Posted on 03/22/2018 5:55:12 AM PDT by Kaslin
North Korea has befuddled the United States and its Asian allies ever since North Korean leader Kim Il Sung launched the invasion of South Korea in June 1950.
Prior to the attack, the United States had sent inadvertent signals that it likely would not protect South Korea in the event of an unexpected invasion from the north. Not surprisingly, a war soon followed.
Gen. Douglas MacArthur, after leading a brilliant landing at Inchon in September 1950, chased the communists back north of the 38 parallel. In hot pursuit, MacArthur gambled that the Chinese would not invade, as he sought to conquer all of North Korea and unite the peninsula.
As MacArthur barreled northward to the Chinese border during the fall of 1950, the landscaped widened. American supply lines lengthened. MacArthur's forces thinned. The weather worsened. The days shortened.
Conventional wisdom had been that the Chinese would not invade, given America's near nuclear monopoly and likely air superiority. But in November 1950, what eventually would become nearly a million-man Chinese army did just that, pouring southward into the Korean peninsula.
The Chinese and North Koreans pushed the American and United Nations forces past the Demilitarized Zone at the 38th parallel. In January 1951, the communists retook Seoul after forcing the longest American military retreat in U.S. history.
With the arrival of military genius Gen. Matthew Ridgway, the U.S. regrouped. In early 1951, Western troops retook Seoul and drove communist forces back across the 38th Parallel. But despite continued success, Western forces chose not to reinvade the north and reunite the country.
(Excerpt) Read more at townhall.com ...
The main fault lies with former President Bill Clinton, Mad Albright, State Dept. total failure, Wendy Sherman (who was the chief negotiator for Albright) in the long, drawn out negotiations to prevent the NORKs from obtaining Nuclear weapons.
This identical mistake was done yet again, incredibly during the Obama, Hillary Clinton, Wendy Sherman (again!) and John “Dunce” Kerry years when failing with the Iranians for their Nuclear agreement.
How can such intelligent people, such educated and bright people fall for the same trick, time and time again?
They serve a different master.
educated and bright are two entirely different qualities ...
Miseducated. Intentionally.
Unfortunately, this is a false premise. You are presuming that they are 'falling for the same trick' and not actually interested in obtaining the same ends as the enemy.
Wars are won by the generals and lost by the politicians.
They don’t care. All these federal employees want is a paycheck. They could careless about the USA.
I think the main fault lies with president Truman and the democrats who were in charge of congress during his administration.
Vietnam comes to mind.
There are other lessons from History that can be learned as well.
Reagan ran the Soviet Union out of money and it collapsed. Trump is effectively working toward a similar end (albeit on a much smaller scale). Of course this situation is different in that China, Iran and Russia may work to prop up NK if it gets too bad (which we hope it would). None of them want NK to go away completely or “collapse” (whatever that looks like).
To avoid a final war with NK, there must be a coup of sorts within Dear Leader’s regime. That coup must have military leadership backing from someone or people that are “trusted”. An effective evil dictator ensures that NOBODY trusts ANYBODY, for fear of their very lives. It keeps everybody in line. Nobody whispers about certain ideas for fear of being turned in.
In this way, a coup can only “begin” with a national crisis or event that is internationally known and broadcasted.
Example - If several high ranking officials, including Kim, happened to be assassinated on the same day, confusing the entire national chain of command, the people of NK would discuss it and come together, one way or another. They would unite. NK would change (not sure for better or worse, but only war would be worse).
The risk -—> An event like that may rattle the anxious nation and they could launch a strike in desperation and confusion to actually trigger military response and war.
My $.02
Money.
Huge mistake.
Your $.02 is plausible.
I don’t think we have a history of misjudging North Korea. We do have a history of being a wuss for North Korea.
Ridgway saved MacArthur from humiliation.
p
Sounds like Iraq and Kuwait. What parties were in charge at these times?
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