BBC in North Korea

[xrayzebra]

"he same thing couldn't be happening in Islamic countries...could it"

Perhaps, but religion is the strongest, most mind-clouding opiate. ex: 50% of Americans believe that evolutionary theory is false. Millions of American believe the Bible is literally true, scientifically accurate.

When so much of "free, educated, high-tech, fat-ass wealthy" America has been hoodwinked by religious nuttiness into a modern Dark Ages, there is little chance that poor, primitive people socially arrested at the tribal stage will go cold-turkey will "de-program" themselves and throw off Islam-fascist oppression, with or without America's ham-handed "help". (Surely you right-wingers have memorized Repub Reagans' "9 scariest words" sound-bite?)

While head and rummy chase some 1-in-million neo-con dreamy pre-occupation with democratizing Iraq-as-example, all other efforts against protecting the US from terrorism, and attacking the root causes of WHY America is attacked, are abandoned.

"same beast...POWER"

Yes, but power seeking though hypnotizing, programming people with "religion" is quite different from power driven by taking of land or simple military muscle flexing. Religion is powerful enough to create suicide bombers, while mere land-grabbing and war-mongering is meant to keep the power-seekers alive to enjoy the fruits of the power seeking. The religious suicide bombers will simply "out-crazy" the materialistic power seekers.

Same BS, always the same. Like looking at the loop on TV.

[boutons]

"Remember the 25,000 body bags that would be needed in order to topple Saddam Hussein?"

If you're using the Gulf War and the Iraqi Bull War to measure the toughness and efficiency of the US military, bad measuring stick. The Iraqi army contested neither war seriously, mostly "melted away", so both wars were effectively cakewalks and/or the CIA/US military horribly inflated the Iraqi army capabilities (no surprise there).

A country's military capability is based on its industrial strength, and NK has no industrial strength. It wouldn't tax the US military much more than Iraq to defeat NK "non-nuclearly".

NK's nukes are, as they for any country, the "cheap" military option since nukes are much cheaper than real, broad military strength (men, training, equipment, weapons, ships, planes, logistics) requires huge expeditures ($450B/year for USA). And the US's $450B is still not enough to conduct even the "easily won" Iraqi war and occupation successfully (not enough soldiers, not enough/correct equipment).

[SWC Bonfire]

North Korea has a HUGE army. Soldiers are cheap and expendable there.

[Yonivore]

North Korea has a HUGE army. Soldiers are cheap and expendable there.

But not in infinite supply and not necessarily willing to fight.

I'm reminded of how those Iraqi Republican Guard soldiers (the ones that weren't buried by high-al ude B-52 carpet bombings during the first Gulf War) were absolutely stepping on one another to surrender -- for a hot meal and better treatment that was available from their own government.

[boutons]

"Soldiers are cheap and expendable there"

As we can see in the US deaths in Iraq, soldiers without the correct protection and machines, soldiers are vulnerable. I doubt the NK army could even be fed for 2 months, or if their logistics could deliver the food if it existed, let alone supplied with weapons, ammunition, air support, and fuel.

Even UK didn't have the logistics to go after Argentina in the Falklands/Malouinas. Without US fuel, the UK navy was dead in the water.

air power? air defenses? informations systems? GMAFB. NK has nothing anywhere near the US's capabilities. Their millions of men in uniform are nothing but sitting ducks/cannon fodder for the US military, to be splattered all over east Asia.

[RandomGuy]

No, you're dealing with the same beast...POWER.

Very correct.

Governments in islamic countries have less to do with religion so much as clinging to power. This includes Iran to a fair degree as well.

[Yonivore]

Very correct.

Governments in islamic countries have less to do with religion so much as clinging to power. This includes Iran to a fair degree as well.

And, in the case of Muslim theocracies, they use the compelling vehicle of zealous adherance to religious doctrine in order to maintain control over their minions.

If the minions ever discovered their Mullahs were full of , places like Iran would self-destruct...in fact, Iran is having a bit of a struggle with its western-influence young adults right now.