But what would that look like? What's "verifiable evidence"?
They have ICBM-like rockets.
Supposedly, they have "small" nukes that could conceivably fit into one of their rockets.
They are shouting threatening words.
Outside of actually firing an armed ICBM-like rocket towards our coast, or into South Korea, what is "preparing to strike"?
Like with many things as of late, people are allowing their hatred of Trump to cloud their good sense.
What do we have here. We have a belligerent country who has acquired nuclear and intercontinental missile capability. This country's leader has been known to be, politely put, erratic. This country is stating that it will perform what essentially is a mock missile attack with it's missiles landing just a handful of miles outside Guam's territorial waters. Its flight path will invade Japanese airspace and will put numerous commercial vessels and planes whose flight paths cross the intended course at great risk.
Now seeing as they gave a heads up on what they intend to do, we can safely assume (relatively) that this is a test of their capabilities and not an actual attack. However, this is clearly a provocation and a reckless act. What I'm concerned about is an unintended outcome of this test. Another thing that concerns me which no one seems to be speaking about is that NK got awful advanced awfully quick. The obvious conclusion to be drawn is that they're being helped. So, who is helping them?
Back to the question at hand, let's say that the missile lands 5km off the coast and not 30-40km as was announced. When it breaks that threshold, what happens? We do nothing? What if it strikes a merchant vessel? Takes out a plane? Hits Guam did center? or Okinawa? However unlikely it may be -- that threshold being broke or any of the other scenarios doesn't mean they've miscalculated.
It could very well be an intended faux pas. With Kim running into papa Xi Jinping's lap and saying "I didn't mean it dada, I didn't mean it..it was an accident..." all the while knowing damn good and well he did, but now has political cover with China.
We have a Press full of braying asses in opposition to Trump questioning every thing he does, damn near seditious bastards roaming the halls of Congress not wanting to make a decision one way or the other because their political lives are on the line should they make the wrong decision, a China emboldened saying, "ah ta ta, wait a minute, it was an accident, don't do anything rash" and a smirking little ****box sticking his tongue out when papa Xi isn't looking laughing at Trump and the United States for being ineffectual, limp-wrested cowards of their own making. And why? Because people aren't grown up enough to accept that the President is the President and that's the end of it.
So what I'm saying is people need to really think about this and not just knee-jerk react.
All this hullabaloo about "OMG, OMG TRUMP HAS THE NUCLEAR CODES?!?!?!?!? CHRIST ALMIGHTY!!! NO, NO NO!!!!" needs to calm down.
First and foremost, protocol for nuclear weapons is a two man gig starting with the President of the United States and it has to be seconded by the Secretary of Defense. It then does down the line in two man teams that have to be in agreement all the way down to the 2 men with their hands on the keys getting ready to turn. So everyone needs to really chill with that crap.
Second, if nothing becomes of this and everything goes off as planned I would tell Xi that he needs to check his boy. ASAP. I would tell China that they are enabling this behavior and as is known pretty much everywhere the responsibility of the child falls on the parent. Therefore we will hold China personally responsible for Kim's actions and demand his removal. They can put whatever puppet they like in his place but him and the NK nuclear and missile program has to go away for good.
I would offer Putin a NATO drawback pulling out of eastern Europe if he successfully applies pressure to his strategic partner Xi to see that Kim is removed. This allows Putin the opportunity to show his genuine intentions to work with the West. (we can always put them back under some pretense at a later date if relations sour)
Should they decline this gesture then we congratulate Japan and South Korea on becoming the proud owners of a dozen or so of America's finest nuclear missiles.
Now Putin nor Xi will find the stick acceptable and it will escalate, but in the end the object is to make it more painful for Kim to stay in power than it is beneficial.
As I've unintentionally written a book here, I'll leave it at that.
