# Ok, Kim Jong Un, you stupid son of a bitch **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 7, 2013, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-kim-jong-un-you-stupid-son-of-a-bitch/652288 "2013-03-07T13:40:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-kim-jong-un-you-stupid-son-of-a-bitch/652288/61 "2013-03-07T20:48:26Z")
I fully believe that if NK did the unimaginable that China would state they’re going on a coffee break and will stay there as long as they don’t hear nukes going off across the border. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-kim-jong-un-you-stupid-son-of-a-bitch/652288/62 "2013-03-07T20:50:43Z")
LawMonkey: > [@](#): > > Honestly, they don’t want to have to deal with North Korea, which is economically depressed in a way that makes the German Democratic Republic at the time the wall fell look like a gleaming model of prosperity. Nobody wants North Korea. The South Koreans don’t. The Chinese don’t. We don’t. I think you mis-read something. I was answering someone who asked why North Korea doesn’t just nuke South Korea. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-kim-jong-un-you-stupid-son-of-a-bitch/652288/63 "2013-03-07T21:00:40Z")
So what would happen if we more or less started carpet bombing with bags of rice and vegetables? Take the control-through-starvation option off the NK governments ability to terrorize its own population? Maybe throw in some dried shrimp and scallops [yecch] and some chickens [As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly!!!] ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-kim-jong-un-you-stupid-son-of-a-bitch/652288/64 "2013-03-07T21:03:22Z")
Either the North Korean government would say they were the ones dropping the food, or they would tell everybody it was poison and then imprison everyone who was caught eating the food. ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-kim-jong-un-you-stupid-son-of-a-bitch/652288/65 "2013-03-07T21:20:01Z")
> [@cmkeller](#): > > I think you mis-read something. I was answering someone who asked why North Korea doesn’t just nuke South Korea. Derp. Someone was talking about why didn’t China invade and I got confused, obviously. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-kim-jong-un-you-stupid-son-of-a-bitch/652288/66 "2013-03-07T21:50:32Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > So what would happen if we more or less started carpet bombing with bags of rice and vegetables? Repeated use of unauthorized foreign aircraft over NK soil? That actually can be considered an act of aggression. Worse yet, NK would be well within their rights to shoot those guys down. Even worse, the military would come in and confiscate any airdropped food and send any poor bastards stupid enough to take the food to a prison camp. The military already gets the bulk of what little food is produced locally, and they’re not going to sit idly by. And the kicker, the amount of food you’d need is humongous and regular air drops are expensive (see the [Berlin airlift](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_Blockade) for what it would look like writ “small”). ---
**Author:** ![SirGalahad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/71c47a/32.png) [@SirGalahad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SirGalahad)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-kim-jong-un-you-stupid-son-of-a-bitch/652288/67 "2013-03-07T22:08:36Z")
> [@Nancarrow](#): > > Not too clued up on this whole ‘malnutrition’ thing, then? Not to change the subject, but I’ll bet the civilians in North Korea are unarmed. Hungry and unarmed. They probably won’t rise up. Can someone with international political expertise please explain exactly what would happen if we just said: “You win, Kim, we give up,” and then just completely ignored the whole country, no aid, no diplomacy, no attention whatever, just let the rest of the world deal with them? Is it because South Korea makes such great phones and TVs that we care? Or is it all the cool stuff China sells through Walmart? ---
**Author:** ![BigAppleBucky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigapplebucky/32/178_2.png) [@BigAppleBucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigAppleBucky)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-kim-jong-un-you-stupid-son-of-a-bitch/652288/68 "2013-03-07T22:18:44Z")
> [@harmonicamoon](#): > > But Dennis Rodman says Kim is a nice guy. And the Onion thinks he’s the sexiest man alive. [http://www.theonion.com/articles/kim-jongun-named-the-onions-sexiest-man-alive-for,30379/](http://www.theonion.com/articles/kim-jongun-named-the-onions-sexiest-man-alive-for,30379/) ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-kim-jong-un-you-stupid-son-of-a-bitch/652288/69 "2013-03-07T22:20:15Z")
You mean beyond basic humanitarian concern for the millions of starving, wretched people living in that shithole? NK exports weapons technology (or would like to, anyway). A good chunk of the world is interested in making sure it doesn’t leave the peninsula. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-kim-jong-un-you-stupid-son-of-a-bitch/652288/70 "2013-03-07T22:27:02Z")
> [@SirGalahad](#): > > Can someone with international political expertise please explain exactly what would happen if we just said: “You win, Kim, we give up,” and then just completely ignored the whole country, no aid, no diplomacy, no attention whatever, just let the rest of the world deal with them? Is it because South Korea makes such great phones and TVs that we care? Or is it all the cool stuff China sells through Walmart? You seem like a young guy who’s trying out some libertarian shtick. The simple way to put it is this: the U.S. signed a treaty with South Korea a long time ago and despite some controversies over the years, South Korea still wants the U.S. to help them ward off these lunatics. If you make agreements with people and don’t honor them, you can expect them to do the same thing to you. The result is a pain in the ass. And I don’t think it helps the U.S. if a bunch of heavily armed starving maniacs are left to their own devices on the border of two major allies (Japan and South Korea) and a third country that is a huge market for U.S. goods (China). And we already know North Korea has sold nuclear technology to other countries, so that’s not something you want to ignore. ---
**Author:** ![SirGalahad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/71c47a/32.png) [@SirGalahad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SirGalahad)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-kim-jong-un-you-stupid-son-of-a-bitch/652288/71 "2013-03-07T23:04:35Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > You seem like a young guy who’s trying out some libertarian shtick. The simple way to put it is this: the U.S. signed a treaty with South Korea a long time ago and despite some controversies over the years, South Korea still wants the U.S. to help them ward off these lunatics. If you make agreements with people and don’t honor them, you can expect them to do the same thing to you. The result is a pain in the ass. And I don’t think it helps the U.S. if a bunch of heavily armed starving maniacs are left to their own devices on the border of two major allies (Japan and South Korea) and a third country that is a huge market for U.S. goods (China). And we already know North Korea has sold nuclear technology to other countries, so that’s not something you want to ignore. Excellent, now we’re getting somewhere. Incidentally, I’m a child of the 50s, I remember “duck and cover”. If our treaty with S. Korea says we are to defend them, then the onus is on us to preemptively insert ourselves on their behalf? We need to not only come to the aid of S. Korea, but we need to keep the peace anywhere near S. Korea? Fair enough. Seems to me, if our treaty makes us the police of that whole area, we have dropped the ball by letting the dictators of N. Korea target Seoul. We signed a treaty, having lost a war with N. Korea, that says, “if they give you any more trouble let us know.” That, good sir, is shtick. It sounds like a punchline. Am I right? And how about these kids, and their hair … and that music, with the twisting and the rocking and rolling. Oy! ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-kim-jong-un-you-stupid-son-of-a-bitch/652288/72 "2013-03-07T23:17:50Z")
> [@SirGalahad](#): > > If our treaty with S. Korea says we are to defend them, then the onus is on us to preemptively insert ourselves on their behalf? Is that what’s happening? It’s not like South Korea is just standing by. They’re not on the security council, but they’ve been part of the six-party talks. This is a bigger problem for them than it’s ever going to be for the U.S. > [@](#): > > We need to not only come to the aid of S. Korea, but we need to keep the peace anywhere near S. Korea? What? The U.S. (and pretty much everyone else) are trying to get North Korea to shut down their nuclear weapons program. That’s not some kind of mission creep ‘keeping the peace anywhere near S. Korea’ goal, it’s a very straightforward task. > [@](#): > > Seems to me, if our treaty makes us the police of that whole area, we have dropped the ball by letting the dictators of N. Korea target Seoul. I don’t think there was much to be done about that. The Cold War was on and the U.S.S.R. was supporting North Korea. > [@](#): > > We signed a treaty, having lost a war with N. Korea, that says, “if they give you any more trouble let us know.” That, good sir, is shtick. It sounds like a punchline. Your failed attempt to comprehend it sounds like a punchline, sure. The actual problem doesn’t sound like a punchline. ---
**Author:** ![SirGalahad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/71c47a/32.png) [@SirGalahad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SirGalahad)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-kim-jong-un-you-stupid-son-of-a-bitch/652288/73 "2013-03-07T23:26:49Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Is that what’s happening? It’s not like South Korea is just standing by. They’re not on the security council, but they’ve been part of the six-party talks. This is a bigger problem for them than it’s ever going to be for the U.S. > > What? The U.S. (and **pretty much everyone else** ) are trying to get North Korea to shut down their nuclear weapons program. That’s not some kind of mission creep ‘keeping the peace anywhere near S. Korea’ goal, it’s a very straightforward task. > > I don’t think there was much to be done about that. The Cold War was on and the U.S.S.R. was supporting North Korea. > > Your failed attempt to comprehend it sounds like a punchline, sure. The actual problem doesn’t sound like a punchline. Please define bolded section. And, who is not on board with the international community? Somebody is sending care packages, otherwise, Kim would have run out of Hennessy long ago. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-kim-jong-un-you-stupid-son-of-a-bitch/652288/74 "2013-03-07T23:36:13Z")
> [@SirGalahad](#): > > Please define bolded section. The latest sanctions were passed unanimously by the U.N. Security Council. China is North Korea’s main benefactor and even they seem pissed off at this point. They told them not go through with the last nuclear test and DPRK government didn’t listen. > [@](#): > > And, who is not on board with the international community? Somebody is sending care packages, otherwise, Kim would have run out of Hennessy long ago. I am not sure what you are going for here because I never said there was some kind of international agreement to stop feeding the country. North Korea gets food from a few different countries and international organizations. I think the U.S. suspended its aid program a year ago. And the Hennessy drinker was Kim Jong-Il, who is dead. Wikipedia says Kim Jong-Un prefers Johnny Walker. ---
**Author:** ![Sanity\_Challenged](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de053/32.png) [@Sanity\_Challenged](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sanity_Challenged)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-kim-jong-un-you-stupid-son-of-a-bitch/652288/75 "2013-03-07T23:36:35Z")
[Release the Drones!](http://hl.sanitychallenged.com/ReleasetheDrones.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-kim-jong-un-you-stupid-son-of-a-bitch/652288/76 "2013-03-07T23:43:02Z")
> [@SirGalahad](#): > > Please define bolded section. And, who is not on board with the international community? Somebody is sending care packages, otherwise, Kim would have run out of Hennessy long ago. “Pretty much everybody” is most of the UN. The ones who aren’t on board are the usual suspects, though they do it on the down low. Officially, everybody is ticked. China is giving them a bit of aid. Not just food/money but also some logistical support. They’re getting impatient, though. Being a nuisance to the US is one thing. Threatening pre-emptive nuclear war is another kettle of fish. The illicit weapons sales bring in money. The cash is smuggled in and the weapons tech smuggled out. Countries known to have traded with them include Pakistan, Syria, Iran, and Myanmar/Burma. They do business with various groups in African, South America, and the Middle East. It’s certainly enough money to keep luxury goods coming in. Some of the shipments travel overland to China, from where it can be distributed more easily. Others are shipped via sea directly with a bit of misdirection to throw off observers. Some articles on it: [link1](http://www.undispatch.com/north-korean-defectors-describes-arms-export), [link2](http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-11-10/north-korea-exports-100-million-of-arms-each-year-in-breach-of-sanctions.html), [link3](http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2010/03/10/2010031000953.html), [link4](http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/israel-to-un-north-korea-arms-proliferation-destabilizing-the-middle-east-1.303720), [link5](http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323830404578144981537771060.html) ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2013, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-kim-jong-un-you-stupid-son-of-a-bitch/652288/77 "2013-03-08T00:41:11Z")
I love the air drops of food solution. Sure, the military could try to confiscate it all, say its poisoned, imprison people but that will only work for a short period. Same thing with saying they are doing the dropping. As to the act of agression? Let them try and claim that - let’s see the response if they actually try to shoot down one such plane. I wouldn’t think it would be pretty. The cost? Yeah, It’d be expensive - but I’m betting the total cost would be cheap compared to an actual all out war and a drop in the bucket compared to what has been spent on recent adventures in Iraq. ---
**Author:** ![SirGalahad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/71c47a/32.png) [@SirGalahad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SirGalahad)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2013, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-kim-jong-un-you-stupid-son-of-a-bitch/652288/78 "2013-03-08T00:45:13Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > The latest sanctions were passed unanimously by the U.N. Security Council. China is North Korea’s main benefactor and even they seem pissed off at this point. They told them not go through with the last nuclear test and DPRK government didn’t listen. > > I am not sure what you are going for here because I never said there was some kind of international agreement to stop feeding the country. North Korea gets food from a few different countries and international organizations. I think the U.S. suspended its aid program a year ago. And the Hennessy drinker was Kim Jong-Il, who is dead. Wikipedia says Kim Jong-Un prefers Johnny Walker. At least you managed to write that post without the condescension and dismissiveness. I’m disappointed in Kim Jong-un, I would have predicted Courvoisier. Seems to me the OP pretty much paralleled my question (post 67), only I never suggested Kim apologize. Why the vitriol toward me, you were civil to Chimera. Are you guys Freemasons? They’re always nice to each other. ---
**Author:** ![SirGalahad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/71c47a/32.png) [@SirGalahad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SirGalahad)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2013, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-kim-jong-un-you-stupid-son-of-a-bitch/652288/79 "2013-03-08T00:46:26Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > “Pretty much everybody” is most of the UN. The ones who aren’t on board are the usual suspects, though they do it on the down low. Officially, everybody is ticked. > > China is giving them a bit of aid. Not just food/money but also some logistical support. They’re getting impatient, though. Being a nuisance to the US is one thing. Threatening pre-emptive nuclear war is another kettle of fish. > > The illicit weapons sales bring in money. The cash is smuggled in and the weapons tech smuggled out. Countries known to have traded with them include Pakistan, Syria, Iran, and Myanmar/Burma. They do business with various groups in African, South America, and the Middle East. It’s certainly enough money to keep luxury goods coming in. > > Some of the shipments travel overland to China, from where it can be distributed more easily. Others are shipped via sea directly with a bit of misdirection to throw off observers. > > Some articles on it: [link1](http://www.undispatch.com/north-korean-defectors-describes-arms-export), [link2](http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-11-10/north-korea-exports-100-million-of-arms-each-year-in-breach-of-sanctions.html), [link3](http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2010/03/10/2010031000953.html), [link4](http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/israel-to-un-north-korea-arms-proliferation-destabilizing-the-middle-east-1.303720), [link5](http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323830404578144981537771060.html) Thanks for the links. ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2013, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-kim-jong-un-you-stupid-son-of-a-bitch/652288/80 "2013-03-08T01:06:33Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Kinda makes you wonder what South Korea would look like as an island… On the North shore the water is a bit too hot to swim, but the tanning is amazing! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-kim-jong-un-you-stupid-son-of-a-bitch/652288.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-kim-jong-un-you-stupid-son-of-a-bitch/652288.md?page=5)