Will Global Nuclear War Start in Korea?

North Korea threatens nuclear war as South Korea begins military exercises.  South Korea began five days of live fire drills yesterday and North Korea warns that naval exercises that are being run simultaneously by the South could trigger nuclear war.  North Korea enjoys the military backing of China while tens of thousands of American troops guard the demilitarized zone for the South.  Dennis Blair, the former director of National Intelligence, is predicting that there will be a “hot war.”  So what does this mean for the United States?

When the United States came to South Korea’s aid in June of 1950, the ensuing three years of conflict cost us 54,256 American lives, 103,284 wounded, and $18 billion.  And what was the final result? The line between North and South Korea was reestablished pretty much where it was before the start of the war as a part of an armistice which has resulted in a shaky peace at best to date, as evidenced by the fact that North Korea shelled South Korea just a few weeks ago.

The South Korean people are shouting for war.  Do you think maybe our Pentagon will give the American people a chance to vote on whether they want to be slaughtered for the Korean cause?  Well, they didn’t the first time.  The United States has a mutual defense treaty with South Korea which might seem like a bad idea in hindsight.  Note:  China has a mutual defense treaty with North Korea.

Frankly I was wondering what was being discussed at the G20 Summit in Seoul a month ago, I guess we are about to find out.  The demilitarized zone, which divides North and South Korea, is only about thirty miles from the capital of South Korea.  All that really needs to happen is for North Korea to lob a few artillery rounds into Seoul and the party can begin.

I don’t want to come off as one of those peace loving hippies, but doesn’t this whole scenario sound a little deranged?  It was not that long ago that the prospect of nuclear war was considered unconscionable by anyone who understood what it entailed.  Yet as I was listening to news reports on this issue, the nuclear aspect was being depicted as a casual consequence.

So, it was $18 billion back in 1950, we’ll call it a trillion in today’s dollars.  I guess we will have to borrow it from China.  Do you think they will lend it to us?  Probably.