This from The Australian, who says at least one faction in China favors a coup in North Korea like the one against Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu that “replaced him with communist reformers and generals.”
However, the article quotes unnamed sources and there’s been no confirmation from elsewhere. A coup in North Korea would certainly destabilize the region, and that could lead to refugees spilling over the border into China, something they doubtless don’t want.
Maybe China figures, they should engineer a coup before the US tries, then they’d be more in control. Assuming of course that it worked out according to plans, always a dicey assumption with coups.
Or this report could be just be disinformation…
It’s amusing when you realize little bitty North Korea has put itself front and center in the world media, hardly the sign of a loony leader. Crazy like a fox maybe. Hey, they just want protection against U.S. aggression, and given the history of past and present U.S. attacks and threats against them, well, you can hardly blame them for that, nor is it paranoia.
America did NOT attack North Korea. The American military was part of a UN mandated interference force during the Korean war, AFTER North Korea had overrun the south.
So, the US was forced, forced I tell you, to attack North Korea, who invaded because they they wanted reunification of their country – which the US and others had partitioned without their permission or consent after WW II. They wanted their country back. What arrogance.
Is this like how the US was forced to invade Iran, Afghanistan, and dozens of other countries too? With or without a fig leaf of approval from the UN?
BTW, the majority of South Koreans want reunification too.
North Korea did not want to reunification- they wanted dogmatic domination of the peninsula. Even if that meant murdering those who disagree with communism and the cult of personality the Kims have established. If the UN did not interfere, the entire peninsula would now be under the despotic rule of the Kim regime.
I am not so naive to also know the move into the Korean War was also part of the political climate and paranoia of the cold war era. However, would you rather have seen another forty million Koreans being slowly starved to death while the Kims and their cronies drink cognac in their many palaces, and ravage whatever young women they happen upon? They are allowing millions of their own people starve to death! They murder people for saying ONE critical thing about the government! Do you really have sympathy for that?
Your problem is that you are looking at the situation with a clearly stated anti-American bias. I am no supporter of the Bush administration, but you are trying to draw parallels between two seperate times and two seperate American administrations. The Korean war had nothing to do with Iraq.
Yes, South Koreans want reunification- I live there, and I know. But, they are not so eager for it that they would allow the delusional, soul-raping regime of Kim Jong Il to become their own government. They want to see the North FREE, not join them in their torture.
Did I say the NK government was peachy? No.
How many countries has the US invaded since WWII? As compared to NK?
I’m anti-imperialist, not anti-American.
North Korea is, at the moment, unable to invade another country (although it did invade South Korea, before North and South officially existed). This does not preclude the possibility that they would have invaded others, if America and the UN had not intervened, especially given the North’s still bellecose attitude towards Japan (after the Japanese occupation of Korea).
This is not a regime that wants to sit still. They cannot push north, because China is their ally, and they cannot push south, because they don’t have enough resources to sustain a war. Those are the only two limits they have. They are now trying to change that. They can now hold the south captive, against the world, as well as any other surrounding countries, including America.
I honestly hate Bush and all that he stands for. However, I do not think that North Korea should be given an inch in this push-comes-to-shove cock fight. “North Korea” is really Kim Jong Il, and when you grow up being worshipped, the rest of the world isn’t worth a shit.
I also don’t feel safe that Bush is the one in command in this particular moment. His fundamentalist worldview means that he sees the end of the world as a blessing. This makes him cocky and stupid. I believe we need China to step in, take out Kim, and at least install a reformed government that, although they will not agree with US intentions, will not to bomb the world for taking a stand against them.
I think you and I have the same goals. However, may I recommend some good books. The aquariums of Pyonyang, and The North Koreans are a good start. Still, nothing drives it home like a trip to the DMZ.