So, if South Korea cops it, who benefits..?

[John K]

OK, We have two lunatic dictators squaring up to each other, we have to hope that sanity (the Chinese) prevails and it cools down, but lets play a mind game here...

• North Korea takes a pop a Guam
• America attacks North Korea
• North Korea retaliates against South Korea

All of a sudden a global manufacturing / exporting powerhouse is no more, who benefits from this..?

I would suggest China (a global exporter) and America (desperate to stimulate domestic manufacturing).

So, the two superpower who are best placed to de-escalate this seem to be experiencing a conflict of interest.

Or am I being a teeny weeny but cynical here?

Best order that Galaxy S8 ASAP - soon to become a collectors item...

[Greenstreak-Andy D]

All h3ll lets loose and the planet as we know it is no longer.

who benefits.......

[jeff oakley]

It will not get that far IMHO. The problem for the world is that Kimmy boy has been brought up to believe he is a deity and is all powerful and all knowledgeable. He has a vision for complete control over Korea and on radio 4 this morning, Al Gore said this mess is not of Trumps making. The last few presidents have done nothing but make hollow threats against him and have followed through on none at all which he felt was a big issue, allowing a bully to grow in confidence and strength.

Whilst they had no nuclear weapons it was safe enough, then he got nuclear short range capabilities and they did nothing tangible as China were not worried. Now he has long range capabilities and he has also started to believe his own PR and told China to butt out, not a good idea.

Some have said Trump's playground speak was just what he needed as political language is not working, saying it is his way has made NK listen as they know if he continues they will be obliterated. They have said they have a plan to send missiles to Guam, well that won't end well if he did but the losers would be the NK people and the SK people in Seoul as he has batteries of armaments aimed at them.

The UN was unanimous that NK is in the wrong and have put sanctions in place and all Nato countries are behind the US actions. So even if nuclear war broke out there, not even China will won't to get involved as John pointed out economically they would benefit so why would they want to side with a person who they have lost control over if that happened.

 

[DonPeffers]

Having lived thru the 1962 Cuban missile crisis (USA v USSR) and the Cold War I'm not worried about the bad-haired kids shouting at each other and the only real possibility of it kicking off IMO is if, as an act of bravado, NK launches a missile at Guam to land in the sea but it goes off course and hits the island--can't be sure of the NK rockets accuracy but those destined for the sea won't contain explosives.

I recently read NK is now supposed to have ICBMs capable of reaching Western Europe--do I smell a dodgy dossier here?  Politicians and  armaments manufacturers need a bogeyman to frighten the public and justify huge public expenditure.

With China having fought with NK in the 1950s Korean war can we really believe they would like to see a unified Korea being part of NATO and with US  missiles on China's doorstep? --not IMO.

I reckon China signing the sanctions against NK was simply to avoid being the bad guy and having sanctions against themselves and likely trade will continue pretty much as normal.

The worried may stock up on Potassium Iodide pills in case a radioactive cloud blows over.

My advice is don't shorten your telomeres by worrying.

 

[DonPeffers]

Additional--

Found the article https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jul/04/are-north-koreas-missile-claims-true-and-what-do-they-signify alleging the North Korea’s Hwasong-14 missiles 6700km range with map.

To answer John K's question 'who benefits--?' it will be the arms manufacturers.

[Steve (sdh2903)]

The short answer to who benefits? 

Simple answer. No one. 

[bigals]

Long term if north and south Korea we're reunited under a democracy the north would benefit hugely just as east and west Germany did. North Korea's military might would quickly be over run and the starving north would become a manufacturing powerhouse .  

[pistonbroke]

the irony is , that the only thing that has saved the world from nuclear destruction is the threat of nuclear destruction 

[John K]

4 minutes ago, pistonbroke said:

the irony is , that the only thing that has saved the world from nuclear destruction is the threat of nuclear destruction 

So despite MAD sounding a bit mad, its actually worked...

But now we have two mad people in charge of MAD so it's actually mad x MAD x mad x MAD =

[jeff oakley]

I recall reading that Nixon when president had several run ins with the Russians and when asked why he thought war never happened, his answer was "I convinced them that I was mad enough to actually press the button". 

China has been on the phone no doubt and has told Kim that if America attacks first, then they will defend NK. If he attacks America he is on his own. They have effectively given him a way to back down but he may just be made enough to ignore them and take the medicine that will be dished out.

There is no doubt Trump would push the button if Guam is attacked.