South Korea has made no official response to the potential threat of all out war. It is true that the Koreas have been technically at a state of way since the 50's, but that doesn't mean North Korea shouldn't be taken seriously. As history has shown, a crazed absolute leader can cause massive destruction in the world. Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin are prime examples of absolute rulers who are arguable responsible for the killing of millions of people. Kim Jong Un now has the same power over his own country and definitely has the influence over his people to drive them to war against any country. Given these circumstances North Korea seems like it would be a serious threat and it's claims should not be taken lightly.
Q: given that north korea is a serious threat to many countries with the potential of starting a nuclear war, why has American pop culture made North Korea seem like a joke?
Questions: Is Kim Jong Un simply trying to gain his people's support for his regime through making world threats, or is he seriously considering launching nuclear international ballistic missiles and causing war?
ReplyDeleteComment: It is quite clear that many of North Korea's threats are due to being poked and prodded by the rest of the world. U.S launched U.N sanctions, military drills, and increasing nuclear defense programs in Alaska and Hawaii. Many experts say that Kim Jong Un is just trying to get more support from his people. North Korea reports an Army of approximately 9,000,000 military personnel. Despite these astonishingly high numbers, only under 1,500,000 are active duty and approximately 8,500,000 are "reserve". North Korea's infrastructure and military equipment (including its nuclear I.C.B.M) weapons simply would not it realistic for the country to decide to make war. Even its own "ally", China, is warning North Korea that it might reduce food transport support to North Korea if they continue with their world nuclear threats. Aside from the threats, Kim Jong Un is already allowing atrocities to be committed on a mass scale in his government. There are hundreds of Prison/Labor-Camps set up around his country due to Kim Jong Il's "three generation punishment" if there is defiance against the government. Public executions happen and his people starve. Before he threatens to take on the world, he should make his own country somewhat humane.
Quote: Whatever the factors in play, in the last few weeks North Korea has taken a truly belligerent stance: ratcheting its official rhetoric to new levels of aggressiveness, issuing threats to aim a missile with a nuclear warhead at American cities, even announcing a declaration of war on South Korea.