America & North Korea - Page 5 - Politics and Economics

It makes perfect sense to me. She's standing up against all the forces of unchecked masculinity which still rule our world. Look at the guy who just got elected, an incompetent pussygrabber reality TV show host who beat out of the most qualified candidates ever. In the context of the world we live in, I believe the fearless girl represents the energy and ferocity it takes to resist such a world on a daily basis. She is confronted by faceless, systemic forces that are far more powerful than she is, but she stands tall and proud and faces them directly. It's a great message and I say it should stay up. Apparently New York agrees with me.

I do believe it speaks to the fragility and vulnerability of supposed "manly men" that people feel the need to attack this image and try to get it taken down. Even the very idea of a feminine image such as the girl standing alongside the charging bull gives many men a fleeting shock of horror, it would seem. And that's all the more reason the girl needs to stay up. Hey look, the statue has already started a great conversation about toxic masculinity. Well, that's another good reason for it to stay up.

"Lol".

04-16-2017 , 11:14 PM

#102

einbert

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https://twitter.com/ZekeJMiller/stat...00642535706624

04-17-2017 , 02:05 AM

#103

Alan C. Lawhon

veteran

Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 2,380

NYT: A 'Cuban Missile Crisis in Slow Motion' in North Korea

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/16/u...pgtype=article

Tempting as the analogies to Cuba may be, Mr. Kim is probably thinking of another nuclear negotiation — with Libya, in 2003. Its leader, Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, agreed to give up his nascent nuclear program in return for promises from the West of economic integration and acceptance. It never really happened, and as soon as Libya’s populace turned against the dictator during the Arab Spring, the United States and its European and Arab allies drove him from power. Ultimately, he was pulled out of a ditch and shot.

Periodically, the North Koreans write about that experience, noting what a sap Colonel Qaddafi was to give up the nuclear program that might have saved him. Mr. Kim, it appears, is not planning to make the same mistake.

04-17-2017 , 02:08 AM

#104

einbert

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Anybody who's ever played chess, poker, or real-time strategy games knows "strategic patience" is basically one of the fundamental ways you win at games. 45* is setting us up to be big losers as he unsettles the board and allows nations to redevelop their positions in real time.

04-17-2017 , 02:24 AM

#105

leavesofliberty

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The focus should be on intelligence disabling all the weapons, and infiltrating their government as much as possible. Clandestine warfare is the only kind of warfare that's going to work.

04-17-2017 , 07:27 AM

#106

O.A.F.K.1.1

Ted Patrick

Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 27,952

Quote:

Originally Posted by einbert

Zerg rush tho.

04-17-2017 , 07:53 AM

#107

HastenDan

banned

Join Date: Sep 2016 Posts: 1,711

There is no such thing as "strategic patience" when it comes to those games, only proper strategy. It is simply a heuristic for the nubes.

04-17-2017 , 09:09 AM

#108

bobman0330

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Our House

What's going on here?

China, Russia chasing US ship near Korean Peninsula

Yes, it is the Carl Vinson. Maybe an alarmist headline because it looks like they're just gathering intel. So far.

That's a ludicrous headline. "Intelligence-gathering vessels" gather intelligence by travelling near the things they want intelligence on and observing them. China and Russia apparently (and reasonably!) want intel on the carrier that was just dispatched to the region, so they are sending their intelligence assets to go watch it.

04-17-2017 , 09:12 AM

#109

campfirewest

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Quote:

Originally Posted by leavesofliberty

The focus should be on intelligence disabling all the weapons, and infiltrating their government as much as possible. Clandestine warfare is the only kind of warfare that's going to work.

Given the way North Korean society works that should be super simple.

04-17-2017 , 09:22 AM

#110

DudeImBetter

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Quote:

Originally Posted by O.A.F.K.1.1

Zerg rush tho.

Dude you just brought me back to HS. My Protoss game was on point so long as I didn't get Zergling'ed in the first few minutes. CARRIER HAS ARRIVED.

04-17-2017 , 10:03 AM

#111

einbert

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Quote:

Originally Posted by O.A.F.K.1.1

Zerg rush tho.

Last edited by einbert; 04-17-2017 at 10:09 AM.

04-17-2017 , 12:36 PM

#112

HastenDan

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Join Date: Sep 2016 Posts: 1,711

Full Chomsky interview worth a read/watch., with some thoughts on North Korea:

Quote:

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: In line with your concern about the growing threat in terms of nuclear weapons, there are also maneuvers going on off the coast of Korea, and the words that we’ve heard from President Trump in the last few days, that if China doesn’t deal with North Korea, the U.S. will. Can you talk about his policies already, his developing policies toward Korea and toward China?

NOAM CHOMSKY: Well, it’s kind of interesting to look at the record. The claim is "Well, we’ve tried everything. Nothing works. Therefore, we have to use force." Is it true that nothing’s worked? I mean, there is a record, after all. And if you look at the record, it’s interesting.

1994, Clinton made—established what was called the Framework Agreement with North Korea. North Korea would terminate its efforts to develop nuclear weapons. The U.S. would reduce hostile acts. It more or less worked, and neither side lived up to it totally, but, by 2000, North Korea had not proceeded with its nuclear weapons programs. George W. Bush came in and immediately launched an assault on North Korea—you know, "axis of evil," sanctions and so on. North Korea turned to producing nuclear weapons. In 2005, there was an agreement between North Korea and the United States, a pretty sensible agreement. North Korea agreed to terminate its development of nuclear weapons. In return, it called for a nonaggression pact. So, stop making hostile threats, relief from harsh sanctions, and provision of a system to provide North Korea with low-enriched uranium for medical and other purposes—that was the proposal. George Bush instantly tore it to shreds. Within days, the U.S. was imposing—trying to disrupt North Korean financial transactions with other countries through Macau and elsewhere. North Korea backed off, started building nuclear weapons again. I mean, maybe you can say it’s the worst regime in history, whatever you like, but they have been following a pretty rational tit-for-tat policy.

And why are they developing nuclear weapons altogether? I mean, the economy is in bad shape. They could certainly use the resources. Everyone understands that it’s a deterrent. And they have a proposal, actually. There’s a proposal on the table. China and North Korea proposed that North Korea should terminate its further development of nuclear weapons. In return, the United States should stop carrying out threatening military maneuvers with South Korea right on its border. Not an unreasonable proposal. It’s simply dismissed. Actually, Obama dismissed it, too. There are possible steps that could be taken to alleviate which could be an extremely serious crisis. I mean, if the U.S. did decide to use force against North Korea, one immediate reaction, according to the military sources available to us, is that Seoul, the city of Seoul, would simply be wiped out by mass North Korean artillery aimed at it. And who knows where we’d go from there? But the opportunity to produce—to move towards a negotiated diplomatic settlement does not seem outlandish. I mean, this Chinese-North Korean proposal is certainly worth serious consideration, I would think.

And it’s worth bearing in mind that North Korea has some memories. They were practically destroyed by some of the most intensive bombing in history. The bombing—you should—it’s worth reading. Maybe you should read, people, the official Air Force history of the bombing of North Korea. It’s shattering. I mean, they had flattened the country. There were no targets left. So, therefore, they decided, well, we’ll attack the dams—which is a war crime, of course. And the description of the attack on the dams is—without the exact wording, I hate to paraphrase it. You should really read the—they were simply exalting, in the official histories, Air Force Quarterly and others, about the—how magnificent it will be to see this massive flood of water coursing through North Korea, wiping out crops. For Asians, the rice crops is their life. This will destroy them. It will be magnificent. The North Koreans lived through that. And having nuclear-capable B-52s flying on their border is not a joke.

But, most significantly, there’s a record of partial success in diplomatic initiatives, total failure with sanctions and harsh moves, and options that are on the table which could be pursued. Now, instead of concern about whether somebody talked to the Russians, this is the kind of thing that should be—that should be pursued very seriously. That’s what the Democrats or anyone hoping for some form of peace and justice should be working for.

04-17-2017 , 03:12 PM

#113

unwantedguest

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-39623882

Quote:

North Korea will continue to test missiles, a senior official has told the BBC in Pyongyang, despite international condemnation and growing military tensions with the US.

"We'll be conducting more missile tests on a weekly, monthly and yearly basis,"

04-17-2017 , 03:14 PM

#114

Our House

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North Korea warns 'thermonuclear war may break out at any moment'

Some heavy smack talk from NK. Maybe they didn't like the President's "gotta behave" comment this morning.

04-17-2017 , 03:47 PM

#115

SuperSwag

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Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 5,764

If Seoul gets obliterated China gains power in region so they really have no reason to intervene. I wouldn't want to be living in Washington state right now. Is it true that a nuclear blast could reach across whole united states?

04-17-2017 , 03:47 PM

#116

revots33

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Trumpkins will still be praising Trump's "tough talk" even as the nukes start falling.

04-17-2017 , 04:10 PM

#117

Our House

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Quote:

Originally Posted by revots33

Trumpkins will still be praising Trump's "tough talk" even as the nukes start falling.

I've had recent IRL conversations with Trumpkins who are already setting up this serve. "This is all Kim's fault" as if his wrongness gives Trump permission to behave any way he wants and still be right regardless of the result. Scary **** for sure.

04-17-2017 , 04:18 PM

#118

iron81

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Quote:

Originally Posted by SuperSwag

China is aware that Seoul being destroyed would have wide ranging, negative repercussions.

Nuclear fallout would criss the US, though not at acutely lethal levels.

04-17-2017 , 04:20 PM

#119

fuluck414

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Quote:

Originally Posted by SuperSwag

Constructing my bomb shelter now.

04-17-2017 , 06:04 PM

#120

unwantedguest

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Just listening to trumps people talk about NK and I don't see how the stupid ****s don't follow through now and take military action. Similar rhetoric before US went into Iraq and it's coming to a head.

Pretty frightening tbh.

04-17-2017 , 06:14 PM

#121

Jbrochu

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List of groups taking advantage of Trump as the Useful Idiot to accomplish goals:

* Russia
* Republicans
* US Military

04-17-2017 , 07:01 PM

#122

einbert

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Our House

Why not. That's the way they treat interactions between police and people of color.

04-17-2017 , 08:56 PM

#123

ligastar

ToP 100 pAsS cAtChErS

Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 30,915

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jbrochu

List of groups taking advantage of Trump as the Useful Idiot to accomplish goals:

* Russia
* Republicans
* US Military
* News Corp

04-18-2017 , 12:10 AM

#124

Alan C. Lawhon

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Ghoulish Investing (or Ghoulish Gambling?)

OK, let's assume you're the kind of "investor" who likes to gamble on long shots. In this context, let's also assume that an all out war (or some type of military action) breaks out between the United States and North Korea. If such a mass casualty scenario actually occurs, there will be economic "winners" and economic "losers" - in addition to all the people who will wind up losing their lives. (If North Korea is attacked and delivers on their threat of turning Seoul into "a lake of fire," the deaths and casualties could number in the millions; so a war will be a humanitarian - as well as an economic - catastrophe.)

Anytime something truly dire happens, there are (a few) astute investors who read the teal leaves correctly, get their bets in early, and profit enormously. (When the housing market crashed ten years ago, John Paulson was one of the few who placed his bets early and profited to the tune of billions.)

I don't understand how options work, but let's say you believe war between the U.S. and North Korea is more likely than less likely. How do you play your cards? In terms of equity and debt markets, who will be the big winners (and the big losers) if war breaks out?

Last edited by Alan C. Lawhon; 04-18-2017 at 12:18 AM.