The War without Financial Gain: A Look Into the Troubles of North Korea
The political dispute between US and North Korea has slowly emerged to defy what some have characterized as the emergence of the cold war dispute between the old guard (US) and the off-shoots of the old Communist-bloc (North Korea). The emergence of the “nuclear deterrence doctrine” has proliferated the United States foreign policy towards one of the last standing communist regimes in the present day. The escalation of hostility between the US and Pyongyang has increased throughout the last few years and has incited anti-communist and anti-imperialist rhetoric between these two nations.
President Trump has repeatedly claimed that Kim Jong Un has defied the UN brokered agreement by testing long range missiles and the development of its nuclear program, etc. In a recent speech in the UN, President trump asserted that the world faced a “great peril” from “rogue regimes” and called on fellow UN leaders to join the United States in the fight to defeat what he called failed or ‘murderous ideologies ‘and “loser terrorists.”
Kim Jong Un on the other hand has responded to the UN speech by characterizing Trump as a “mentally deranged U.S. retard” who had “denied the existence of and insulted me and my country in front of the eyes of the world.”
“mentally deranged U.S. retard” who had “denied the existence of and insulted me and my country in front of the eyes of the world.”
What is the current political climate and what can be achieved thru a war between the US and North Korea?
In the previous U.S. backed wars, disputes between countries and the US have resulted in the economic gain of natural resources from oil rich countries, typically involving some form of remuneration to the US and UN backed countries. However in North Korea the ‘spoils of war’ are quite different in comparison to the previous conflicts. According to the Central Intelligence Agency, North Korea’s GDP is approximately $40 billion (2015 est.), however per cap. (meaning per person) it’s approximately $1,700 (2015 est.). Throughout the mid 1990’s, the country was stricken with widespread famine and starvation. The international community (UN back countries) provided foreign aid and food assistance however according to the CIA, a “large portion of the population continues to suffer from prolonged malnutrition and poor living conditions”.
“large portion of the population continues to suffer from prolonged malnutrition and poor living conditions”.
As such, North Korea due to its current economic climate and lack of natural resources is a costly war without significant geopolitical gains. Its proximity to China and its isolation over the last decade may prove to be a very costly war to the US and UN sanctioned countries. If North Korea is invaded and occupied by the UN, the land size gained of 120,408 sq. km is slightly larger than Virginia; slightly smaller than Mississippi. Here’s a summary of what could be gained by the invasion of North Korea
1) Decrepit and outdated Military Equipment- Perfect for the Army Surplus Store’s Inventory
2) New Markets for Americanized Products- Unfortunately, the North Korean population has been brainwashed with Anti-American sentiment and may be hesitant to purchase from McDonald's and Starbucks
3) Closer Proximity and Access to China – The strategic position to China would have been useful about 50 years ago, however since the cold war, US and China relations have steadily improved, whereby the return of Hong Kong has resulted in China’s GDP increasing 3-4x since 1996. In light of China’s very high population, etc., the growth is a significant development.
4) A Swarm of New Refugees- A new class of refugees likely bombarding our social welfare system and criticizing the cost of home ownership, etc.
The advent of the internet and wars fought typically out of the battlefield means that the propaganda machines of both US and North Korea depict one another as the purveyors of evil, etc. Who knows if there is an actual war taking place, for all we know, the 2 countries could have great diplomatic relations with one another and the hostilities with one another is an attempt to gain support for the leaders diplomatic agendas in their own countries respectively. Nothing but war brings a divided country together, however can have the opposite effect if the war is not won quickly (longer duration of the war typically bring anti-war sentiment).
