North Korea says US is now in Missile range!

[Mafic]

Honestly the morale of their population is dropping as technology and news media from neighboring China has eroded the information stranglehold. You beat N. Korea not buy bombs but with information warfare.

This is sabre rattling, because N. Korea wants to be on 24/7 war footing to keep their population in line.

N. Korea has been in range of U.S. and allies to do major, major damage for nearly 50+ years. If N. Korea wanted to start a war, it would be highly advantageous that they started with an opening salvo to cripple S. Korea's capability of striking back.

[Zelk]

I don't understand why we haven't taken out the little shit that thinks he's a dictator yet.

Because unlike Assad, Gaddafi etc Kim actually has nukes

[daenerys]

As long as North Korea doesn't attack anyone, I don't see anyone attacking them. Whether or not they can reach the US is more about scaring off the US from a first strike on them. The biggest worry is that Seoul is only 35 miles from the DMZ. Seoul has a population of over 10M people, with 25M living in the greater Seoul metropolitan area. That's roughly half the population of South Korea. North Korea if they lobbed even the most inaccurate rockets/missiles towards Seoul the damage and loss of life would be devastating. Granted North Korea would in turn be bombed into the ground by South Korea and the US in response. But still not anything, anyone wants.

[Allybeboba]

If the US is within range of NK how many EU countries are within range?

[kasuke06]

As long as North Korea doesn't attack anyone, I don't see anyone attacking them. Whether or not they can reach the US is more about scaring off the US from a first strike on them. The biggest worry is that Seoul is only 35 miles from the DMZ. Seoul has a population of over 10M people, with 25M living in the greater Seoul metropolitan area. That's roughly half the population of South Korea. North Korea if they lobbed even the most inaccurate rockets/missiles towards Seoul the damage and loss of life would be devastating. Granted North Korea would in turn be bombed into the ground by South Korea and the US in response. But still not anything, anyone wants.

They have around 10k artillery pieces stashed within striking range of seoul. Pretty much the sole reason that region isn't "south korea and the parking lot between them and china." at this point

If the US is within range of NK how many EU countries are within range?

Yeah... you're not the big kid on the block. America is. Last superpower standing, bitches! At least until russia takes over the EU in probably the next decade or so. Then it'll be all cold war again, maybe a chance of world war three: The extinctioning where all of humanity dies either in nuclear fire, or the ensuing winter.

[ringpriest]

I don't understand why we haven't taken out the little shit that thinks he's a dictator yet.

Because the cost (to the global civilization / economy) of letting the Kim dynasty rule North Korea is quite low compared to the benefits. Cost = putting up with NK's crazy rants and occasional antics, and a petty amount of aid. Benefit = they run NK (which someone has to) on the cheap, and it doesn't collapse (or, from the Chinese/Japanese perspective, unify, which would be much worse).

If the North Korean government collapses (and right now it's hard to see the Kim dynasty going away without such a collapse), you end up with, at a minimum a massive occupation / assistance effort that costs billions and billions (and probably wrecks the S. Korean economy for a generation) - a worst case is a trillion-dollar refugee problem and war (possibly leading to global economic collapse if the world can't handle China, S.Korea and Japan having to spend to fix N. Korea), along with loose bioweapons, chemical weapons, rocket scientists, and two different nuclear programs.

That's why that particular "little shit that thinks he's a dictator" hasn't been taken out yet. (Or were you referring to Trump?)

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Because unlike Assad, Gaddafi etc Kim actually has nukes

The worst part of America's deposing and killing Saddam and Gaddafi is that now every tinpot dictator knows that nuclear weapons = safety from the US; it's probably the worst possible thing to have done if they wanted to stop proliferation.

[endersblade]

It looks more and more like China might just do it themselves. They are in the position to do it quickly and efficiently enough so theres no collateral damage.

It would be a nice change of pace. Instead of the US getting hated on by everyone else for invading another country or taking someone out, China can do it. We'll see how that goes over with the rest of the world.

[PACOX]

It would be a nice change of pace. Instead of the US getting hated on by everyone else for invading another country or taking someone out, China can do it. We'll see how that goes over with the rest of the world.

China isn't going to do anything. China more or less bribes NK to keep refugees from crossing its border. It doesn't want to deal with the influence of refugees if something was to go down. Though if something were to go down, China would do its best to beat the US to the punch because the only thing it fears worse than NK refugees if the US having political dominance of the the land NK sits on. Imagine if China was best buds with Mexico or Canada.

[Torto]

Isn't the whole point of these missile tests just to extort aid and money from the US?

[Afrospinach]

I don't understand why we haven't taken out the little shit that thinks he's a dictator yet.

NK have got to be the most dissociated population on earth that are not an uncontacted tribe. I don't think there would be a path to happiness after removing him.

[HumbleDuck]

Looking at their leadership, I believe they need to spread fear amongst their people to stay in power.
People will tear them apart if they realise no one is actually interested in making a massacre over there.

[Macaquerie]

I don't understand why we haven't taken out the little shit that thinks he's a dictator yet.

Because technically he was "democratically elected" despite losing by nearly 3 million votes.

[Deleted]

NK have got to be the most dissociated population on earth that are not an uncontacted tribe. I don't think there would be a path to happiness after removing him.

It's not like they wouldn't get help.

[Eldar45]

Did they figure out how to sail North Korea like a ship? Cause otherwise they ain't getting a missile with 1940s nuclear technology this far.

And we have enough nukes in the area to turn most of China into a wasteland.

[Afrospinach]

It's not like they wouldn't get help.

Well this is one of the challenges, would they want help? They have been indoctrinated to hate everyone that would help them their whole lives.

It is a shame really, geographically NK is poised for economic dominance.

[HumbleDuck]

Because unlike Assad, Gaddafi etc Kim actually has nukes

Also, no oil.

[Deleted]

North Korea is like having a man in your house with a homemade gun he printed off the internet who sits in the corner shouting 'I'm going to shoot you', never does and you have got so used to it you ignore him.

I mean this kind of shit http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21972936, you wouldn't know it was posted 5 years ago. It could have been written yesterday. Its an ongoing nothing.

[caervek]

It is a shame really, geographically NK is poised for economic dominance.

Generally speaking when you choose to ally yourself with Russia/China over the US things usually go badly for you.

[Nathanyel]

Yeah... you're not the big kid on the block. America is.

Hey, thanks for blustering up and taking the first hits! We'll remember your name... it was Murica, right?

[Gaidax]

And the worst part of this bullshit?

Trump will believe them.

Maybe that is actually the best part.