What does North Korea want?

NORTH KOREA HAS SHORT AND LONG TERM GOALS

REDUCTION OF U.S. PRESENCE IN AREA ULTIMATE GOAL

 

 

The escalation in tensions with North Korea is directly tied to the annual joint military exercises with South Korea and Japan. These exercises are to be conducted later this month. Both China and North Korea have protested these joint exercises every year. China has also been at odds with the U.S. over their adding military bases in the south China sea. One must wonder if North Korea is not just China's pit bull who is trained to bark and intimidate at China's request. While the short term goal is to attempt to have the U.S. suspend these military exercises their long term goal is to reunite Korea under the political system of the North.

 

If you look at the record, North Korea has been in almost continuous negotiations on nuclear and missile testing for decades. All the while they have been improving both their nuclear arsenal and their missile technology. They have also been sharing this technology with Iran and Yemen. Does anyone doubt they would provide nuclear technology to Terrorists? While many claim that Kim Jung Un and his ancestors are mentally unbalanced, this is very unlikely. It seems there has been a consistent tenacious goal to intimidate and weaken the U.S. support for South Korea and Japan.

 

North Korea is the most brutal regime in existence today. They really have no redeeming qualities. They far exceed all middle east dictators and may even surpass the Stalin dictatorship. China is still a communist dictatorship fashioned after the system of the old Soviet Union. We may have actually fulfilled Khrushchev's prediction that communists would "sell the west the rope to hang themselves." We have helped to create a potential adversary by financing their expansion by our trade and technology transfers. While they have liberalized their domestic economy and their people do have more freedom than in the past, there is still the potential that it could all disappear in an instant.

 

While Trump has voiced his intention to possibly limit the trade deficits with China and push for a more balanced trade and financial relationship with China, it remains to be seen if he will be able to overcome those in our own country who profit greatly by the present relationship. This present crisis may very well be a crossroads in the future of the far east. We must be focused on the long range stakes that are at risk.