DEBATEitOUT.comHave Your Voice Heard, 24/7.

Yeah, North Korea is more of a threat to China than to the United States. Of course I can see why Japan and South Korea might feel a bit threatened.

America is the big kid on the playground.

Not on that playground we aren't.

There is only one playground, and that's the Earth.

East Asia has a very big kid on that block. With a lot more shove to deliver to North Korea anyway. Many conflicts are resolved best within regional power structures. And China has no more incentives to let DPRK militantly run its country, rattle its sabres, and get some nukes, than we do.

Sun Tzu, you need to stop agreeing with me on things, otherwise I'll lose my drive to show you up and prove you wrong.

No. Never has been.

N. Korea is a real threat to Japan. Always has been, and always will be. This feud goes back several hundred years.

Just my not-so-humble opinion.

I haven't seen you doing either yet.

Wait for another social conservative issue to arise. I'm confident you'll have something to say.

Everyone is a threat and we are always the target.

Just to be clear I am not accusing you of being a social conservative yourself.

But you've only seen fit to argue over two social conservative issues and your stances on various other cultural matters (which I tend to find too subjective to argue extensively over) lend me to believe that this tendency toward provocation and argumentation will only surface on cultural and conservative matters. And not so much with economic and foreign policy.

I do not understand this attitude. Would you kindly explain it to me?

Seeing as N. Korea hasn't actually even DONE anything to ANYONE yet, I don't think they're a threat to anyone- beyond the standard 'threat' that every nation (including the US) is, of course.

Technically they have done some things which are considered a belligerent and threatening nature, firing missiles into the ocean by Japan, conducting paramilitary raids into South Korea, and there was a war there about 50-60 years ago. But the idea that they're posing any danger to US security, and not to US "interests", ie foreign allies, is fairly absurd.

I am aware there was a war, I just don't understand why that, or any subsequent events were our business at all. (I firmly believe Korea was an unconstitutional preemptive action on our part.) N Korea may pose threats to Japan, but we're not Japan.

I think it was valid by the use of international agreements, more so than Vietnam at least. But it probably wasn't the best use of our forces, particularly in light of the various internationalist theories (domino theory for example) it spawned that subsequently entrapped us into the Vietnam War. The reason I'd say it was fine is that there doesn't appear to be an indication that it was a war of independence against colonialism in the same way that Vietnam was. ROK in the 50s wasn't exactly perceived as an illegitimate and non-independent government for example, in this sense it was more like Kuwait.

I would agree though, Japan is more than capable of dealing with the threat themselves. They have the 5th largest military budget last I checked. The ROK as well is around 13th with a budget about 5 still about times that of North Korea. I think our interest in stability of global trade and historical alliances there mean that we can play a significant role in continued stability, but it seems clear that these regional powers, along with China, are in a better position to control the situation and declare their stated interests on their own. Let them handle it, they have far more incentives to keep the situation from getting out of hand than we ever will. A forceful interference now is more likely to be perceived as a heavy and unwanted hand.

I agree totally.