Monday, February 27, 2012

Current Event #18: North Korea’s New Leader: Ready for Battle

Current Event #18: North Korea’s New Leader: 

Ready for Battle

This undated photo shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, left, with a senior military officer at an undisclosed location.

Due: Friday, March 2, 2012

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, states that his country is ready to fight a war with the United States and its ally South Korea if need be. Recent dialogue ended last Friday, with little visible signs of any progress having been made between the two countries. Friday’s talks were the first high-level talks since the death of North Korea's longtime leader, Kim Jong Il, in December and the transition of power to his youngest son, Kim Jong Un. The former leader’s death placed an uncertainty around the U.S. plans for renewed diplomacy with North Korea. The negotiations of North Korea’s nuclear program and the resumption of the U.S. food assistance have now been placed on hold or influx until Kim Jong Un speaks.

What You Will Do:

After reading the following article: http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/27/world/asia/north-korea-tensions/index.html?hpt=wo_c1 , you will need to answer the following questions in complete sentences to form detailed paragraphs to discuss your points of view. Please be direct and specific as you proceed in answering each question surround the current international dilemma.

1.      Should the U.S. take precautionary measure to prepare to go to war with North Korea?

2.      Do you think these actions taken by Kim Jong Un, should be taken lightly or if they are his way of seeking attention as a new leader?

3.      What are your thoughts on the United States and South Korea holding regular military drills?

76 comments:

  1. Elijah Moore
    2ndPeriod

    The announcement of North Korea being ready to go to war with the United States, to me, came out of the blue. Yes no matter where the threat comes from, we should take precaution to every credible threat out there. I do believe this is a way to seek attention from the new leader as a way to make himself known. However I don't believe that we should take his words lightly, especially if he is even considering nuclear warfare.

    I am definitely against countries holding drills to harvest uranium, just because I see it as a way to raise tension between the other countries and has a ,very bad, backup plan to win a war. Im very surprised that North Korea has put himself out like that. I think it is a way to say "We have the power to take on one of the most powerful countries in the world"

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  2. Huibo Qi
    P-2

    Precautionary actions are always optional but are very useful. North Korea appears to be aggressive and despite the negotiations before, they are under a new leadership with a different set of rules. If we are caught off guard, then the results would be very severe.

    I think Kim Jong Un is trying to make a very strong impression for North Korea. It must be challenging to live up to his father’s expectations, and this must be Kim’s way of saying that he is not a lesser man and his country is as strong as ever. His threats should not be taken lightly, since I imagine the information on him cannot determine whether he will make a good leader. The change in leadership is a change in the country, and Kim’s experiences may not be substantial, making him unpredictable. Yes, this may be his way of seeking attention, but it may not be an idle threat.

    The regular military drills between the United States and South Korea seems to have reflected a negative nature upon North Korea. I can understand how they see it as a provocation for war. One of their military units already attacked a South Korean island. The obvious options for both the US and South Korea is to either quit or continue their military collaboration. If they continued, it may provoke more attacks or ensue in another war. If they quit, it would appear that they are afraid of North Korea and make them look weak. Personally, I think temporarily quitting the military drills is a wise decision, but it can be easily deciphered as a cowardly choice.

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  3. "The way the West fights its wars is distinctive and coldly efficient, and you can trace a common tradition that began with the Greek phalanx... and continued with the American landings at Normandy and Iwo Jima. First, war is openly declared. Then soldiers go into battle under banners or in uniform, with weapons visible, in massive force. The fighting aims to overwhelm the enemy and achieve a clear, decisive victory as soon as possible. The war ends with a formal peace treaty." - Matthew White, from The Great Big Book of Horrible Things

    Mr. White is correct, and his hypothesis applies to every single American war throughout history, including Korea. We, as Westerners, having signed a peace treaty are convinced that the Korean War is in fact over. The North Koreans, on the other hand, view it as a respite, a break from the action and a time to rearm and regroup. If they don't have their way from the United Nations and South Korea, there will be another war. In fact, if I had my way there would be another war, but we'll get to that. Whether or not Kim Jong Un's war machine is capable of taking on the United States and literally the entire world in the form of the UN is irrelevant so long as the UN continues to be a group of pushover, cigar-smoking, turtleneck-wearing Europeans and vodka-drinking neototalitarian Russians and Caucasians, they will continue to give in to any ridiculous demand from a backwards country that can't even feed its own goddamn people without any trouble other than some frivolous economic sanctions. Sanctions, for Christ's sake! North Korea doesn't export anything other than threats or import anything other than free food and kidnapping victims; why should they be affected?

    Juche, which translates roughly to "self reliance," is the North Korean state philosophy which holds that the interests of the state are paramount and those of individuals are negligible. This, combined with an army-first policy, has created a state that exists only for itself and its hereditary monarchs.

    Back to the violence. The North Korean army would be smashed in any attack, as they were during the Korean War. The real issue at hand is one of the United States vs. China, again, as it was during the Korean War. A somewhat weakened United States against a China that has grown domestically but lost the support of and, indeed, the existence of, the Soviet Union would be a fair fight in my book. (American forces nearly won the Korean War, and they could've, but we gave up like we did in 'Nam and are doing in Iraq and Afghanistan.) I predict that the Russians would join our side, or perhaps form their own with the former Soviet Union. Iran and the 'stans would probably join with China, and Europe would sit it out and smoke with the exceptions of the English and the Germans. World War 3, maybe; war, certainly.

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    Replies
    1. As a Chinese person, I seriously doubt China will join with the Koreans. China is heavily dependent on the US for business, and joining with a side that has a smaller army and weaker technology does not seem like something China would do. Yes, we did it back then, but back then Mao was in charge, and Mao was an idiot.

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  4. Ye Htet
    2nd period

    I actually expected N.K. to put out something like this. After playing Homefront everything made sense. North Korea is also a country that can wage war against a huge power like the U.S. but still make it fear. N.K. has a lot of nuclear weapons and yes, I do think the U.S. should be cautious and actually do something that will prepare us for war if there is going to be one. This time it's not really the U.S. messing with some other country. Yes they're doing joint ops but that's just to have better relations with S.K. Nobody wants war though so the U.S. should stay cool but should be ready for anything.

    I think Kim Jong Un's words should not be taken lightly seeing that he ordered the attack back in 2010. He seems like a serious person. People (including my dad) says he's worse than Kim Jong Il. He's more of a threat and might not look for negotiations unless N.K.'s in some deep trouble.

    I think the military drills taking place in S.K. is okay. It's not like they're preparing to send missiles to N.K. I think the drills actually strengthen the bonds between the U.S. and S.K. but I don't think the U.S. should get in too much into the problems of other countries unless it's like a high-level problem like N.K. taking over all of Asia or something. There's also a huge chance of maybe China wanting to join in on the fight. If we do go to war then China might just join N.K.'s side. China has many people to reinforce the army and I think they have the most troops. Overwhelming numbers matter in war.

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  5. Based on this article, I do believe that the USA should prepare for anything. I think the main reason for this comment from North Korea is to try to strike fear in both the United States and South Korea. At the same time, I don't believe the comment will help North Korea in any way. I do not believe that it will strike any fear into the US, and it will just force us to prepare our troops for a potential battle. Due to North Korea's statement, I think the USA will begin to gear up the troops and train them for anything that will happen. North Korea is a very strong unknown power and I don't think that the United States will take them lightly.

    I don't think Kim Jong Un's comments should be ignored, but at the same time, I don't believe that the USA should freak out about it. He is probably trying to instill confidence in his country and show that North Korea is also a powerhouse. His comment was most likely meant to draw attention to the country. I don't think it was a very good move on Kim Jong Un's part, because I believe North Korea would have been better off if they had stayed quiet and unknown.

    I think it is good for both South Korea and the US to hold regular military drills with these comments released. It will not hurt to prepare for any potential conflicts. It would hurt greatly if they were to not prepare, and then be attacked unprepared. I do not believe that it is necessary to turn up the intensity on the military drills that much yet because it was a comment merely meant to frighten the two countries slightly. Overall, I believe that South Korea and the US should begin to prepare for anything, but should not be terribly frightened that a massive war will break out anytime soon.

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  6. Jack Jansen
    2nd Period
    After reading this article I think that the United States of America should prepare for anything that the Koreans could possibly throw at us. From what they are saying I think that they could be trying to start conflict, but you never know. However I don't think that we should live in fear of them because they are making these threats, I just think that we should have everything in order in case we need to engage in an armed conflict.

    I think that we should listen to what Kim Jong Un is saying but not really act a ton on it. I think that he could just be trying to strike fear in us and probably draw attention to himself and his country which he is the new leader of.

    I think that it is a good thing for the United States and South Korea to hold military drills. I mean hey, it won't hurt, you can never be too prepared. I also think that the United States and South Korea should get used to working together military wise. If a war were to occur in North Korea, it is likely that the U.S. and South Korea will have to work together. Overall I just think that we should be prepared and be watching out for any imminent threats that come our way from North Korea

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  7. Heather Fowler
    2nd period
    I think it's always a good idea to take necessary steps as a precaution. Even though North Korea's threats aren't very promising, we should still be prepared. You never know when our nation might be in danger and it's better to be safe than sorry. We should take any threat very seriously, no matter who it's coming from.

    I think Kim Jong Un is trying to get a strong reaction from the North Korean population. He's new, and he's trying to put his foot in the door by making a threat to another country. I think this is a way of getting attention and he's trying to say he's just as good as his father was. However, his threats should not be taken lightly, because there is always a possibility that he carries them out.

    I think the military drills that have taken place between the United States and South Korea are supposed to send a message to North Korea saying that if they choose to act upon those threats; we are well prepared. We might be doing this to test North Korea and to provoke them into making a mistake or a bad move. If the US and South Korea stop collaborating now, North Korea will see them as weak so now that they've started; they have to continue the military drills.

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  8. Juliana Dunn, 5th


    I am not convinced if the USA should take precautionary measures to go to war with North Korea. North Korea has threatened the US multiple times, and no war has come out of it yet. I understand why many Americans would want to take precautious measures, but get the USA ready for attack may send and unwanted message to North Korea saying the United States is ready for and expects to have a war with North Korea. Especially with the economy in this state, a war with a country that has such an extensive military and weapons supply is the last thing we need.
    I am not sure whether Kim Jung Un’s actions should be taken seriously or not. As I stated earlier, North Korea has made many threats like this before, and none of them have been followed through with. But, Kim Jung Un may be trying to prove that he is a leader just as strong as his father was. However, North Korea is not known as a trustworthy supply of media. I think South Korea holding military drills makes a good amount of sense, considering they are right next to North Korea, and if either the United States or South Korea were to be attacked first, it would probably be South Korea, and South Korea would probably have more damage done than the USA. However, holding military drills in South Korea may be seen as a provocative measure from South Korea, which is not a good idea at this moment in time. I do not believe holding military drills in America is wise when North Korea can see it, because just like military drills in South Korea, it could be seen as a provocative action.

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  9. Melissa Turner
    2nd Period
    February 27, 2012

    I think that the United States should not quite yet take precautionary measurements towards going to war with North Korea. I think we should definitely be prepared though. It is better to be safe than sorry in our case, and we shouldn't take extreme measures because that might be recognized as a sign that we are wanting to go to war with them as well. I think that Kim Jung Un's actions should definitely be taken seriously, but I think it is also a way to gain recognition and get the people of North Korea to like him and support him more. I do think that Kim Jung Un might want to go to war with us, as obviously stated in the article but I think that he might just be "all talk" as well. I think that the military drills are a good way of showing North Korea that if they plan to attack we are ready to attack as well and we are just as prepared as they are, whether that is true or not. In my opinion, holding military drills could show a sign of wanting to go to war with North Korea. I think that if both countries stop trying to intimidate each country then we might settle this peacefully rather than with harm and damage to both countries.

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  10. After reading this article I am a little bit shocked. I did not previously know the severity of this North Korea crises. The US should definantly take precautionary measure and send some units off of the Korean coast. I beleive King Jong Un should be taken very seriosly, for he is a crazy man.

    I beleive King Jong Un does not want to negotiate. For he is worse then his predecessers in the eyes of fhe US. I think the US should definantly hold regular military drills with South Korea. If North Korea does anythong to hirt our country, we should launch a strike and destroy their military and nuclear program.

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  11. Nate Bolon
    fifth period

    After reading this article i believe that it is hard for us to know what Kim jong un is really planning. I personally think that we should take precautionairy measures, but I doubt that there will really be war. North Korea has just lost their strong leader, and I think his son is looking for ways to fill his shoes. This is just one of them.

    I think that this is just his awy of showing his people that he is strong, because there are surely people who are questioning his abilities to be a leader. However, North Korea could still do something irrational and cause a crisis, so we should be on the lookout more than usual, because leadership changes can be tumultuous.

    As for the military drills, they should be commonplace anyway. An army that is not always ready to move out within a day's notice is no army at all.

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  12. Bryan Zhang-5th period

    After reading this article, I am quite shocked. Previously, I did not know how severe the North Korea crises was. The U.S should take precautionary measure and send many units off of the Korean coast. I believe King Jong Un should be taken very seriously.

    I think that King Jong Un doesn’t want to negotiate. For he is worse then his predecessers in the eyes of fhe U.S. I think the U.S should hold regular military drills with South Korea. If North Korea does anything to hurt our country, we should launch a strike and destroy their military and nuclear program!

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  13. Kristin Thompson <3

    1st Period



    I was not really aware of the announcement of North Korea being ready to go to war with the United States. I think that know matter where any threat comes from America should always take precaution to make sure it people are safe. I don't think that we should live in fear of them because they are making these threats, I just think that we should have everything in order in they really do try to fight with us.


    I think that we should listen to every thing he has to say and prepare for the worst but hope that he does not really do anything but really make sure that if he does do something we are prepared for it. I think that he could just be trying to strike fear in us and probably draw attention to himself and his country because he is the new leader and wants to be respected by other nations. As America we have to be ready for these types of things, I also think that he is trying to prove that he is just as good as his father.

    I think that it is a good thing for the United States and South Korea to hold military drills. I mean they want hurt us doing them it can only help us. South Korea as well as the United states needs to communicate with one another about things military wise. No matter what we need to be doing military drills just incase another country pops up on us.

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  14. Kat Westover
    Period 1
    I believe that the United States should take precautionary measures. It is important to always be prepared, even if there is no definite threat yet. It would be horrible if we got into a nuclear war with North Korea and we weren’t prepared. It is very disturbing that North Korea is proposing to going into a nuclear war, and it needs to be taken seriously. It would devastate the United States if we are taken unaware.

    Kim Jong Un’s actions should be taken seriously. It is very stupid to threaten a power like America just to make yourself seem bigger. He needs to understand that as a leader, his actions could cause a war which would destroy his country. He needs to think about all of the people he represents and act accordingly. His father was in charge, so he has had time to learn from example. This is not a joke and saying you are ready for nuclear war should never be taken lightly.

    I think it is perfectly okay for a nation to hold military drills. The future is always uncertain and a war could break out fairly easily. It is important that the people you are trusting to defend your country to be fully prepared for anything. Countries should be allowed to hold military drills, which they have had for years, on their own land. It is not something new that just started, it happens every year.

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  15. Jeanie Stouffer
    2/28/12
    5th


    There is one good thing about this war: helping North Korea to stop being communist. There are a lot of bad things about this war. The Afghanistan War ended two months ago. If we added a new war into this country, everyone is going to be talking about it and how much communism is horrible. Also, we spent trillions of dollars on the Afghanistan and the Iraq war. Americans are in debt and we have this horrible economy. The United States needs to have its employers and give money to the people that really need and are dying, instead of a war.

    I think the actions of Kim Jong Un should be taken neither lightly or heavily. I think we should not focus all of our time about this; there is so many things that are more important then that. Also, people are different. You never know if he is as mean to the United States as his father was, but I think he does have some hate for the United States.

    I think the military drills are ridiculous unless it is a first experience for a solider. I think the inexperienced need practice, but the others do not need it. War is a waste of money and it is not needed to spend money on guns and food.

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    Replies
    1. Almost all political theorists are in concurrence that North Korea is not a Communist regime and more of a Fascist one than anything else; that being said it's a common mistake to make. Also I think you're confusing Afghanistan with Iraq.

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    2. I think ur Misunderstanding the term of "millitary drills"

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  16. Vatsal Parikh
    2nd period

    I think that the United States should make sure that they at least keep an eye on North Korea and start preparing troops in a subtle manner. If we do not prepare ourselves, then we will be vulnerable to attack and this is very dangerous especially because they are threatening us with nuclear weapons. I don't think that we should make too big a deal about it because we have faced many other threats such as war and terrorism.

    I do not think that these threats should be taken lightly because for a long time, we have not had the best of bonds with North Korea. So if he does decide to attack then it would not be a huge surprise because of the tension between the two countries. However, this threat could just be his way of proclaiming that he is a fearless leader. Kim Jong Un might have done this so as to make sure that we know that he is not scared of us and he does not like us.

    I think that it is good because it keeps the military trained and ready for duty. It also offers some employment and this is good because the economy is not at its best right now. The drills also send a message to North Korea that we have a trained army which is one of the best in the world and they don't have much of a chance at beating us. I also don't like how North Korea is so closed out from the world. I feel kind of bad for the citizens that live there and I also think that they pose a great danger to the rest of the world because they are always so violent with all these threats.

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  17. Peter Williams
    Period 5 WH
    Waters

    I don't think we should take any precationary action but we should be a lot more watchful and aware. We should watch North Korea's further actions and speeches. I think this is also a way for the new leader to try to keep respect from the military and people by seeming like the country is very strong even though he knows they would lose the war if it realy happened. He is seeking some attention as a new leader and kind of marking his territory. I don't think any other military traning regimes are needed other the ones we are using right now. What we are doing right now is fine unless a war really starts

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  18. Alex Haggis
    1st Period

    Preparing for war would be too far, however preparing some sort of precaution could be in our interests. North Korea hasn't exactly proved productive with our diplomatic efforts and unless there is an internal coup or some equivalent war may be the inevitable conclusion. That being said, one of the better ways to prepare for a foreign offensive is to with draw from our multiple frivolous ones first! Military drills are a precautionary measure and quite frankly I am a little surprised they don't happen anyway.

    It's unclear whether or not North Korea has any real intention of going to war with the country with the largest nuclear stockpile in the world, it's pretty clear that we would be the clear victors if any nuclear war was to be waged. Of course it's better to not have this war than to win it.

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  19. Jeffrey Williams
    5th Period

    I think that we should be ready if North Korea follows through on its threat. I don't think that they will actually resort to warfare to make its case as a powerful country, but I think that as one of the world's leading countries we should be on our toes for an attack. When countries resort to warfare to state their case, they will try to assert themselves by attacking a world leading country.

    I think that although these are empty threats by a leader attempting to assert himself we should monitor this situation. Kim Jong Un is trying to revive patriotism in his country but I believe that threatening was is not the way to do it.

    I think it is completely appropriate for us to continue doing military drills with South Korea. It sends the message that we are not afraid to fight. I think that if we have a passive response to Kim Jong Un he will follow through with his threat of starting a war.

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  20. Juliann Cho
    1st period

    I think that America should take necessary precautionary actions. Even if North Korea is just threatening, we should always be prepared for anything unexpected. After all, it is always better to be safe than sorry. Though, in my opinion, I don’t feel like we will be going into war because North Korean has threatened our country a couple of times before. But, I may be wrong, since they do have a new leader.

    I honestly don’t know if the actions that are taken by Kim Jong Un is safe to take lightly. As mentioned earlier, America has been threatened a number of times, but there were no serious actions. It’s hard to tell. But, Kim Jong Un might be a different leader than his father.

    Lastly, I think it is okay for South Korea and America to be doing regular military drills. In the long end, it can’t hurt us, it can only help us. You never really know when war could suddenly break out and military drills could help us be prepared for any future attacks.

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  21. Daniel Ferreira 5th Period

    I believe that the US should take precautionary measures. If we don't we could be blind sided at any moment. It is always better to be on the safe side. However, we should only go into war if we are attacked. The US has enough problems as it is to worry about more wars.

    I believe that Kim Jong Un is doing this to seek attention, but this shouldn't be taken lightly. If they are training troops, then we should too just as a precautionary measure. You never know what could happen. Nuclear warfare should never be taken lightly because it can affect many people's lives.

    I believe it's important that we have military drills to make sure that we are all prepared for a worst case scenario. If we are unprepared something bad could happen. We have to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Even though we will probably be fine, it's always important to prepare for the worst.

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  22. Julia Haines
    1st pd

    I believe that we should be extremely cautious while dealing with North Korea right now. Any odd move or any action out of the ordinary should be noted. We need to be very precautionary in this situation because they supposedly have tons of nuclear weapons and a very strong army, while for us Obama and his administration have reduced our army and defense programs.
    The fact that North Korea was bragging that their army could beat ours is significant because it shows that they have much faith in that. It is also significant because in a way they are taunting us, which is a very dangerous thing to do in nuclear warfare. While I don’t think that we should in any way indicate that we want to start a war, I wouldn’t trust anything that North Korea says or does. Kim Jong Un might just be exercising his newly found power, but I think that it is more serious than that.
    Lastly, I think that it is good that the US and South Korea have regular drills, because it prepares us for what might come. It is a great advantage to have South Korea as an ally, and at least then if nuclear warfare breaks out eventually it will be 2 against 1. I think that we should avoid another war whenever possible though, and just act like we are stepping on eggshells for the time being. Meanwhile we will be trying to convince Kim Jong Un what we convinced his father of, that they should disable their weapons and become a diplomacy.

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  23. Kefu Zhu
    Period 5

    North Korea’s declaration was not surprising. Tensions had been rising for quite a while now, what with the change in regime and all. I expected the North Koreans to do something like this ever since the change in power and that current event that marked Kim Jung Un as unpredictable. That doesn’t change the fact that I think they’re stupid for saying that they’re ready to fight. North Korea has nukes. Nice. Are they going to use them? Probably not. They do have a good number of armed forces, fourth in the world as far as number is concerned. They would be dangerous if anyone decided to help them. Is anyone going to help them? Not likely, relations have been steadily getting worse, and their leader(s) remain oblivious. Plus, if they do attack, I find it likely that many countries will help the US, namely members of NATO. And look what they have! Aircraft carriers AND nuclear weapons! Also, some people may relate to how similar this situation is to the recent video game Homefront, and I must concur. However, I would like to note that Kim Jung Il died in 2011, not 2012 as predicted, so Homefront is wrong.

    Although they do have a large military, they do have a disadvantage in that most of their equipment is useless crap from the Cold War era that they got when they still had friends. Most of their tanks are Russian surplus that no one uses, and the ones that are decent are based off of Russian surplus. What they have, even by the small chance it is superior in any way, shape, or form, will be still outnumbered by the flood of NATO tanks and aircraft. Speaking of aircraft, their air force isn’t much better, once again utilizing Russian surplus; just like (once again) Iraq. Not a whole lot of good against stealth fighters which you won’t even see on radar until they ram a missile up your rear end. What they have for a navy is probably laughable compared to the eleven aircraft carriers the United States has, seeing as a massive industrial power like China only just got an aircraft carrier, and they didn’t even build it. This means that in naval warfare, the North Koreas would be helpless. Cruise missiles and cannon only do so much, and ever since WW2, fleets have relied on aircraft carriers to do most of the damage. They would be cut off, surrounded, and blockaded.

    If China joined with them, it would be a problem, seeing as China has the largest military in the world. However, since China is actually more Capitalist than Communist (don’t refute me, I lived there), and depend on the US for large amounts of business, it would seem insane to join up with the losing side. Especially with the one unprepared, unready, old-Soviet-piece-of-crap-from-the-cold-war aircraft carrier, that could probably do no damage at all.

    So most of their military is a joke, strength in numbers doesn’t really help when you’re short on manpower and technology. At this rate, the only way they’re going to win the war is if they made friends with a race of aliens who have magical powers that alter the very fabric of reality. Good luck with that.

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  24. Sophie Kahn
    Period Five

    I think that the United States should be very cautious with North Korea right now. The actions from Kim Jong Un seem that they would be attention – seeking, but I think we should take them as a serious threat and prepare ourselves for any possibilities. He may be trying to prove to his country that he can lead well and make big decisions (whether or not they may be for the best). This makes him dangerous, because of the rash choices he may make in the future. I think that it’s good that the US and South Korea are holding regular military drills, because we can be prepared for possible attacks and war. I think that the US shouldn’t take this threat lightly, because North Korea is a serious threat to us, and we really don’t need another war with all the other problems going on in our country…it’s enough issues without more.

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  25. Parker Larson
    Period 5
    1. Should the U.S. take precautionary measure to prepare to go to war with North Korea?
    I don’t think the US has anything to worry about North Korea. To be honest, we could squish them like a bug if we needed to. Only problem is South Korea’s, easily within the range of any missile, from the coast to the border. So we are more than well prepared to crush them, other than the fact that it would be hard to deploy, considering the Korean peninsula is next to china.
    2. Do you think these actions taken by Kim Jong Un, should be taken lightly or if they are his way of seeking attention as a new leader?
    He’s all bluff. North Korea’s threats are similar to a small, angry midget insulting you (I can imagine it chubby like their leader). They have their guns, but would not use them. North Korea is a relatively stable country, compared to Iran. We should worry about a nuclear ICBM from Iran to Israel.
    3. What are your thoughts on the United States holding regular military drills?
    Nothing really, you can train all you want, but the US is prepared. All this, a show of their readiness. The military drills are not so much for function, but for intimidation.

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  26. Sunny Osment
    1st period

    North Korea has been a corrupt nation for some time now. It may be a little rushed to think that we, The United States of America, need to completely prepare for attack coming from North Korea, but I do think it may be smart to somewhat prepare for an attack coming from North Korea. Taking precautionary measures is always the safest way to prepare for an attack, and we should always take the necessary precautionary measures to be safe. While the tension between North Korea and the United States has been growing, we should understand how to deal with that.

    I believe that Kim Jung Un is threatening us in an attempt to appear intimidating. While that may be true, we still need to take the precautionary measures especially because of his threats of nuclear attack. We never know what could come from North Korea and their attacks.

    I believe that the precautionary measures we should take are very serious. We should be doing marching drills among other things like military drills. If we continue to take these measures I think that we will be fine.

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  27. 1. well... not anything serious. maybe send a few more troops over, but other than that NK isn't that much of a threat, even with nukes. We could crush them in the blink of an eye, especially with the help of SK and other members of NATO.

    2. When it comes to NK, NOTHING should be taken lightly. I do, however, believe that this is Kim Jong Un's way of immediately gaining his people's trust and respect and gain attention from the whole world at the same time.

    3. I'm glad that these drills are carried out. It's better that we at least give our soldiers some sort of training to keep them alive and on their toes.

    One thing that I wanted to bring up is that I don't think Kim Jong Un has an understanding of the approximations of naval boundaries as evidenced by him telling his troops to "make a powerful retaliatory strike at the enemy, should the enemy intrude even 0.001 mm into the waters of the country where its sovereignty is exercised."

    Another thing I wanted to bring up is our food supply line to NK. Why is it that we are supplying the enemy's population with food while the enemy gets to spend all of their resources on their military. Things are always going to get worse before they get better. I believe that when the people begin to starve as a result of their government's lack of concern it will spark revolution or a few reformations in the NK government.

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    Replies
    1. Just as a side note, I was watching the news tonight and NK has agreed to suspend its nuclear programs in exchange for US food aid

      Delete
  28. Abu S
    1st Period

    1.) I don't think we need to worry about North Korea. We should prepare our army for a full blown attack because it is very unlikely that that will actually happen. However, the army should not get cocky or lazy. We need to stay on our toes about this. Regular drills to prepare should do it.

    2.) I think Kim Jong Un is trying to gain respect and intimidate us by claiming these things. I doubt that he'll actually follow through. New leaders always want to start with a bang. Most of new leaders are all talk and it takes them years to get in the groove of things. We shouldn't ignore this, but we shouldn't be preoccupied about it either.

    3.) The army should keep training. Regular drills are the exercises that keep us on top. Drills are not only for training, but also for intimidation. If I were in a basketball game and I saw my opponent doing drills, I would be scared as well.

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  29. Becca White
    2nd period
    2/29/12

    I don't think that we need to worry about North Korea very much. They are not much of a threat to us. And for them to attack us? Is very unlikely. I think Kim Jong Un is trying to make a very strong impression for North Korea. He is trying to give North Korea and bad name that isn't working. It must be challenging to live up to his father’s expectations, but its not working. This must be Kim’s way of saying that he is not a lesser man and his country is bigger and better then any other country out there. The change in leadership is a change in the country, and Kim’s experiences may not be substantial, making him unpredictable. Yes, this may be his way of seeking attention, but it may not be an idle threat. Even though I don't see North Korea a threat, we should still have our army keep in training. We shouldn't ignore this or forget about this but it shouldn't be one of our many concerns because the US has many other bigger problems to deal with at the moment right now.

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  30. William Bukowski

    5th period

    2-29-12

    I do not think that the U.S. should take this as too much of a threat, because North Korea, if they are smart, won’t go to war with us. There are multiple countries that just want an excuse to wipe north Korea off the map, so if they want to exist they won’t attack.
    I think this ‘threat’ is his way of getting attention, trying to show that his country doesn’t mess around. They relly just want the U.S.’ aid with food and this is their way to ensure this. It can either be them fight the U.S., or give them food. And truly I think both countries don’t want war.
    I think it is fine that the U.S. holds drills, and N. Korea shouldn’t be threatened by it. North Korea can hold all the drills they want to as well. But overall they shouldt worry about us and they should worry about themselves

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  31. Jonathan Jang
    1st Period
    2-29-12

    1. I think that America should take the needed and necessary steps to protecting our country. North Korea threatening the U.S. is not a new thing so I do not think that we should be too worried about the war. But just to be safe than sorry I think that we should just be ready for anything at all times.

    2. I think the actions taken by Kim Jong Un should be taken lightly, because North Korea has already threatened us already numerous amount of times. Therefore just as a precaution, I think that we shouldn’t just kick back our legs and relax but to be ready. Additionally since North Korea has a new president we may never know if it was Kim Jong Ill’s death wish to start a war or if it would be out of pure hatred.

    3. It would be completely appropriate for us to continue military drills with South Korea, because we already are close friends with the South and I can’t think of any other way that it would harm us. Additionally it sends a message to all countries out in the world that we are not afraid of anyone. And finally this could also help us to strengthen our military tactics and fighting capabilities for future wars.

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  32. Caroline Liu
    5th Period 2/29/12

    I think the United States government should prepare for war with North Korea just in case. Most leaders of other countries would be smart enough to not mess with us but with such a young dictator, you never know when North Korea will attack. Then again, Kim Jong Un comes from a family where the eldest son broke the law in an attempt to get into Disney Land. Just because Kim Jong Un is younger than usual and is a brand new later, doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t take his actions seriously. He and his whole family are insane so everything that they say, you have to believe it’s true. This is why I condemn the marking of American and South Korean troops. I believe that we should prepare for an attack as a precaution. It never hurts to be too careful when the lives of thousands are at stake. Better safe than sorry.

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  33. Matt Dayton
    Per 1
    3/1/12

    After reading this article I think it is very hard to tell what Kim Jon is going to do. He could very easily plan an attakck on the United States. If he did I think it could very easily turn into a massive nucluelar war. North Korea has been very comitted to start a nuclear war. If this does happen it could be catastrophic for the Unites States and for North Korea. It could become a very big problem and wipe out parts of both countries.

    I think that the Unites States should be very catutius of North Korea's actions. They could very well start a nuclear war and destroy parts of North Korea and of the united states. The united states can not very well stop North Korea if it comes to a nuclear war. I think that the United States should reason with North Korea and make sure that a nuclear war never happens.

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  34. Ria Das
    2nd Period

    I do not think we need to worry about a war with North Korea, atleast not immediately. There might be a future threat, but currently I think nothing will happen. That being said, our military forces should always be prepared for an attack and they should never be caught off guard. I believe that these actions by Kim Hong Un, are just to get the world's attention about North Korea having a new leader. Everyone knows that the US still has the best military force in the world. It would be really stupid and harmful to their country, for them to start a war with us. I understand that they may have "nuclear equipment," but so does the US. Therefore if North Korea fires a missile at us, one will be going right back at them, so really no one wins. I don't think regular military drills are a sign of an impending war. Regular military drills are neccessary for a good army. Therefore it shouldn't matter if the military is doing drills, because thats what they should be doing.

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  35. Brandon Ta
    1st Period

    After reading this article i think what North Korea plans to do is still unknown and dangerous. If they chose to go all out war, well then possibly World War 3 will begin, which will be catastrophic for the world with all the Nuclear weapons flying about. The weapons of mass destruction could very possibly wipe out landmasses, which in turn will pretty much destroy the human species. With such devastation possible and looming over the horizon, i think it would be very wise to either prepare for a long catastrophic war, or simply try to calm down the North Koreans diplomatically (which is what i think the US will do).

    The US should be extremely cautious of North Korea's and their own actions. They don't want to set off another wrong message and send war flaring up all over the world. To be honest, I think that North Korea would be crushed if the US were to invade, but if that were to happen North Korea would probably have already set off missiles, which would cause massive casualties. The only, and best way to avoid war is to negotiate with North Korea and calm down that crazy dictator communist.

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  36. Grace Gollmar
    1st Pd.
    3/1/12

    While I do not support the idea of the U.S. making the first move in a war against North Korea, nor do I think that we should anticipate such a war with overreaction, I think that we should ensure that we could defend ourselves if it were to occur. If we were to start actively preparing for war, it could make our country seem hostile and make such a war more likely to occur; this could mean the loss of our people and supplies, though not necessarily the loss of the war. I think that military drills could be a good way to ready ourselves without seeming overtly antagonistic toward North Korea.

    I also agree with the sentiment that Kim Jong Un is attempting to make more out of this situation than there needs to be, considering he is a new ruler who must live up to his predecessors’ standards in terms of military leadership. Our best path for now is probably to assume the best and try to reason with North Korea, while ensuring that we are prepared for if negotiation fails.

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  37. I do believe that the US should take precautionary measure to go to war with North Korea. It's unknown the motives of North Korea, so it's best to keep safe and take the certain precautions that are necessary.

    I don't believe that the actions made by Kim Jeong Un should be taken lightly, but it's not something to necessarily fret about. While we shouldn't ignore the issue, it's possible that Jeong is trying to create a name for himself as a new leader. It might be a way of showing that he is powerful and that he won't stand down as a leader, and in that there are threats to our country. Whether they are empty threats or not, it's best that conflict doesn't arise between the US and North Korea.

    North Korea and the US holding regular military drills is beneficial. It creates for a stronger alliance and strengthens ties between the two countries. But also, the countries are able to strengthen their militaries individually and train to be forces not to be reckoned with.

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  38. Jamil Walker
    March 1


    This actually surprised me because I didn't know that North Korea wanted to have war with the United States. I truly think that we as a country will not have any problems with them because they are not ready for what our troops with give them. I think that King John uh is taking this a little too serious because it's getting out of hand.
    I think people need to watch what King John uh say because he might be a man of his word. he might really try to have war with America. He King John Uh looks more like he is talking business then playing with people.
    I truly think that we need to be ready for whatever happens. if they want to have war our troops need to be ready. Because if anything happens they will be the only ones to help our citizens.

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  39. JJ Finkel
    2nd Period

    The US should always be prepared for war however, no special preparations should be taken because of North Korea's statements. North korea has wanted to go to war with countries like South Korea and America for a number of years. Now is not any different than any of these other times. It would also would be very foolish of North Korea to go to war with America. The end result would not be beneficial for either side.

    Kim Jong Un's comments shouldn't be taken lightly, seeing as though war with North Korea is possible. However, I feel as though this is a blank statement. North Korea has wanted to go to war with America for years, so why does it matter that Kim Jong Un has just refreshed this idea for us.

    Lastly, I do not think that America and South Korea should stop holding regular military drills. A country would be foolish to not always be prepared for war. There is always going to be countries, organizations, and individuals that want nothing but war, and America needs to be prepared for that.

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  40. Olivia Donahue
    Period 1

    Considering North Korea's corrupt government and unstable past, I do believe that the U.S. should take precautionary measures to prepare in the case of North Korea declaring war. That being said, I think it is incredibly important that we do not overact. When considering to invade Iraq, the U.S. acted quickly with little reliable information regarding weapons of mass destruction. That got us caught in a pointless eight year war. We do not want this to happen again with North Korea.

    After the death of his father, I believe that Kim Jeong Un is just trying to show his power, and demonstrate what type of leader he will be. I believe that he is using empty threats, and that the U.S. should tread lightly, but always be ready for an event of war.

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  41. Mookho
    2ed period

    Honestly, I do not think that we need to worry about North Korea. Although, preparing and being on guard is not a bad idea. Taking the precaution is always the best way to go and it will also keep the United States safe. Since tensions between the U.S and North Korea had been rising for awhile now, we should be careful. North Korea also has a very good number of strong armed forces and they can be very dangerous.

    I think that becoming a new leader and all, Kim Jong Un is trying to get attention. Although, I do not think that this situation should be taken lightly at all since we do not know exactly what is going to happen. Taking precautionary steps is the safest was to go. Also, since North Korea is training their troops, we should train just as hard.

    I think that it is fine for both countries to be doing military drills. Doing so can only help us, and since we never know exactly when a war will break out, it will protect us. Military drills will definatly help us with near or future attacks or war.

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  42. Emilee Taxman
    2nd Period

    1. I think that the US should not take measures to train because that could cause North Korea turn their nuclear weapons on us. They had taken action just because of drills before, and if we do it, we could be the next target. If we do feel that we have to take matters to prepare, we should try and do it subtly. I think that we should train our troops, but not prepare for actual war.

    2. I think that the actions of the new leader should be very closely followed. They could just be his way of getting attention, but it’s a very powerful and dangerous way of getting it. He could seriously be planning to badly hurt our country and South Korea. He might be flaunting his power, but he’s probably serious, or both.

    3. I think that the United States and South Korea holding drills seems un-necessary. They don’t really need to, and doing that is kind of just flaunting their power. Provoking a country that has such powerful weapons doesn’t seem smart or needed. We need to train privately, and not show that both countries plan to fight.

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  43. Tim Li
    2nd Period

    To be honest, North Korea is not much of a threat. They may have the fourth largest land army, but compared with the world's superpowers their technology is not as the advanced. The only thing that puts them on a competing scale really is just their nukes. However, The United States should always be on guard against any attack from any nation, not just North Korea. If we let our guard down, they may deal a good amount of damage to us. A good example of when this happened in the past was Pearl Harbor.

    I think that Kim Jong Un is really trying to get attention and establish his power as a world leader. He is having a show of power to show that he is just as powerful as his father was. The situation should not be taken lightly though as a surprise attack would be really bad.

    Holding regular military drills in a world of hostile nations is always a must. A country that stops holding them is a country that will inevitably fall to some disastrous invasion. These military drills help show our readiness for war as well as keeping our soldiers in shape.

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  44. Carolyn Deutsch
    2nd period
    I think that we need to be aware that we may need to go to war against North Korea. We should be prepared as much as we can for anything that could happen, but I do not think that we need to obsess over the matter.
    I definitely think that we need to pay attention to what he is saying, but not necessarily act on it yet. He could just be trying to draw attention to himself as a new leader, his country, or just trying to scare us.
    Yes I think that we should hold regular military drills and so should South Korea. We can always practice more, and if we let our guard down then it could lead to a very bad outcome. We should also get used to working with South Korea because in the event of war we will most likely be fighting along side them.

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  45. Ariella Hirsch
    5th

    The United States should always be prepared for an attack from any country. However, I strongly believe that the last thing we need right now is to fight another war. I also believe that Kim Jong Un's statement should not be taken seriously. If North Korea does attack America, America will be better prepared, and I believe have more allies. I think that if we go to war again, America will stop making the progress it needs to make in other areas because the war will consume the time and energy of politicians and other officials.

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  46. Keith Swartz
    1st period
    I believe that we should be prepared for a war with North Korea. We should take precaution with any threat and this is a threat so we should be prepared for anything.
    We need to pay attention to what is going on there but not scared yet because he could just be bluffing to make his country more patriotic. He could also just be bluffing to show that North Korea is a force to be reckoned with and not just a pushover.
    I don't think that we should be holding military drills yet but i do believe that South Korea should be. I don't think we need to because it is a lot harder to attack us then South Korea because they are so close. We should be prepared to start these drills if North Korea attacks South Korea because if they attack them, then we are obligated to help our allies in war.

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  47. Morgan Mann
    5th period

    It’s always a good idea to take safe measures to ensure we aren’t attacked upon surprise without training. There’s the never ending possibility they could come to fight, especially since they are again getting involved with nuclear weapons. I think Kim Jong Un, like any other new leader, is finding his own way of taking control. He’s learning the ropes, and may take unnecessary actions at first until he figures out how to deal with different situations. I think both countries are doing what they feel they need to, and if military drills are that, then I have trust in our country to do what’s right at the right time.

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  48. i believe that the United States should take precautionary measures. Even though they are still waiting on word about whether anything is actually going to happen they should still definitely be prepared.I think Kim Jong Un is just looking for attention as a leader and he is getting prepared just in case another country wants to go to war thinking that N.K is weaker with him as their new leader.i think the drills are unnecessary and seem to bring more bad than good

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  49. Jacob Guskiewicz
    Period 2
    The United States should always be prepared for war. Violence is a part of everyday life. Threats are heard many times a day also, and North Korea seems to be flip flopping on the issue of suspending its nuclear weapon program. The United States should not take this action as if they are going to war now, but should just stay neutral and be prepared to defend our country and our ally’s countries.
    Km Jong UN, right now is probably just frustrated with the situation he is in as a new leader. The US should not take it too seriously right now but should still be ready for war if something breaks out. Kim Jong UN might just be trying to get attention right now and to show his people that he is going to stand his ground, but also try to negotiate for food and supplies for his starving country. I do not feel there is enough information right now on his comment about the US for us to respond. He knows the offer is there to stop making nuclear weapons for food and supplies.
    I think that holding regular military drills is normal and that we should definitely keep doing it. Being ready for war all the time is a great thing. Partnering with South Korea for these training drills is probably threatening to the North Koreans. It should give us and South Korea an advantage over North Korea should it come time for war. But, we have other wars to also be worried about so we shouldn’t focus just on North Korea.

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  50. Andrew Simms
    3/1/12
    P.2
    I think the US should not take precautionary measures against North Korea. I was not surprised that they denied the deal for food assistance because even with a new leader I believe every person in power in North Korea hates the US. I think the US should back the troops out of South Korea and send them home so that maybe North and South Korea can come to an agreement to have a long time peace treaty.

    I do not think we should take Kim Jongs actions seriously. From what I know North Korea would stand no chance in a war against us so I do not know why they try to pick a fight with us. I believe Kim Jong should sign a treaty for food assistance etc.... but in return he should not have to give up the nuclear program. If we attack every small country that has a nuclear program then what are we?

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  51. Sadie Frank
    First Period

    I think the US shouldn't take more precautionary measures than usual against North Korea. Of course, we don't want to have the entire army strip naked and start doing the macarena instead of practicing whatever it is that armies practice, but I don't think we should be making contingency plans or strategies for how to attack them yet, especially if the only indications made by North Korea that they would like to attack us are verbal, and we don't have any military signs yet.

    I don't think that they should be taken lightly, because they are very serious threats, but I don't think we should be panicking just yet. There will be time for that if they do attack us, which I doubt will happen. Kim Jong Un is a new leader and we are a large nation with a large military; it would be in his best interest to not toy with us for the time being.

    And as for the North Korean troops practicing military drills, don't the American troops go to boot camp even when there isn't a war on? I think it's hypocritical for us to train our troops round the clock but get antsy if someone else doesn't when they're not involved in a war.

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  52. Blaire Sobolewski
    first period
    Yes I think that we should take precautionary measures to go to war with North Korea. The announcment came out of the blue but i think that we should still be careful just in case. Personally I think that this is Kim Jong Un's way of making himself known. I don't think it is the best way to get attention, but it will get him some type of attention. I do not think that the United States and South Korea should hold regular military drills. I do not think that it is the best thing to do and might cause fighting.

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  53. Dilay Uras Hon. World History

    I think that the U.S should not go into war with North Korea. It would make us look bad. We should try to talk our way of it. But at this point the U.S should be on high alert in whatever North Korea does or says. I don't understand why Kim Jong Un would want to attack S. Korea, or us.

    What he is doing seems like he wants attention. Kim Jong Il never really had the idea of attacking anybody; if he did he wouldn't show it the way Kim Jong Un is.

    I think that U.S and S.Korea should continue their regular drills; for practice runs and to keep in "shape". And also to be prepared just in case if Kim Jong Un does decide to attack.

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  54. Louisa Fine
    1st period.
    The United States should always be ready to fight a war if need be. It should be no different with North Korea. If a war is what is needed The United States of America should be ready to fight it. It would be good if we could just negociate the terms but if it does not work a war may have to take place.

    I think that Kim Jong Un may be trying to show that he is powerful with all of his flaunting. It may be nothing in the end. Even so the United States should take precautions to ensure South Korea and our own safety.

    I think that holding military drills is not a bad thing. It is a precaution used just in case there is a war. North Korea should not be getting upset over it.

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  55. Taylor Headen
    Period 1


    After reading this article I think that we should take precautionary measure to prepare for the North Korea war. I think we should do this because we should always be very cautious about going to war with people, even if the other country is bluffing. We should not take this war lightly because I think that North Korea has a lot of powerful weapons that can blow us up, so the least we can do is be prepared.

    I think that Kim Jong Un is bluffing; being a new leader comes with a lot of pressure trying to be the most powerful. So I think that this is an act of trying to be intimidating, but just because this might be an act we should still not get lazy about it. The regular military drills, I think, are a very dangerous thing. I think that it can easily start a war, but at the same time if we stop it will make us look like we fear them. I say we should only do these military drills every once in a while.

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  56. David Archer
    Period 5
    I think that the US should take procationary steps with this threat because a country that posses nuclear weapons should not be taken lightly. Any time a hostile country threatens war I think there will never be enough procaution taken.

    I think that the threats said by Kim Jong Un should not be taken lightly. Any thrat by an opposing country should never be taken lightly. I feel like this threat was a very serious one and ne he he might back up.

    The millitary drills are a very good idea. It is showing North Korea we are not afraid and are ready to fight at any time.

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  57. Kevin Chen
    1st Period

    I think that the US should go about our business as usual. North Korea has threatened the US many times, and has still done nothing. I don't think they are much of a threat, but the US should still have forces ready in South Korea just in case North Korea does try something.

    I think Kim Jong Un is just looking for attention. When Kim Jong Il died, everyone thought that Kim Jong Un would be a naiive and bad leader because he is young. I think the threats made by him are just ways of making himself look powerful. North Korea is also notorious for making false claims and threats. I wouldn't take this one any more seriously than the previous ones.

    I think regular military drills are a good idea. Even though I don't think North Korea will try to attack South Korea or the US anytime soon, we should always be prepared. These drills are ways of preparing the troops for any attack. The US and South Korea aren't trying to attack North Korea by holding these drills, so they shouldn't be a problem.

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  58. Arturo Tornero

    1st


    To me, it seems very abrupt and immediate to have a war with Korea, in fact, to have a war at all. Specially after extracting troops from the Middle East, we seem to be constantly going back and forth at war. Yes, I do believe, that we should take every move cautiously towards North Korea, but in fact Korea should be careful too, because they already made the mistake of trying to increase the conflict for war with us. And if North Korea thinks that they could join forces with China, then they have the completely wrong idea. Korea’s technology is nearly not as advanced as other countries in the world, including ours. And just by looking in what condition to go to war Korea is in, I seriously doubt that any countries would become an ally of them to go to war with the U.S.

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  59. Hugh Kelley, 5th

    1: Yes I think that US should always be ready to fight a war. If we are not prepared then we will not be able to defend oursleves from what is fighting us.

    2: I think that we should pay attention to what Kim Jong Un is saying because incase he is serious about all the things we are saying we can take the right actions.

    3: I think that it is smart to continue with militarry drills so that we will be prepared for wars. Without proper preperation we would have no chance in winning a war. It is also kind of bad that Korea is also doing militarry drills because if we ever have to fight them they will be prepared too.

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  60. David Batson
    2nd period

    The US should hold precautionary measures to go to war with North Korea. I don’t believe that it is necessary to hold them so close to North Korea however. Military drills could be held far back on the South Korean side instead of inching so close to the boundary. North Korea has not shown any signs of launching a preemptive attack, just stating that if we cross the boundary they will fire on us. I think that these actions that Kim Jong Un have made are to gain attention but we must not ignore them. I think that he is serious about firing on our ships if we come too close for comfort. He wants attention but is definetely ready to go to war with us if necessary.

    The US and South Korea should hold regular military drills, but as I said before be very careful about where they hold them. We don’t want war with North Korea and neither does the rest of the world. I do not believe North Korea wants war either, rather just want to insure that no one crosses their boundaries without permission. They basically just want to be seen as a force that should not be messed with and that is ok but if they do launch a preemptive strike for whatever reason, we should definetely be ready for it. It is definetely not worth a war for having a ship going a little to close to the boundary though.

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  61. Lianna Malawski
    1st period

    i think the U.S should be on guard and ready to fight if anything happens. but personally i don't think we need to worry about them attacking though. I think this is Kim Jong Un's way of getting himself known worldwide. i don't think that this was the best way to proceed with this though.
    i don't think it is the best idea to do these military drills, it lets on that we want to fight and that we are readying ourselves and they will do the same thing too. if we can just slowly talk ourselves out of this "war" then the U.S should be fine. hopefully there will be no wars and peace will be made instead.

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  62. Sam Herbert
    p5


    I think that the US should take precautionary measures no matter what the threat may be. I think that it is alway good to be prepared for what may come. I think that the best course of action would be to try to slowly back away from the situation though that may not be possible. In the other case we may have to settle some type of treaty or pact with north korea.

    I think that these threats cannot be taken lightly even if they are just a new leader trying to flex his muscles. If taken lightly this may end with one giant nukefest. If all this is, is a new leader trying to say something he's doing it wrong. If he follows through it will be a sure fire way to turn his country and it's people into one very large crater.

    I think that holding military drills with your allys' should not be taken wrong, we hold military drills with many of our allys' and they don't find it threatening but if we decide to train with south Korea now we have a problem. How can that be taken as a threat? Thus I think north Koreans threat is empty but should not be taken lightly.

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  63. Raziyah Farrington
    1 Period
    Honors World History

    I think I could agree with others when I say that the US should be ready to fight at all times. We should have our guard up for any and everything. Even though they have threatened us many times they still are capable of many things. A lot of people may think this is a way for Kim Jong Un's way to get known, although it may be we still need to come prepared.
    Part of me wants to say that he is just trying to pose as a powerful and strong leader but the other half wants to say he just might actually be serious this time. He could be putting on an act for the people looking up to him. I think I want to go with the second half of me. He might be serious this time because he’s probably tired of people taking him lightly. Any harmful threat made to an entire country should be taken very seriously. No joke at all. Also since Kim Jong Un's is a new leader I don’t think he will test us just yet. I’m sure he wants to mess with us and figure out how we work and deal with things before he plans a serious attack.
    I think having military drills for both countries, us and south karea could be a little necessary . it could be helpful but it is not needed. It could maybe improve a lot of things for us. If we have these drills maybe we will be way more prepared for any on coming attacks that comes our way.

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  64. I think it's always a good idea to take necessary steps as a precaution. Even though North Korea's threats aren't very promising, we should still be prepared. You never know when our nation might be in danger and it's better to be safe than sorry. We should take any threat very seriously, no matter who it's coming from.

    I think Kim Jong Un is just looking for attention. When Kim Jong Il died, everyone thought that Kim Jong Un would be a naiive and bad leader because he is young. I think the threats made by him are just ways of making himself look powerful. Even so the United States should take precautions to ensure South Korea and our own safety.

    I think regular military drills are a good idea. Even though I don't think North Korea will try to attack South Korea or the US anytime soon, we should always be prepared. These drills are ways of preparing the troops for any attack. One summer I went to a military base in South Korea with my uncle, and there was barely any threat. I'd still keep an eye on them though.

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  65. 1st period

    I don't think we should take anymore precautionary measures because we shouldn't accidentally provoke North Korea into starting a war. plus we already have so may precautions in place. North Korea is just as crazy as it was before, but i don't think Kim Jong Un desires to start a war right now. We shouldn't really be taking his threats seriously. The US has been holding military drills in South Korea for so long I don't see what the big deal is. Kim Jong Un is obviously overreacting.

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  66. Everett Dang
    2nd period

    I believe the United States should take a few very small precautionary measures. This is the only way to go about this situation. You cannot completely force precautionary measures on a country and you cannot just sit there doing absolutely nothing. The only answer is to take a few simple measures without overdoing it or underdoing it. As long as the bests interests of the citizens are kept in mind.

    Right now is too early for us to judge what kind of leader Kim Jong Un is. We cannot base our opinions on a single action. We have to wait a while for him to prove himself and evaluate the situation later. Right now we should have a neutral opinion considering how soon it has been since he has entered power.

    Obviously there should be military drills for an army. How else would an army stay as an army. Sure these armies are starting drills, but that is much better than not starting any drills at all and getting completely slaughtered out in the battlefield.

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  67. Daniel Fernandez
    1st period

    I think that the USA should prepare fro the worst but we should not be scared to fight North Korea because Kim Jong might just be trying to put fear in us saying he can beat us in war by doing drills and practices. We should also be doing drills because like i said we have to prepare for the worst, but expect fro the best and i think we should just do what that quote explains.

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  68. David McMahan
    5th period

    I don't think we have much to worry about when it comes to us fighting North Korea. I think that the new leader is just trying to protect his country by stating that he will not back down a war if one ever comes but i don't think that he's saying back off America because I'll fight you. I don't expect a war anytime soon from North Korea.

    Military drills are standard for any military. a military is going to do some military drills, thats just how it works.

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  69. Ian McKeown
    5th period

    i think we have nothing to worry about when it comes to dealing with north korea. this seems like nothing but a threat for attention and to try to make kim jong un seem ruthless like his father. i also think this is a tactic to protect north korea by intimidation and showing strength. i see no war in our future. and as for the military movement, i would treat it as a ploy and fake or a simple drill. that being said we must always prepare for the worst so we should not dismiss this, rather not decide that it is definite.

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  70. Melissa Galvan
    2nd Period

    i think we have nothing to worry about when it comes to dealing with north korea. I think that the new leader is just trying to protect his country, but i don't think Kim Jong Un desires to start a war right now. I see no war in our future. We shouldn't really be taking his threats seriously but we should still take necessary steps as a precaution. Even though North Korea's threats aren't very promising, we should still be prepared.
    There should be military drills for an army and its a good idea to practice them daily. These drills are ways of preparing the troops for any attack.

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