Meh. So long as they have the good grace to use a green-friendly fuel, what’s the big deal? I mean, we have missiles, yes? Why shouldn’t other countries have them? To level the playing field? BECAUSE OF THE EGALITARIANISM?:
The fueling signals that the country could be in the final stages of what North Korea has said will be the launch of a satellite into space as early as this weekend, the senior U.S. military official said Wednesday.
Other U.S. military officials said the top portion of the rocket was put on very recently, but satellite imagery shows a shroud over the stage preventing a direct view of what it looks like.
The officials said the payload appears to have a “bulbous” cover, which could indicate that there is a satellite loaded on it. Such a cover protects a satellite from damage in flight.
[…]
Pentagon officials worry less about the payload and more about the launch itself, saying that any kind of launch will give the North Koreans valuable information about improving their ballistic missile program.
The United States believes that the North Koreans have the technology to hit Alaska or Hawaii with a missile and that the country is working on advancing that technology so it could hit the west coast of the United States.
And? What better way to reduce our carbon footprint than to take a hard line on all this “continental sprawl”?
After all, the Louisiana Purchase and all that Manifest Destiny stuff was the work of chauvinistic marauders with imperialist designs — an historical embarrassment on par with chattel slavery.
— And of course, don’t even get me started on those barbaric colonial outposts, Hawaii and Alaska. Should history decide that, in order to pay for our collective sins, a white hot geographical cleansing is in order, who are we to presume to stop it?
History is alive! It marches. Best to simply move out of its way, I should think.
(h/t McKittrick, who has more)
Sure would be a shame if there were an accident during the fueling.
Down is up, bad is good, tyranny is the new equality, and sarcasm = OUTLAW!
Goddam you Jeff Goldstein, screwing up my plans to take over the world…
For nearly 60 years we have been spared a nuclear holocaust simply because the powers who had nukes knew that using them would result in their own destruction. Now all bets are off. The crazies who are now acquiring nukes do not care — in fact, there are elements that would welcome near total destruction. We are fucked.
Yes we are, yokel. Never mind arguing that they’re equally fucked; from their perspective, what’s important is that we have so much farther to fall, so much more to lose.
Eat, drink, and be merry, my friends!
On the bright side, once the dust settles, we’ll all be equal. It’s the express train to socialism!
We’re only supposed to get worked up when insane warlords like Reagan and Thatcher have their fingers on the button. Now that great liberators like Kim and Ahmonnajihad are cooking up the Isotope Surprise, we’re told to be positively insouciant.
This is no laughing matter. A callow narcissist with global ambitions of tyranny now has his talons on ballistic missile technology and nuclear weapons. The world has reached a precipice.
In related news, Chairman Kim of North Korea now also has a rocket and a bomb.
I see a Malthusian population crash in our future. The current world population requires a certain minimum amount of competence, character, and rule of law in order not to plummet. Think of Zimbabwe world-wide, with no remaining source of external aid to tap.
Huh.
Starting to put together a summer reading list–
“How to Profit During the Coming Cluster-Fuck: A Beginner’s Guide for Aspiring Warlords and Robber Barons,” by Robert Mugabe.
“Who Run Bartertown?” by Hizzonor Richard J. Daley.
“Planet of the Apes,” by Pierre Boulle.
Suggestions?
Is Kim still processing oxygen? And if he isn’t, then what?
Pablo@10:
The big question. Apparently Kim did not just walk into the job after his father kicked it; there was some kind of internal struggle. On the other hand, it does not seem like a society able to change course any time soon. There is a ruling elite that thinks the existing order is just ducky. They don’t want to have to earn what they have in a meritocracy.
I just read a NYT’s article that says the Obama administration is relabeling terrorist attack to “man made disaster” Seriously.
The article started with the precious anecdote of the patriot that labeled Petraus “betrayer” Harry Reid advising Obama NOT – I repeat NOT – referring to his 20,000 troop WAR KILLING surge as a “surge”
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/03/us/politics/02web-baker.html
“And I would have gotten away with it, if it wasn’t for you meddling kids!”
Ever seen one of those “The World At Night” posters with the view from space?
NK is an ink blot surrounded by a sea of lights. The idea of them launching a “satellite” or claiming a “space program for peaceful purposes” is farcical.
OMG!!!1!!!11! A missile with a BULBOUS nose!!! That Kim is so sexy and smart! Is there nothing those Japanese can’t do? I hope our young President has the time to send him an iPod with Britney and stuff!!!!
I’ve been playing a lot of Fallout 3 lately, myself, so I’m prepared. Bring that shit on.
Did anyone see the recent report that the male population of North Korea is so damaged by starvation that a full 25% of them are incapable of being drafted for the military?
Have the Chinese said anything? Anything AT ALL?
This is their dog pissing on the rug. They might want to get a newspaper.
To steal the vital question I read somewhere on the interwebby:
“Are our violent video games doing enough to prepare our children for the upcoming apocalypse?”
Quoted from from “Zombie” of Zombietime blog fame:
The Korean War is not over. Remember that in 1953, all that was agreed to was a temporary ceasefire. Neither side surrendered, neither side won. Technically, the country is still at war.
Because of this, I propose:
North Korea is one of those illusory police states that seem fearsome, but which would crumple at the slightest touch. The best comparable example was the Iraq government and military in 1990 and then again in 2003; they were touted as the most powerful military in the Middle East, and a brutal police state, but when they ran into some real soldiers (i.e. American soldiers), they collapsed in a matter of days like a house of cards.
If we (i.e. the US and South Korea) just crashed in to North Korea and seized Pyongyang in 18 hours (which is all it would take), the North Korean government and army would disintegrate in a flash. Yes, war is horrible, invasions are bad, yadda yadda yadda, but what’s worse in condemning tens of millions of people to live in Hell for their entire lives.
What don’t we liberate North Korea. I suspect there would be tears of joys all over North Korea if we did.
Don’t be fooled into thinking the U.S. isn’t taking a hard line against this sort of thing. Defense Secretary Gates himself said that if N. Korea were to launch a missile at Hawaii, we might consider trying to shoot it down. Of course, one would have to consider whether it might offend the N. Koreans if we declined to let their payload detonate in Honolulu.
The cool thing about being Lil’Kim, is never miscuing: even if this rocket explodes on the pad, he will claim a glorious success for himself. He simply declares this is what he intended to do all along, and as such, it was perfection.
And all North Koreans must proclaim the same.
Over here, we have Obama and the MSM playing those respective parts.
Kevin: it was, as is so often the case, The Onion.
Toppling PRNK would probably be as easy as you posit, General. Their primary defense at this point seems to be the aftermath of such a move. East Germany damn near crippled West Germany after reunification. North Korea is in much worse shape (not many Germans were brain-damaged from chronic starvation, for instance), and South Korea hasn’t the capacity to absorb that kind of special-needs population. That leaves the Chinese to pick up the pieces, and so far, they haven’t shown a lot of interest.
What’s sad (and scary) is that this situation seems well-suited to a nuclear solution. It isn’t hard to imagine the talking heads on the news networks looking sad and saying, “Well, at least their long nightmare of suffering is over.”
Smiles, everyone! Smiles!
Sherman, the problem is that the Norks have a conservative estimate of 15000 artillery pieces dug into granite sighted in on Seoul. I used to live in Montgomery AL, home of the Air War College. Most of the theoretical ways of dealing with that concentration of artillery involved 2-3 days of saturation bombardment with tac nukes. If we want to write off 8 million civilians plus a lot of our troops, we can attack NK. So far, no one has wanted to make that trade.
Little Kim laments
Our dealings with NK are an example of what life would be like with Iran, the only difference being Little Kim has just a remnant of reptilian rationality to understand to survive he can’t actually trigger a war. Iranian leaders, so convinced that their 12th Iman will decend from heaven, are not so restricted.
with Iran having a nuke I should have added.
If it can hit San Francisco, why are we concerned?
While there are still newspapers to be had…
Well, if NK nukes Wasilla, then he’s done us a favor, right?
Right?
Damn snowbillies as just asking for it.
“Planet of the Apes,†by Pierre Boulle.
If it can hit San Francisco, why are we concerned?
Does anyone remember this sequel?
Personally, I find myself wistfully longing for San Francisco taken out, with Berkeley and Oakland bathed in “the holy fallout”. I am in the San Joaquin Valley and digging my fallout shelter.
Personally, I find myself wistfully longing for San Francisco taken out, with Berkeley and Oakland bathed in “the holy falloutâ€.
Thanks for that. Now I don’t feel quite so bad about wishing the guys on Flight 93 had let the hijackers crash into Congress…
I’m really glad that potassium iodide doesn’t go bad.
It never takes long for you racists to start talking about nuking some brown people.
Welcome back to Kipling’s World.
It should be interesting. I think Japan has gone into defense posture. And while they are demographically collapsing and more interested in creating robots than children, I wouldn’t want to punch the reset button on those samurai whack-mobiles. The post-war veneer can be ripped, like anything else made by humans.
Humans can become surprisingly violent, and the Obama diplomatic corps has shown that it can’t handle gift-giving; I doubt it could handle anything more violent.
#17 N. O’Brain:
They are capable of being minesweepers, a practice that Iran pioneered in. The Norks get rid of the weak and use up an opponent’s ammunition in the process.
“I think Japan has gone into defense posture.”
They are going to rearm sooner or later. God love ’em they are our friends…now. Last time they had a shitload of planes, ships and guns my older male relatives were all out fighting them.
LTC John:
The Japanese MDSF is fitting out a ‘helicopter destroyer’ with a full flight deck. No ski-jump on the plans, but refits are refits.
13500 tons – can you say ‘Invincible type’?
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/japan/ddh-x-pics.htm
y kamikazee pilots wear helmets?
old joke i know
so solly
i am filled with shame
All of this is assuming that the Obama staffers, the ones who haven’t quite unpacked yet, know more about the Defense Department than they do about the State Department.
Don’t go nishi on us, pdbuttons.
For the love of all that is good, please don’t.
(PS: The helmet is to protect the pilot on his way to the target – he has to get there first, you know.)
;)
Umm, geoffb?
I don’t think they know anything about anything. But they are smart! They are Ivy league! They are the best and brightest and know how things ought to be! Such as, they are real bitchin’ on ‘Guitar Hero’.
(BTW – how’s it going? I just surfaced from an avalanche of stuff I was totally not expecting (or scheduled) to work on. Did you know that – theoretically speaking, of course – no amount of reorganizing can make up for lack of bodies and budget? I look out with a mix of bemusement and horror and just embrace the suck.)
sorry/ my sis is visiting[ in case anybody cares]
she works 4 some Big global concern
flys around the world firing people
and dyes her hair diff every time
beware the candy apple red…
can u fire ur brother?
i fucking hope not….
Mikey NTH, will email you soon.
I based the ‘Guitar Hero’ comment on an article I read about his twenty-something speechwriter who would slam out the teleprompter content in between rockin’ sessions rockin’ out. That and fondling cardboard cutouts of political personages.
“Duuuuuude”
I think I have the t-shirt somewhere.
Mikey,
My Uncle Jack’s DSC citation:
DUNN, JACK DEVORE
Citation:
The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Jack DeVore Dunn, Sergeant, U.S. Army Air Forces, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving as Aerial Engineer and Gunner on a B-26 Medium Bomber of the 18th Reconnaissance Squadron, 22d Bombardment Group (M), FAR EAST Air Force (Detached), in aerial action against enemy surface forces on 4 June 1942, during an engagement near Midway Island. Sergeant Dunn participated in an extremely hazardous and difficult torpedo-bombing mission against the Japanese Navy. He displayed extraordinary heroism throughout the attack in fighting off many enemy fighters during and after the attack. By his skilled airmanship and courageousness he materially aided in the success of the first torpedo attack ever carried out by the Army Air Forces. The personal courage and devotion to duty displayed by Sergeant Dunn on this occasion have upheld the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, the Far East Air Force, and the United States Army Air Forces.
Headquarters: Hawaiian Department, U.S. Army, General Orders No. 117 (1942)
Home Town: Monktoo, Maryland
I’d rather not have anyone in the family ever have to face armed Japanese again, thanks.
I read a W.E.G. Griffin novel that featured a Pilot named Dunn in WWII. Do you know if he based that on your Uncle LTC John?
“North Korea is fueling rocket, U.S. military saysâ€
I’m busy.
WHY CAN’T YOU PEOPLE JUST LET ME EAT MY WAFFLES?
HEY the IPOD is downloading funny
router: Python or Richard Pryor?
I’m busy.
Yeah, busy kowtowing to the King of Saudi Arabia.
So, figure he’ll be lubing up with Abu Bukhoosh or Arab Extra Light for the informal “talks” later on?
Maybe Venezuelan Cerro Negro (I denounce myself) to score brownie points (I denounce myself again) for a future meeting with Hugo Chavez.
LTC John:
Holy moley! He was a crewman on one of the B-26 Marauders that made a torpedo attack at Midway? I salute him. Really, I do.
BTW – I wouldn’t want to face armed Japanese either, and if China doesn’t I would suggest that they put a leash on the Norks plenty pronto.
“I think Japan has gone into defense posture.â€
They are going to rearm sooner or later. God love ‘em they are our friends…now. Last time they had a shitload of planes, ships and guns my older male relatives were all out fighting them.
Yep. This is our trump card if the Chinese don’t rein in their pet. We’ll unshackle the enemy they’ve never gotten over psychologically. I suspect the Chinese will do just about anything to prevent the Japanese from becoming a nuclear-armed state.
Hu’s our bitch now?
48 – unknown. Uncle Jack got a DFC too. I know of the original crews he started with, his and one other survived and all two dozen of the others were killed. He talked but a little about his experiences.
54 – Mikey, and after that he got to continue fighting in the Solomons too. That was a real “all in for the duration” war. I don’t think he came back and trained other flight crew until 1944.
Looks like the bubble president has another burst bubble to deal with.
The relative lack of provocation from NK during Bush’s term and the renewed faith in American deterrence that Bush’s enforcement of the UN’s security council’s resolutions produced define a 7-year old “peace bubble.”
Well, it looks like that bubble has popped now, too. As any toddler who has frolicked in a soapy bathtub can tell you, bubbles pop. And if you like pretty, air-borne bubbles, then you have to blow new ones; you can’t just patch-up the old ones and blow them up again.
So, President Bubble will have to lather up and start huffing anew. Bush used the Marines, but, Obama’ll use Hillary: he’s so bubbl-icious, dontcha know?
And Iran’s next up to play chicken with the Prophet of Peace, the lightbringer, the black all father.
Any guesses on who swerves first- funny mustachio’d terrorist who believes that the end of the world will mean paradise, or Obama, whose balls have yet to drop ?
#59
Are those my only choices?
#57 LTC John:
When I was a member of a Kiwanis Club in Dearborn there was (and still is, if the newsletter is correct) a member who was an Iwo Jima marine. Nicest guy you could ever meet. Same with the member who landed at Normandy.
My late Uncle Fred had a friend who pre-deceased him. He was one of Merrill’s Marauders. Again – nicest guy you could ever meet. At the VFW Hall he would say that he was in something like the ‘354th Messkit and Canteen Repair Company’. Never talked about it as far as I know.
McKittrick? Is that like, Home of the WOPR?
Holy crap. It is.