I have a novel idea on how to handle the Korean peninsula situation

[NNN0LHI]

How about we end this perpetual state of war that we have kept in place for over 60 years and send a delegation of bureaucrats to North Korea to sue for peace? It sure would be nice if we could accomplish this while we don't have all the rapture ready republicans running this county. Wouldn't it be?

So, what do you think? Sound too radical for ya?

Don

-----------------------------------------------

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suing_for_peace

Suing for peace

Suing for peace is an act by a warring nation to initiate a peace process in which the peace terms are more favorable than an unconditional surrender. Suing for peace is usually initiated by the losing party in an attempt to stave off an unconditional surrender, and may sometimes be favorable to the winning nation, as winning a war in a complete or unconditional surrender may be costly.

However, pressing for peace may sometimes be started by the winning faction as a means to end the war for several reasons, such as where additional conflict would not be in the perceived best interest of the winning party. In this case, demands might be made, or the two nations may agree to a white peace.

Edit for bad grammar

[piratefish08]

1. how do you suggest anyone be able to make huge sums of $$ with that option?

:sarcasm:

[Crazy Dave]

2. End that , the Cuban embargo and the war on drugs n/t

[demwing]

3. Didn't you see Team America, damn it?

Those delegates will all end up in a shark tank, just like poor Hans Brix.

[LARED]

4. Sounds like a modern form of tribute

We pay off N Korea in order to stop the aggression. Sounds expensive and doomed to failure

[NNN0LHI]

5. Does a nuclear war sound cheaper and more successful to you?

[LARED]

6. What makes you think paying them off will prevent

a war? Nuclear or otherwise.

[NNN0LHI]

8. Because after we sue for peace we aren't at war with them any more

The potential for gun play goes way down when someone is an ally instead of an enemy.

Doesn't it?

Don

[LARED]

10. I guess we have a different view

N. Korea has had the ability for about 50 years to tell the world, hey we would like to step out from our isolation. I just don't see how paying them off makes them an ally.

Is the local merchant paying tribute to the local street gang, an ally? Not in my book.

[geckosfeet]

11. How does that make them an ally?

[NNN0LHI]

13. Like we became allies with Japan, Germany and Italy after conducting a world war with them

[Pavulon]

14. After they surrendered. Germany paid reperations

japan was nuked, the north wants money to continue. It is a fucking junkie stealing grandmas SS check. time to cut them off.

[Swede]

20. Germany did not pay reparations after the war.

In fact we dumped money into Germany,to build it up.

[Pavulon]

22. Germany just finished paying reperations for ww1 recently

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2010/1004/Germany-finishes-paying-WWI-reparations-ending-century-of-guilt

[Swede]

23. Yeah,that was world war one,we are talking world war two.

Those reparations are part of the cause for the second one.

[Pavulon]

24. Germany was destroyed

as a result of ww2. not going to happen in n korea without a major war.

[geckosfeet]

17. Oh - you mean after totally devastating their homelands, killing their leaders

and ruining their economies through military action so that they had no choice?

The US views North Korea as an ally of China - and so do China and North Korea, South Korea, the Russian republics, Japan and the rest of the world. How is throwing money at it going to change political and geographic reality?

Not that I think we shouldn't try and find a solution - but throwing money at it - to maintain the current stalemate or to end it is not going to do the trick. We can't simply 'buy off' N Korea. They will not be our ally. China will take over N Korea before they let that happen.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

21. Not with North Korea, no.

If it becomes obvious that threatening violence has positive consequences then the Kims will keep on doing it.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

7. Kipling was wrong about almost everything, but he got this one right.

It is always a temptation to an armed and agile nation
To call upon a neighbour and to say: --
"We invaded you last night--we are quite prepared to fight,
Unless you pay us cash to go away."

And that is called asking for Dane-geld,
And the people who ask it explain
That you've only to pay 'em the Dane-geld
And then you'll get rid of the Dane!

It is always a temptation for a rich and lazy nation,
To puff and look important and to say: --
"Though we know we should defeat you, we have not the time to meet you.
We will therefore pay you cash to go away."

And that is called paying the Dane-geld;
But we've proved it again and again,
That if once you have paid him the Dane-geld
You never get rid of the Dane.

It is wrong to put temptation in the path of any nation,
For fear they should succumb and go astray;
So when you are requested to pay up or be molested,
You will find it better policy to say: --

"We never pay any-one Dane-geld,
No matter how trifling the cost;
For the end of that game is oppression and shame,
And the nation that pays it is lost!"




Right now is the one time when the US *mustn't* try to improve relations with North Korea, because the lesson it will send is that it's the squeaky wheel that gets the grease, and all the other wheels will start squeaking and murdering civilians.

[NNN0LHI]

9. Kipling never lived in a world of nuclear weapons. He never seen the horror of Hiroshima or Nagasaki

So that is a bit dated to be using in 2010.

Don

[Pavulon]

12. You dont give the dog a treat when it shits on the floor..

that is the north korean cycle, fuck up and get paid off. Looks like we are breaking the cycle.

I say we do nothing and let them collapse. IF they attack the South, Japan, or US assets there will be a war and they will choose whether it goes nuclear.

[NNN0LHI]

16. What do you do when that happens? Beat the dog? Did that ever help?

I picked up a stray dog on the side of the road two years ago and she wouldn't listen to one command I gave her. Some people I know would have started beating her or just dumped her somewhere. I didn't. I worked with her and she just got better and better.

And guess what? I discovered last week the reason why she wouldn't(couldn't) listen to me when I found her. She didn't understand what I was saying. Here is a thread about her.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=243x43578#43708

Maybe for decades we have been having a communication problem with North Korea without realizing it and need to try a different approach? Have you even considered that?

Don

[Donald Ian Rankin]

18. Do you actually know anything about the government of North Korea?

The problem is not a communication problem, it's that North Korea is a dictatorship (which is not unusual, and does not prevent diplomatic relations) run by a dictator who is not merely bad but also mad. It's not just right-wing propaganda that makes the Kim dynasty look utterly detached from reality.

[NNN0LHI]

25. The US has diplomatic relations with dictatorships every day

The Saudi ruling family has never had an election and our government has wonderful relations with them.

Don

[Pavulon]

26. They are not trying to start a shooting war with a us ally

sorry you should read a comprehensive source of information on the history of the conflict to understand why we are here.

[LARED]

27. Last time I checked Saudi Arabia is not threatening

their neighbors, as a way to "discuss" relationships?

[NNN0LHI]

31. Problem is you and Pavulon are taking the "official line", at face value

Did you believe that Vietnam attacked our naval ships in the 60's, when that was the "official line", or that Iraq had WMDs when that was?

Do you guys automatically believe the "official line", when you hear it? Or do you wait before automatically believing the "official line", and wait to see if its true?

That is kind of important to know when discussing this stuff with you two guys and some others. Were you ever fooled before? I have been. Its nothing to be ashamed of. I spent most my life thinking the Vietnamese attacked our warships when actually they had not.

Don

[LARED]

34. Well faced with the choice of which 'official line' to believe

The North Korea or everyone else, coupled with 50+ years of North Korea's aggressive and isolationist position, I going with everyone else on this one.

Simply based on the fact that N Korea has had 50+ years to clear up any misconceptions about it's actions, I am doubting that a payoff will magically open the doors to peace all of a sudden.

[Pavulon]

19. Read "hermit Kingdom" they know exactly what they are doing

and the dog analogy stops with the carpet pooping. You could substitute biting your 2 year old in the face over and over.

The north knows what they are doing and it is a cycle. they want money.

[truth2power]

29. That's a wonderful story, Don. She understood Spanish. But regarding N.K....

I think there are some people, here, who think the answer to every problem is to just beat the recalcitrant person harder.

Your ideas about NK have merit. Unfortunately, the permanent war mentality of the oligarchy that runs this country doesn't allow for something so sensible.

Who knows, it's always possible, in some alternate universe, that peace could break out in the ME. Then what would we do to find someone else to beat up on in order to keep the MIC up and running? NK would serve.

I say this only half-facetiously.

[NNN0LHI]

33. And its a true story. In real time

My wife and I look back now and think about the blank stares she gave us when we tried to give her even the simplest instructions. She didn't know anything in English. She is learning English better every day but I think it would have been easier on her to learn during her forming months. She was about 6 months old when I found her.

Don

[Sherman A1]

28. I would do two things

1). Offer to talk with them (talk is cheap and never really hurt anything). I would not give them any money or other support of any kind until they came around to a peaceful solution. Involve the Chinese, the Russians, the Cubans, the Swedes or whoever would like to participate and be helpful..

2). I would park 6 Carrier Battle Groups off their coast and be very certain they are aware of their presence. The NKoreans are zany beyond belief, but they do understand that we know their return address and no national government has a death wish.

[NNN0LHI]

32. Don't forget # 3) Coca Cola, KFC, and the rest all get to roll in there and start selling stuff

For some reason that always has to be part of any such deal. True story.

Don

[madokie]

15. I'll put my stamp of approval on this

rec

[jeff47]

30. Why, exactly, would you trust NK?

They've got a pretty lengthy history of violating the truce agreement that "ended" the Korean war. Just two examples from this year are the sinking of a SK navy vessel, and shelling SK territory. So why do you expect them to abide by a peace accord when they won't abide by a "truce accord"?

[jberryhill]

35. Unfortunately, North Korea is not in a position to agree to anything

What's going on is a transition of power, and testing internal loyalties.

[bvar22]

36. We could apply the Bush strategy,

...and invade a country that poses no threat to us, like Japan.:shrug:
I heard Japan wants WMDs?

[bvar22]

37. I like it, but...

...instead of giving the cash to the leaders,
we should fly B-52s over and drop it directly to the people,
in the form of millions of Super Size Big Mac Meals, and coupons redeemable in South Korea for HDTVs, Sat Dishes, BlueJeans, and I-Phones.

That would be much less expensive that bombing them, and the border between South & North Korea would disappear....not to mention that our Tax Dollars would be once again stimulating the economy of another foreign nation that competes with American Workers.