# Resolved: The US Military buildup played a role in the current state of North Korea **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 5, 2011, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-the-us-military-buildup-played-a-role-in-the-current-state-of-north-korea/566429 "2011-01-05T00:24:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2011, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-the-us-military-buildup-played-a-role-in-the-current-state-of-north-korea/566429/61 "2011-01-05T19:32:22Z")
Let’s say the North had completely prevailed in the war, and the US simply wasn’t in the picture. I do not doubt for one microsecond that Japan would be the boogeyman conspiring against the Korean peoples. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2011, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-the-us-military-buildup-played-a-role-in-the-current-state-of-north-korea/566429/62 "2011-01-05T20:38:19Z")
> [@Inbred\_Mm\_domesticus](#): > > I think people need to read the comments made in the thread and particularly the OP more closely. Nobody is blaming America or assuming our policy is crap. There is universal agreement on cause and effect. NK started it. Nobody is trying to take your bugaboos away and say that NK is the victim. Exactly. If my teenage son is acting up and I enroll him in boarding school, but he interprets that as me abandoning him, rebels even further, starts stealing cars and eventually dies in a police-chase care wreck, it it is not my fault. I am not to blame. I did nothing wrong. But I was a contributing factor. If I had sent him to military school, or did homeschool or something, there is a good chance something different could have happened. This conversation is not about blame or right or wrong. It’s just the simple fact that the US played a role in how North Korea got the way it is. Frankly, I’m kind of shocked at the number of people willing to say that the Korean war and subsequent US policy had absolutely no effect on the current state of North Korea beyond preventing it from taking over South Korea. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2011, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-the-us-military-buildup-played-a-role-in-the-current-state-of-north-korea/566429/63 "2011-01-05T20:39:57Z")
I don’t believe anyone is saying it had absolutely no effect…merely that it wasn’t the primary cause of the problem. -XT ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2011, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-the-us-military-buildup-played-a-role-in-the-current-state-of-north-korea/566429/64 "2011-01-05T20:47:47Z")
Right, the main effect of continued US engagement is that war hasn’t broken out again. That the US has remained engaged on the peninsula is not a main, secondary, or even tertiary cause for the continued tensions. ---
**Author:** ![Nadir](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nadir/32/7302_2.png) [@Nadir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nadir)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2011, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-the-us-military-buildup-played-a-role-in-the-current-state-of-north-korea/566429/65 "2011-01-05T21:07:30Z")
Besides being functionally false (buildup? more like drawdown over the years), the premise of the thread is basically absurd. The blame for the North’s ongoing economic, social and political isolation rests squarely with the Sungs. The world at large understands this. Even China is very leery of the Pyongyang gang these days. ---
**Author:** ![LonesomePolecat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a88e57/32.png) [@LonesomePolecat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LonesomePolecat)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2011, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-the-us-military-buildup-played-a-role-in-the-current-state-of-north-korea/566429/66 "2011-01-05T21:45:49Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > Ah, the old “why do you hate America” defense, Ya know, by the time you hear this particular bit of snark for the ten thousandth time, it’s really gotten tiresome and lame. If you just can’t help indulging yourself in adolescent sneering, could you at least come up with some fresh material? ---
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2011, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-the-us-military-buildup-played-a-role-in-the-current-state-of-north-korea/566429/67 "2011-01-05T23:51:48Z")
> [@Inbred\_Mm\_domesticus](#): > > …Looking at the consequences of aggressive policies: Whether looking at Iran, Iraq, NK, or Vietnam the aggressive policies of these governments were/are bound by their proximity to our military or directing this aggression toward our allies. Of these four countries, only Iraq failed to maintain an adequate enough military to prevent a palatable invasion/counter-attack by our forces. If there is such a thing as unbiased student of history I do believe you’re spot-on in your assessment. Social Darwinism at its finest: tackle the easiest target. Had Hussein’s Iraq actually possessed the infamous WMDs they were accused of having, I do believe we’d be speaking of history in different terms today. A whole lot of killing with “only” financial gains to show for it. Of course that’s the thrust of most wars anyway… ---
**Author:** ![Nadir](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nadir/32/7302_2.png) [@Nadir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nadir)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2011, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-the-us-military-buildup-played-a-role-in-the-current-state-of-north-korea/566429/68 "2011-01-05T23:54:03Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > Frankly, I’m kind of shocked at the number of people … Self delusion is rather shocking by definition, isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2011, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-the-us-military-buildup-played-a-role-in-the-current-state-of-north-korea/566429/69 "2011-01-06T00:06:29Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > …The mind boggles. > > Regards, > Shodan Kewl. Enjoy it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-the-us-military-buildup-played-a-role-in-the-current-state-of-north-korea/566429.md?page=3)