# South Korean Defense Minister promises retaliation **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 4, 2010, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korean-defense-minister-promises-retaliation/538281 "2010-05-04T14:25:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Marmite\_Lover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Marmite\_Lover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marmite_Lover)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korean-defense-minister-promises-retaliation/538281/41 "2010-05-21T09:34:39Z")
Does Cameron want war with China and Russia? > **[Does Cameron want war with China and Russia?](https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2010/04/china-russia-cameron-foreign)** > > Once again, the Tory leader reveals that he's a foreign-affairs lightweight. Now that the US have Cameron/Hague on board. We could well be seeing WW3. ---
**Author:** ![Marmite\_Lover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Marmite\_Lover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marmite_Lover)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korean-defense-minister-promises-retaliation/538281/42 "2010-05-21T09:46:16Z")
> [@spark240](#): > > The long delay in getting to the present point–the _Cheonan_ was torpedoed almost two months ago!–reinforces the North Korean impression of South Korea and their American allies as pussies. This probably makes war more likely now than it was in the first few days after the sinking, when a hard but judicious counterstrike _might_ have chastened the North. But up till then it was just hearsay. Only 5-6 days ago after dredging the sea bed did they come up with that torpedo. I guess they couldn’t do anything till they had proof. It look though that the US are bent on war. One guy I was talking to last night described it like this. When there is a herd of buffalo, the lion will stalk and pick out the weakest looking for the kill and the rest will scatter leaving that buffalo so they can escape. He said that buffalo was Iraq. But sometimes the herd will ‘about turn’ on that lion and he will be killed by the herd. ---
**Author:** ![Marmite\_Lover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Marmite\_Lover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marmite_Lover)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korean-defense-minister-promises-retaliation/538281/43 "2010-05-21T09:47:48Z")
> [@spark240](#): > > The long delay in getting to the present point–the _Cheonan_ was torpedoed almost two months ago!–reinforces the North Korean impression of South Korea and their American allies as pussies. This probably makes war more likely now than it was in the first few days after the sinking, when a hard but judicious counterstrike _might_ have chastened the North. But up till then it was just hearsay. Only 5-6 days ago after dredging the sea bed did they come up with that torpedo. I guess they couldn’t do anything till they had proof. It look though that the US are bent on war. One guy I was talking to last night described it like this. When there is a herd of buffalo, the lion will stalk and pick out the weakest looking for the kill and the rest will scatter leaving that buffalo so they can escape. He said that buffalo was Iraq. The next buffalo is Iran. But sometimes the herd will ‘about turn’ on that lion and he will be killed by the herd. He said it happens in nature and it always happens in history. ---
**Author:** ![Marmite\_Lover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Marmite\_Lover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marmite_Lover)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korean-defense-minister-promises-retaliation/538281/44 "2010-05-21T09:53:23Z")
DP ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korean-defense-minister-promises-retaliation/538281/45 "2010-05-21T13:22:04Z")
Ngh. North Korea’s continued denials - I can’t decide if they’re childish or attempts at political gamesmanship. The bottom line - they committed an act of war. They deserve to be crushed with all available speed. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korean-defense-minister-promises-retaliation/538281/46 "2010-05-21T13:26:07Z")
> [@Marmite\_Lover](#): > > But up till then it was just hearsay. Only 5-6 days ago after dredging the sea bed did they come up with that torpedo. > I guess they couldn’t do anything till they had proof. > > It look though that the US are bent on war. > > One guy I was talking to last night described it like this. > > When there is a herd of buffalo, the lion will stalk and pick out the weakest looking for the kill and the rest will scatter leaving that buffalo so they can escape. > > He said that buffalo was Iraq. > > The next buffalo is Iran. > > But sometimes the herd will ‘about turn’ on that lion and he will be killed by the herd. > > He said it happens in nature and it always happens in history. :rolleyes: Oh please, Mr WD-40. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korean-defense-minister-promises-retaliation/538281/47 "2010-05-21T14:09:44Z")
> [@Marmite\_Lover](#): > > We could well be seeing WW3. No, we really couldn’t. Look - the only ones who even _might_ genuinely want a full-scale regional war are the North Korean government, if they become convinced they’re genuinely going down. The US doesn’t want a war at all, certainly not one with China and/or Russia. Nor does Britain. Nor does anyone - and China and Russia certainly feel likewise. If the balloon does go up, the US will be talking _very_ carefully with China about how best to resolve the situation without escalating to a war between those two powers. The Chinese government isn’t exactly warm and fuzzy, but it’s not insane - they don’t want a full-blown war on their border, and push comes to show they’ll reach some agreement with the US and South Korea to manage it if it happens. You seem to think that world leaders are rather cavalier about rushing off to war, **Marmite Lover**. With rare exceptions, it just ain’t so. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korean-defense-minister-promises-retaliation/538281/48 "2010-05-21T14:17:30Z")
> [@Marmite\_Lover](#): > > Is a new US-Russian Cold War brewing? > > DEBKAfile DEBKA-Net-Weekly May 20, 2010, 10:23 AM (GMT+02:00) Debka is not remotely reliable. ETA: I think they’ve predicted 10 out of the last 2 major regional wars. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korean-defense-minister-promises-retaliation/538281/49 "2010-05-21T14:25:35Z")
If Debka said the sky is blue, I’d still want to look out my window. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korean-defense-minister-promises-retaliation/538281/50 "2010-05-21T15:15:55Z")
The US has deployed carrier battle groups and Marine expeditionary forces to the Arabian Sea region since the fall of the Shah of Iran. Sending the Truman and company isn’t proof of jack. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korean-defense-minister-promises-retaliation/538281/51 "2010-05-21T15:35:47Z")
> [@mlees](#): > > The US has deployed carrier battle groups and Marine expeditionary forces to the Arabian Sea region since the fall of the Shah of Iran. > > Sending the Truman and company isn’t proof of jack. Maybe the Truman is going there for reasons already divulged? [US summer offensive](http://www.usatoday.com/news/military/2010-03-29-Kandahar_N.htm) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korean-defense-minister-promises-retaliation/538281.md?page=2)