I will admit to being afraid. I wasn't afraid when we invaded Afghanistan, or at any point in the lead up to the Iraq war. The media and government did their best to try to make my terrified of "terrorists" but they failed.
Today while dropping my girlfriend off at work, I mentioned N. Korea to her. It is likely they will test a ballistic missile tomorrow.
Though I am ashamed to admit this strange thoughts have raced through my head lately. Why wouldn't we preemptively strike N. Korea. A threat appears imminent. They have weapons of mass destruction and threatening the means to actually attack us. Perhaps we should strike them first.
Setting aside the obvious geopolitical implications of such an act (Russia and China), this has to be a backward and dangerous way to think. Why haven't my thoughts been on diplomacy? Why do we need back channels with N. Korea in New York? We will only talk to them in six party negotiations because they are "bad". Fair enough.
I had a conversation with my girlfriend (we live in Seattle, Wa.) about what we would do in case of nuclear war. Honestly we are so close to Seattle that odds are we would die immediately but, just in case, we made a game plan. The odds that N. Korea could hit the US mainland are almost nil. Still we talked about.
Which brings me to my point...
The media is doing a hell of a job selling North Korea as an imminent threat. They are wild and unstable. The new leader Kim Jong Un is unpredictable and dangerous. They have nuclear weapons, a means to deliver them, and even if they do not they have the 4th largest army in the world. Many Americans died during the last Korean war.
Only thing is I've heard this before. Recently. That Saddam Hussein was gathering weapons of mass destruction. That he was an evil, unstable dictator. Many Americans died during the previous Iraq war and better to fight him before he develops the means and capability to attack the US homeland.
I started thinking. Is N. Korea justified in being afraid of a US invasion? They claim that our war games with S. Korea is preparation for an invasion. Are they irrational in believing so?
Perhaps. Still, President Bush labeled the N. Koreans as a part of an "Axis of Evil" along with Iraq, and Iran. I watched the video of Saddam Hussein being hung (grisly btw). Over 1 million Iraqis lost their lives in our long occupation. I haven't even mentioned Afghanistan whose people are continuously victims of Superpower domination. (Russia in the 80's).
After 9/11, man Americans, including a younger version of myself, wondered why we were attacked. Nothing can justify the murder of innocent civilians. But to say we were attacked "for no reason" is simply not true.
We have been the instigators this time around with N. Korea. Ignore the rhetoric and observe the actions. We have a meeting with N. Korean diplomats last month in which we demand the status quo unless they rejoin the 6 nation talks. We apply harsh sanctions (China included) because of their nuclear test. We begin war games with S. Korea. After tensions increase, we fly B52'sacross the peninsula. We send carriers and missile defense to the region and toGuam.
Our actions have been to increase the tension. While our words and the print media say that we want to lessen the tension with the crazy dictator. Perhaps it is some sort of chess game against China. Perhaps a way to test of missile defense and show Russia and China firsthand?
Over the last few days I've been a victim of amnesia. I had forgotten that our media is not so different than the ridiculous propaganda the N. Koreans are forced to read. We have been lied to before. We have been duped into war before. If North Korea test fires a missile that appears headed for Japan (or not) it is possible we will be duped again.
Maybe I am wrong. Maybe the N. Koreans are crazy and dangerous. Still, if China and North Korea began war games in Vancouver, Canada I would be very afraid.
I don't really care which side is the agitator or the aggressor. I don't want war. If there is anything our government can do to stop this madness I think we should implore them to try. 11:55 to midnight according to the doomsday clock and it is because of N. Korean nuclear arms. Our strategy against them has not been working.
WWI began with the death of just one man. It is a possibility war with N. Korea could lead to war with China. It is possible to trigger a nuclear holocaust and that danger is not worth the risk.
This is my opinion tonight. My hope is tomorrow the Koreans do not test fire their missile. That we do not shoot it down. That we do not go to war.
If we do go to war than God help us all. Just wanted to get my thoughts out and see what the rest of the DailyKos community thought about it. Maybe you all well ease my mind.