# There's a meteor heading toward Pyongyang, North Korea. Should we do anything? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 1, 2013, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-meteor-heading-toward-pyongyang-north-korea-should-we-do-anything/649056 "2013-02-01T18:49:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![yellowjacketcoder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4bbf92/32.png) [@yellowjacketcoder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowjacketcoder)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-meteor-heading-toward-pyongyang-north-korea-should-we-do-anything/649056/61 "2013-02-06T18:18:11Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Episode? [The Apple, Season 2, Episode 5](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Apple_(Star_Trek:_The_Original_Series)) It’s the one where with the mountain that looks like a lizard named Vaal ---
**Author:** ![eltro102](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@eltro102](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eltro102)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-meteor-heading-toward-pyongyang-north-korea-should-we-do-anything/649056/62 "2013-02-06T18:31:58Z")
Use the shield, then launch an ICMB attack minutes after to blow up just pyongyang ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2013, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-meteor-heading-toward-pyongyang-north-korea-should-we-do-anything/649056/63 "2013-02-10T20:24:12Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Right, but due to the fact you did, my stand is “Milliosn for defense, not one cent for tribute”. > > No payola. Not even for an American city. I don’t see how it would be payola to pay RhE to swat a meteor heading to New York City when RhE didn’t set the meteor on course in the first place. How is that different from any other capitalist enterprise? ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2013, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-meteor-heading-toward-pyongyang-north-korea-should-we-do-anything/649056/64 "2013-02-10T22:57:42Z")
Sadly, I agree that more good would come out of wiping out Pyongyang in a meteor strike and the subsequent downfall of their tyrannous government than saving them all and letting it all continue. But then again, maybe North Korea is just a day or two away from revolution and change. It’d be a tough, sad decision, but I think I’d let it fall. ---
**Author:** ![2nd\_Law](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/f475e1/32.png) [@2nd\_Law](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2nd_Law)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2013, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-meteor-heading-toward-pyongyang-north-korea-should-we-do-anything/649056/65 "2013-02-11T02:52:26Z")
My alternate answer: Hmm, according to the CIA world factbook, North Korea’s annual GDP is $40 billion, and the cost of intercepting the meteor is going to be substantially more than that. So, let’s ask Kim Jong Un which he would prefer, the one time cash payment of the $50 billion, payable to the DPRK or his Swiss bank account, or the meteor intercept. One requirement, however, is that he has to reveal publicly his decision. Live, in front of a huge live North Korean audience, on every TV and radio station in North Korea. C-SPAN, CNN, et al., will be able to broadcast the ceremony as well. He can say whatever he wants, spin it however he wants, in his little speech. I would expect Kim to ask for the cash. He’d likely announce the payment is being made for some such reason as the US is afraid of him and the NK military machine. Then we write the check – to Rhymer Enterprises, and let Kimmy deal with the blowback. ---
**Author:** ![Molesworth\_2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9dc877/32.png) [@Molesworth\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Molesworth_2)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2013, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-meteor-heading-toward-pyongyang-north-korea-should-we-do-anything/649056/66 "2013-02-11T13:13:12Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > By the same reasoning, though, nobody’s paying us to save the North Koreans either. As RhE is not on the side of hugs, kittens, and lollipops, we’re not deploying our anti-meteor screen for free. If y’all want us to blast that meteor to atoms at a safe distance, it’ll be a cool $50 billion, payable in advance. Since when has any country had an “anti-meteor screen”?😕 You do realize that Armageddon and Deep Impact weren’t documentaries, right? ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-meteor-heading-toward-pyongyang-north-korea-should-we-do-anything/649056/67 "2013-02-13T17:48:24Z")
> [@Molesworth\_2](#): > > Since when has any country had an “anti-meteor screen”?😕 > > You do realize that Armageddon and Deep Impact weren’t documentaries, right? I don’t believe you’re truly confused. Rhymer Enterprises isn’t a country. It’s a fantasy organization with magic tech that engages in various & sundry criminal enterprises including causing zombie holocausts, stealing mystic artifacts from the ruins of Asgard, and renting out hookerbots. And the poll question specifically notes that the topic is ridiculous. > [@2nd\_Law](#): > > My alternate answer: > > Hmm, according to the CIA world factbook, North Korea’s annual GDP is $40 billion, and the cost of intercepting the meteor is going to be substantially more than that. > > So, let’s ask Kim Jong Un which he would prefer, the one time cash payment of the $50 billion, payable to the DPRK or his Swiss bank account, or the meteor intercept. One requirement, however, is that he has to reveal publicly his decision. Live, in front of a huge live North Korean audience, on every TV and radio station in North Korea. C-SPAN, CNN, et al., will be able to broadcast the ceremony as well. He can say whatever he wants, spin it however he wants, in his little speech. > > I would expect Kim to ask for the cash. He’d likely announce the payment is being made for some such reason as the US is afraid of him and the NK military machine. > > Then we write the check – to Rhymer Enterprises, and let Kimmy deal with the blowback. An excellent plan. RhE has a position for you in the cunning plan department. You however, mistakenly type “write the check” when you clearly meant “deliver the gold.” (Though we also accept platinum.) ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-meteor-heading-toward-pyongyang-north-korea-should-we-do-anything/649056/68 "2013-02-13T19:02:10Z")
Start rounding up material to support South Korea. A meteorite big enough to wipe out Pyonyang is gonna hose the Skoreans with the fallout. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-meteor-heading-toward-pyongyang-north-korea-should-we-do-anything/649056/69 "2013-02-15T20:15:34Z")
Today’s events in Russia reminded me of this thread. What if that puppy was a few thousand miles to the east and hit North Korea? How would they react? No one saw that meteor coming so there would be no warning. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-meteor-heading-toward-pyongyang-north-korea-should-we-do-anything/649056.md?page=3)