The new old war in Korea

[Lissa]

Well, it's not really a new war, it's a war that has never concluded.

As to what's going on, NK is wanting attention again, they don't think they're getting as much play on the world stage as they think they should. Thing is, if this does come to blows, China may tell NK that they're on their own this time. China is annoyed quite a bit with NK.

What will happen next is anyone's guess, but no matter what NK does right now, they're in a lose lose situation.

I would think that China will do what is in the best interest of China, and not really care about world reaction this time. No one will mount an opposition to China. I think it might still be a toss up as to whether China will shrug, or get involved. If they do get involved, then it would be stale-mate again.

Thing is, China's quite annoyed with Pyongyang has been doing. China has told them in so many words to shape up or get no help. Pyongyang refuses to shape up, so China will just let them twist in the wind. Besides, if KJI is stupid enough to attack and NK gets beat down, that's one less nuclear armed state near China that China needs to worry about (and yes, China does not like that NK has nukes, not one bit).

You are right about the lose - lose situation in NK. They are really just China's crazy tool, which occasionally get used to beat up the Asian market for China's gain. I read an article in the Guardian about this perhaps being Obama's war mistake, just as Iraq was Bush's war mistake.

They haven't been listening to China for most of the past decade. Since they refuse to listen to China and pose a potential threat (because of their Nukes), China won't stand up for them.

And like Jester said, if NK fires the first shot, this is a defensive action by the US and would be looked on favorably by the US populous much as Afghanistan is far more favorably looked upon by the US populous than Iraq.