Earlier North Korea unveiled 'game-changer' ballistic missiles during a display of the country's military might
Gordon G. Chang, Daily Beast: How North Korea Could Start World War III
A complex, ever-changing situation in North Asia could lead to simultaneous conflict in Europe and both ends of Asia—just like it did in 1914.
Kim Jong Un, the North Korean supremo, traveled to Beijing last week at the invitation of Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. President Donald Trump saw the visit as a good sign, but he’s undoubtedly wrong to be optimistic.
In fact, an invigoration of the China-North Korea alliance, a possible result of the officially “unofficial” meeting, makes this time resemble the hinge year of 1914.
The hallmark of this moment, like then, is a rapidly changing situation. In recent weeks, North Korea has transformed itself from isolated pariah to the driver of events. Kim has met with Xi and will soon talk to Moon Jae-in, the South Korean president, and Trump. Japan’s prime minister, Shinzo Abe, is angling for a summit as well.
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WNU Editor: Gordon G. Change's view on how North Korea could start a world war .... and the role of China in it .... is in my opinion very unlikely to happen. China's main focus is on trade .... a war on the Korean peninsula would completely destabilize world trade patterns and in turn it will destabilize the Chinese economy. This is the last thing that the government of Beijing wants right now .... and I would also say the same for Russia who is dependent on a China that is growing and continuing to buy Russian commodities.
yes. they could. so too Bolton and US
ReplyDeleteOK, Fred.
ReplyDeleteSo could a bad haircut.
Point is, if we look back at history, wars, and even world wars (the first) were started over small things, like one guy being shot, one bomb going off, one assassination etc. So it COULD absolutely happen. Why? Because humans are not rationale people and we are terrible at assessing complex situations, especially when there are "unknown unknowns" as Rumsfeld would put it. ;)
People have gone to war for far less, and, WNU, your argument that China is concerned about trade and focuses on that only doesn't even hold up for a second. Do you think South China Sea aggressions are all about trade? In Asia, a lot has to do with "saving face", I am sure you know that expression. Push either country too far and they will go apeshit on you. That's part of human nature.