Thread: America The worlds police

Originally Posted by Officer of Engineers

Well, how about this. The Koreans are still pissed off about the Comfort Women issue and diplomatic protests over Japanese schoolbooks changes and refused to join in any Japanese alliance.

Saying things now?

I'm sorry to say I'd have to disagree with this statement. I've actually been to Korea and the country dosen't seem to harbor a lot of anti-Japanese sentiment. I mean, amongst the older generation there certainly is a lot of hostility towards Japan. However, amongst the newer generations there is not a lot of hostility towards Japan as compared to anti-US sentiment. I think it would be extremely difficult for S.Korea to launch an attack under both military and poiltical circumstances. (The US would never allow the attack even with its troops out, which it actually is doing to some degree). Militarily, what would be the objective? A genocidal puntitive attack? Possibly, but international condemnation would be great plus it would accomplish nothing stragetically. Conquest of Japan? Highely unlikely, basically the S.Korean Navy can do nothing of this sort.

Originally Posted by Officer of Engineers

Well, how about this. The Koreans are still pissed off about the Comfort Women issue and diplomatic protests over Japanese schoolbooks changes and refused to join in any Japanese alliance.

Saying things now?

I don't see how that could possibly lead them to trust North Korea to keep their hands to themselves while South Korea is fighting Japan. Regardless of who South Korea hates, they cannot afford to turn their back on North Korea for any reason.

Originally Posted by MKristensen908

I'm sorry to say I'd have to disagree with this statement. I've actually been to Korea and the country dosen't seem to harbor a lot of anti-Japanese sentiment. I mean, amongst the older generation there certainly is a lot of hostility towards Japan. However, amongst the newer generations there is not a lot of hostility towards Japan as compared to anti-US sentiment. I think it would be extremely difficult for S.Korea to launch an attack under both military and poiltical circumstances. (The US would never allow the attack even with its troops out, which it actually is doing to some degree). Militarily, what would be the objective? A genocidal puntitive attack? Possibly, but international condemnation would be great plus it would accomplish nothing stragetically. Conquest of Japan? Highely unlikely, basically the S.Korean Navy can do nothing of this sort.

You and I were in a country where once they held the Olympics and the country couldn't be more nationalistic. Yet, less than 50 years after that, that country was torn apart by ethnic hatre.

Asian hatre towards Japan is more obvious than the Sarajevo Olympics.

Again, I stress that vengence is not based upon sound strategic decisions. FRY was not fought on sound strategic decisions and it was a bloody mess. There is no reason to expect any logic in vengence type wars.

The one issue that would get any Korean going, regardless of generation, North or South, is the Comfort Women issue. I was surprised by the venom on that.

While not directly related, witness Chinese civilian hostilities (regardless of Taiwan, Hong Kong, or Mainland) whenever the Japanese try to challenge the Chinese views of the Nanjing Massacre. The Koreans have just as much emotion and history invested as the Chinese.

Originally Posted by lwarmonger

I don't see how that could possibly lead them to trust North Korea to keep their hands to themselves while South Korea is fighting Japan. Regardless of who South Korea hates, they cannot afford to turn their back on North Korea for any reason.

You have not seen ethnic hatre upfront as I have.

People seethed in the former Yugslavia for 500 years. Some of the vendettas being settled where that old.

Look at "the troubles" in NI. There weren't many of the current marchers around when orange was a colour of battle.

Originally Posted by Officer of Engineers

You have not seen ethnic hatre upfront as I have.

True, but I have been to Japan. I've seen how they treat Koreans there, and I do understand to a degree what you are talking about. But for South Korea to turn it's back on North Korea would be insane, and stupid. I've never said that the South Koreans would not do it, but I remain firmly convinced that it would be suicidal for them to, and that the South Korean to order the initiation of a war with Japan would be crazy to do it. Since most democracies don't elect crazy people very often, I still don't think such a conflict is very likely. Even if the South Koreans wanted to start it, and the 2nd ID wasn't there anymore, all the United States would have to do is move a CVBG or two into the area, and with Japanese help we could easily crush South Korea's navy and airforce. We would not allow such a conflict to happen, as we do too much trade with Japan.

Originally Posted by lwarmonger

True, but I have been to Japan. I've seen how they treat Koreans there, and I do understand to a degree what you are talking about. But for South Korea to turn it's back on North Korea would be insane, and stupid. I've never said that the South Koreans would not do it, but I remain firmly convinced that it would be suicidal for them to, and that the South Korean to order the initiation of a war with Japan would be crazy to do it.

The point is that it is far too easy to push the right buttons between Japan and any of its neighbours.

Originally Posted by Officer of Engineers

The point is that it is far too easy to push the right buttons between Japan and any of its neighbours.

I agree, but neither side can really do much more than hurt the other.

Originally Posted by lwarmonger

I agree, but neither side can really do much more than hurt the other.

My original points remains. The US remains in both South Korea and Japan with a secondary role of stopping those two countries from starting hostilities, for whatever reasons and whatever means. For whatever threat North Korea is, they are still South Korea's brothers and sisters. Japan is the bastard who raped their mothers and work their fathers to the bone before shooting them.