North Korea must be looking to get their back-sides handed to them. While the US may be slow to go about things, the Russians will not hesitate to open up a can on the Koreans.

I wonder though, if a majority of the people in North Korea share the same hatred for America, and disrespect for the rest of the world as they make these threats, or if it's just the government propaganda that's getting out.

Playing a lot of Civilization makes me realize I would be a bad leader in terms of how I would act in the international community. Initially the other civilizations offer peace. Invariably one of them thinks their hot stuff and decides to demand something (technology or money) or ELSE! At that point I usually squish them like bugs even if they later say "ok you've proven your might, leave us alone!".

If reality were a game of civilization, Pyongyang would be one of my annexed territorial capitals.

Obviously having civilian/innocents in the mix complicates the issue.

You know once, several years ago, I was at a bar and this girl started talking to me. A few minutes into the conversation I noticed this really little guy starting to become very phrenetic in the background, eyes lazered directly at me. Sure enough, within a few minutes this intoxicated little man approached and began issuing some of the most intense and empty threats of violence that I have ever heard. He'd developed a crush on the woman who was talking to me.

Of course he was powerless to do anything and of course his frustration and bravado were all manufactured in a vain attempt to appear strong and virile.

Every time I read a North Korea thread, this comes to mind.

Originally posted by wisefoolishness
I wonder though, if a majority of the people in North Korea share the same hatred for America, and disrespect for the rest of the world as they make these threats, or if it's just the government propaganda that's getting out.

The majority of North Koreans don't even know the United States exists- we are not even on their radar. The North Koreans believe that the rest of the world is more or less a wasteland- and they are living in the only remaining bright spot on earth- kept safe and prosperous by their Dear Leader. North Korea is like its own little planet- the people there live in a totally separate reality from the rest of the world. It's a very strange place.

I just have this voice in my head saying "you have a fighting force of extwadinawy magnitude." from this movie

Google Video Link

It takes time to watch it, but it is worth the laughs.

[edit on 17-6-2009 by network dude]

The sad fact is that a single nuclear weapon used in modern times would instill a fear in our current generation that hasn't been around much since the Cold War has ended.

I remember when I was a kid, the movie "The Day After" came out on TV and scarred all of us. "War Games", "The Road Warrior" and any one of the other 100s of movies that included post-nuclear references convinced us that we were close to it.

We were told that if there was a nuclear war of any kind, it would errupt into a full blown destruction of all of mankind. Nice for a 3rd grader to hear.

Seems to me, President Obama and all NATO forces need to deal w/this guy(s) soon. Talking just ain't going to work after Bush2 got through w/him.
Now it may be a blow-out of all NK Sites growing, testing or planning nuclear strategies against "the west".
As a Canadian, I feel confident US President Obama and Sec State Clinton will make the tough decisions to keep us all in America/North America from glowing in the dark.

Decoy