It may be time to remove North Korea from the Map
It appears that China has no idea how to reel in its insane neighbor that gives “communist totalitarianism” a really bad name. It’s just not going to happen because China is simply not up to the task, diplomatically or militarily. Sooner or later North Korea will be able to lob a messy and deadly nuclear device onto South Korea or Japan and then what will everyone say and do? Or if it flies off in the wrong direction, it could end up on Chinese soil.
There have been some recommendations that the world should ignore President Kim Jong-Il and his crazy followers. Jong-Il is playing for a confrontation and no amount of passivity or restraint is going to deter this madman. Ignoring a pimple on one’s face is rational because it will eventually cure itself. However it is not reasonable to ignore a malignant cancer. Such cancers are removed surgically and promptly – then followed by radiation treatments. It’s not productive to speak with a cancer or an insane person – it’s a complete waste of time.
China is North Korea’s largest provider of food and fuel – yet most of it goes to the Military to keep Jong-Il in power, and the rest of the country struggles in abject poverty – with hundreds of thousands having fled into China for refuge. There is a fear that if Jong-Il is deposed, the power vacuum would lead to national disintegration. So would that be much worse than the current situation for the vast majority of the population? There are actually tens of millions of people who know the culture and language and operate a very progressive and modern country. They are found directly next door in South Korea.
We have to make a permanent multi-lateral deal with China. The U.S. would support full reunification of Taiwan and China in exchange for China deposing of Jong-Il and immediately unifying the country with a demilitarized South Korea. Then all the North Korean refugees could return to the unified Korea and China could have normal trade and diplomatic relations with the new Korea. Korea, China and the U.S would jointly dismantle the entire military and nuclear facilities of the former North and only maintain what is necessary for civilian nuclear power. South Korea could be largely demilitarized and most U.S. forces would leave as part of the deal. China could also retain about 100 kilometers of oceanfront and inland territory of the former North Korea including the port city of Najin that is part of its Northeast Corner adjacent to Russia. In this way China could have direct civilian and naval access to the Sea of Japan. Koreans living in this small Northeastern zone would be resettled elsewhere in Korea if the area is transferred to Chinese control.
If China won’t bite on such a great multilateral demilitarizing deal for the entire Korean peninsula, then the U.S. should itself commence a massive bombing campaign on North Korea’s military and nuclear facilities, and all locations where its leadership could be found during a sustained period of 3 to 4 days. We would only stop when we are sure that all things of military or nuclear significant are obliterated, and that Kim Jong-Il, his son and successor, and all their supporting military forces are killed.
The ensuing power vacuum would be China’s problem to clean up. We could suggest South Korea volunteer to take over the North but that would still be China’s call. We could still hold out de-militarization of the peninsula only if there is complete reunification of the two Koreas that would be free to hold its own multi-party elections wholly independent of any outside control or influence.
Those fearful that China would retaliate militarily against the US are not thinking things through. China is one of America’s largest creditors and it cannot render worthless its vast holdings of U.S. debt and huge dollar reserves in its banks. Furthermore the U.S. is not attacking any Chinese people or lands. It is instead relieving China of a major headache and embarrassment, plus eliminating a potential nuclear nation that is clearly not sane enough to be part of the world’s nuclear club with China and the U.S.
There are times to when it is necessary to strong-arm other countries into doing what’s in their own best interests and that of the entire world. And if that is not successful, then we simply have to use our military power in the best interests of our Country. All the lofty words we issue must ultimately be backed up by concrete actions, or else the U.S. risks being viewed as a paper tiger that no one on the planet would respect.
By Marc Pascal Phoenix, AZ.
opinions powered by SendLove.to
15 Responses to “It may be time to remove North Korea from the Map”
Insanity… Absolute and total insanity!
Marc,
I think you have some very good suggestions and some incredibly bad suggestions in your post.
Good: Work diplomatically with China to remove Jong (whatever it takes.)
Bad: Military attack on North Korea.
This is an incredibly terrible idea because of the fact that N. Korea has thousands of embedded conventional weapons aimed at S. Korea (mostly at Seoul.)
In the event of an attack on N. Korea, the immediate response will be the death of hundreds of thousands in the South. Do you really think that's a good game to play?
I don't think so.
Find some way to take Jong out, without killing a million people.
South Korea has the moral authority to make any and all decisions on this, not us. Why? Because, as joeaudio pointed out, they are the one who will die in the hundreds of thousands if not millions.
Joeaudio nailed it.
We do not need another “war of choice” with unknown medium and long term consequences. Didn't we just try that? The unknowns of regional instability cannot be overcome by aspirational assumptions like those contained in the article. Phrases like “greeted as liberators”, “democracy spreading throughout the region” are still ringing in our ears. The neo-con approach to foreign policy, without understanding the consequences of unilateral military action, is unsound.
Somehow I don't think starting yet another war, particularly one of choice like Iraq, is the best idea…Look how well it's worked so far. /snark
Now on to Marc's idea of a diplomatic “solution”. There are two critical problems, the first is one of principle, the second, one of practicality.
As a matter of principal, Taiwan is not ours to “give” to China. Taiwan is an independent nation. What we would have to do is pull our protection from Taiwan and give our blessing to China to invade and take over by force. This hardly seems the high moral ground that America should represent. Abandoning an ally, additionally, sends an unfortunate message to other allies. Will such a message invite Russia to create problems so we will pull our support for Georgia, for example? In other words, the message sent is that America will withdraw its support from allies if enough pressure is placed on us. And, as an aside, though a very real concern for a country that believes in freedom, Marc's “solution” notably ignores the will of the people of Taiwan.
On the practical side, it is simply a bad deal. China gets a robust, vibrant, economically powerful addition to its already growing economic influence in the world, a net plus. We get to pour billions (through South Korea) into a failed, dysfuntional, economic and political black hole, a net minus. And we give a Korean (port) city to China in the deal? And if the deal isn't bad enough, our committment is to a demilitarized Korean penninsula in a continent that is already militarily dominated by China. Their military and economic dominance of the continent would be significantly enhanced, while ours would be significantly diminished.
It's a bad deal, premised on walking away from an ally, sending the wrong message to the world and founded in sacrificing our moral authority.
This has always been what's upset me the most about the whole “North Korea has nukes!” thing.
A) North Korea will never have a delivery system that can hit the US. So we really shouldn't worry about it.
B) South Korea has so much artillery pointed at them that I've heard estimates of 500k-2 million dead within 45 minutes. North Korea would have to hit them with many nukes just to equal that, so not even South Korea cares that much.
That means that the only country that “cares” is Japan, as they are outside the conventional artillery range and inside the potential nuke range…although they don't really get that much hostility.
Marc, I am going to go out on a limb and assume that you're not fully aware of the differences between North Korea's nukes/technology and say, Russia/China/etc. I apologize if I'm wrong, but I don't see how an objective study of the situation could lead someone to believe that North Korea poses any threat to people outside of its conventional one.
North Korea poses a threat to the entire world because it sells its nuclear technology and expertise to other rogues states (see Syria).
OTOH, I find the cancerous tumor imagery unsettling because this is how Iran refers to the State of Israel.
hmmm…no…
China isn't doing anything because that's the plan…lol..
duh..
Think China, Russia, N. Korea & Iran. Then think: “matadors”. Then think US = Bull.
Then go see a bullfight. Then you'll understand..
Troubling indeed.
Marc, I think this is the wackiest thing you've written. Much as I'd like to see Jong gone, we're just not in a position, morally, fiscally or militarily, to force out all the regimes we don't like, or even just this one regime. What babies we've become, cowering in fear of every madman in the world and hand wringing about them getting us. Why are we still still fighting the cold war? This military expenditure by N Korea is killing them financially, and the specter of ICBM warfare is just not really the threat any more.
If our real concern about N Korea is the export of technology, that is far easier to stop, through cargo interdiction. N Korea is not such a huge exporter that it would even entail that many cargo ships. If our concern is 'terrorism' from other regions, like Syria (?), again we're fighting the cold war. Terrorists don't need a nuke. Damn, has everyone forgotten 9/11? Box cutters! Those wanting to be nuclear terrorists would have to be abysmally stupid to think they needed plutonium from N Korea, smuggled from there to Syria, then smuggled into the US, or made into a missile. They have to know that there is more than enough poorly-guarded radioactive material here to carry out their evil schemes.
Seriously, isn't it time we stopped this foolish fretting and posturing? We're not going to stop N Korea from increasing their military might, nor Iran. We had better find another way to reduce the risk that any weapons will ever be used against us.
I think the U.S. has no word in this. It can and should only suggest such options to China and South Korea. I think its clear that USA is afraid of N.Korea and wants it destroyed before something happens, but doesnt want to look like the bad guy here. Believe me, i wouldnt say this if USA's history of war would be different. This is just my opinion of course. I agree that North Korea gives communism a bad name. If you ask me the best way of communistic ruling is being practiced in the Peoples republic of China. A reunification of the Republic of China and the peoples republic would be good, but I actually am not surprised that the U.S. would allow this – they did not give Taiwan a seat in the U.N. A reunification of both Koreas would also be a good thing. The north got slightly out of control and therefore it would be the best in everyone's interest that the north and the south reunite. But than again China looses an ally… China and South Korea will have to work on this together in the days to come and pick the future of East Asia very carefully.
This idea Dangerous and ill-thought out… bordering on outright stupid.
Is the author really saying that -in his view- our best options are to either:
1) Betray our democratic allies and principles by 'giving up' Taiwan to communist China? This means taking 23 MILLION people, completely disregarding their right to self-determination (and not to mention some international agreements like the Taiwan Relations Act, which obliges us to support the defense of Taiwan) or any of their wishes and simply 'trading' it away for the hope that the Chinese would come out 'on our side of things'. Seems backwards, and far too presumptuous. It also sounds a lot like the behavior of a colonial power rather than that of a modern democracy. More than anything else it would tell our other allies in the region that they are 'expendable' as well if it comes down to it, and that our alleged principles of democracy and freedom are nothing more than wordplay to allow a cheap justification for short term gains. Why would anyone trust us?
Or
2) Bomb them into dust? This is even more stupid than the first suggestion, and would likely result in regional chaos, the likes of which we are not quite prepared for. Either way, it is likely that tens of thousands would be killed by the N. Korean retaliation. There are literally thousands of artilliry peices pointed at Seoul, burried in caves and deeply entrenched. While I dont doubt for a moment our ability to eventually track down and destroy many of them early on, it is nearly impossible to 'get them all' before a horrific counter attack is launched. Either way, lots of people die, and the resulting YEARS of turmoil are not very appealing either.
Im not saying there are easy answers to this issue, but the suggestions posited by the author are ignorant and reactionary, to say the least. Humbly speaking, my advice to Mr. Pascal is simple: Grow up, learn more, READ MORE, and think outside your own narrow minded perspective for a moment.
Trade Taiwan for North Korea? Who made you god over those 23 million people? This article is ludicrous. Were you in the Nixon administration by chance?
This is the most absurd post I have read on Moderate Voice. Isn't there some editorial standard?