North Korea and the players
North Korea may not have achieved its goals with those controversial missile tests but it has helped clarify various faultlines in the region.
Though South Korea is most at risk from North Korea, it is also safest since no army blows up its supplies, no one fights a war they cannot win. After all, Nkr may be a lot of things but it isn't a suicidal fanatic.
That explains Skr's ambiguous stance towards the North- they want the North to be reined in but not driven to desperation which will result from sanctions proposed by the US-Japan coalition . A desperate dog jumps walls, besides, Skr rightly suspects that it will probably end up being co-payer of the bill after all the dust settles.
The Japanese and Americans are capitalising on the matter . However, it may be bad timing . The vetoing of UN resolution regarding Israeli action against Lebanon and the non existent furore over India's missile tests hardly make for a noble or impartial US stance. The unfortunate combination of events such as territorial disputes, tensions from WW2 grievances and suspicions of Japanese ambitions make the Japanese reaction seem like fishing in troubled waters and a grab for power. That's a situation that's likely to last for quite some time since Japan seems intent on reminding its neighbours of WW2 grievances, what with all the shrine visits, territorial disputes and revisionist history . Consider the following Macgyver like analogy ; x is your best mate , he's also a bomb disposal expert with a thorny problem; he's colour blind. There's a bomb threat and you're a potential victim , fortunately, it's a simple bomb that can be rendered harmless by cutting the correct color wire. Would you trust X or would you prefer someone else from the bomb squad? Dumb tv drama scenario, but seriously, would you entrust your life to someone with this particular handicap at such a juncture? A good guess is "no" The difficulty of trusting a country with such a "skewed" view of its past is akin to trusting X, whatever the good intentions may be.
China probably has the most to gain. Heightened tensions provide distraction and justification for increased military expenditure, especially when the Japanese float the idea of pre-emptive strike. Naturally, the potential bills are highbut at least it guarantees stalemate?!
Though South Korea is most at risk from North Korea, it is also safest since no army blows up its supplies, no one fights a war they cannot win. After all, Nkr may be a lot of things but it isn't a suicidal fanatic.
That explains Skr's ambiguous stance towards the North- they want the North to be reined in but not driven to desperation which will result from sanctions proposed by the US-Japan coalition . A desperate dog jumps walls, besides, Skr rightly suspects that it will probably end up being co-payer of the bill after all the dust settles.
The Japanese and Americans are capitalising on the matter . However, it may be bad timing . The vetoing of UN resolution regarding Israeli action against Lebanon and the non existent furore over India's missile tests hardly make for a noble or impartial US stance. The unfortunate combination of events such as territorial disputes, tensions from WW2 grievances and suspicions of Japanese ambitions make the Japanese reaction seem like fishing in troubled waters and a grab for power. That's a situation that's likely to last for quite some time since Japan seems intent on reminding its neighbours of WW2 grievances, what with all the shrine visits, territorial disputes and revisionist history . Consider the following Macgyver like analogy ; x is your best mate , he's also a bomb disposal expert with a thorny problem; he's colour blind. There's a bomb threat and you're a potential victim , fortunately, it's a simple bomb that can be rendered harmless by cutting the correct color wire. Would you trust X or would you prefer someone else from the bomb squad? Dumb tv drama scenario, but seriously, would you entrust your life to someone with this particular handicap at such a juncture? A good guess is "no" The difficulty of trusting a country with such a "skewed" view of its past is akin to trusting X, whatever the good intentions may be.
China probably has the most to gain. Heightened tensions provide distraction and justification for increased military expenditure, especially when the Japanese float the idea of pre-emptive strike. Naturally, the potential bills are highbut at least it guarantees stalemate?!
posted by J at 1:30 AM
1 Comments:
Wow, it's really great to hear your thoughts. I'm rather without the news here in Korea. Meaning, it's not readily available in English and I don't actively seek it out.
But as far as the reaction to N. Korea goes, there is a surprisingly strong sentiment pushing the idea of reunification. It's a thought that can't be considered too deeply by S. Koreans, considering especially the ramifications it would have on their economy. But underlying all the tension that exists, there is, in the South at least, a desperate hope to once again be ONE.
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