# Why is the US government the one considering retaliation against North Korea for hacking Sony **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 18, 2014, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-us-government-the-one-considering-retaliation-against-north-korea-for-hacking-sony/707551 "2014-12-18T04:42:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2014, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-us-government-the-one-considering-retaliation-against-north-korea-for-hacking-sony/707551/21 "2014-12-18T15:28:39Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > As far as I know there is nothing in the US code obligating the government to act in any particular way. However it is not a good idea for our government to allow foreign governments to screw with commerce. How strong is the evidence that the Norkies are behind this? I haven’t followed the story at all closely. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2014, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-us-government-the-one-considering-retaliation-against-north-korea-for-hacking-sony/707551/22 "2014-12-18T15:29:42Z")
> [@Boogly](#): > > If theaters were to be bombed I reserve my right as a grunt to respond how I see fit; > > To locate, close with, and destroy the enemy, by fire and maneuver, or repel the enemy assault by fire and close combat. Hmmm! That’s ah, great! Really great! _Okay Turnip, don’t panic… just keep smiling and back away slowwwwwly toward the exit…_ ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2014, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-us-government-the-one-considering-retaliation-against-north-korea-for-hacking-sony/707551/23 "2014-12-18T15:31:10Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > Also, Japan doesn’t have much of a working military to attack NK. And NK doesn’t have much of an infrastructure to target in return for this alleged attack. They target a major corporation and prevent the release of a major motion picture. What are we going to do in return - shut down their server and shoot the homing pigeon? Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2014, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-us-government-the-one-considering-retaliation-against-north-korea-for-hacking-sony/707551/24 "2014-12-18T15:58:59Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > What are we going to do in return - shut down their server and shoot the homing pigeon? Nice joke, but [they may actually be using that:](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IP_over_Avian_Carriers) > [@Wikipedia](#): > > IPoAC has been successfully implemented, but for only nine packets of data, with a packet loss ratio of 55% (due to user error), and a response time ranging from 3000 seconds (~54 minutes) to over 6000 seconds (~1.77 hours). Thus, this technology suffers from poor latency. Nevertheless, for large transfers, avian carriers are capable of high average throughput when carrying flash memory devices, effectively implementing a sneakernet. During the last 20 years, the information density of storage media and thus the bandwidth of an avian carrier has increased 3 times faster than the bandwidth of the Internet. IPoAC may achieve bandwidth peaks of orders of magnitude more than the Internet when used with multiple avian carriers in rural areas. For example: If 16 homing pigeons are given eight 32 GB SD cards each, and take an hour to reach their destination, the throughput of the transfer would be 9102 Mbit/s, excluding transfer to and from the SD cards. Maybe we can take down [the world’s creepiest hotel](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryugyong_Hotel) instead. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2014, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-us-government-the-one-considering-retaliation-against-north-korea-for-hacking-sony/707551/25 "2014-12-18T16:04:37Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > Hmmm! That’s ah, great! Really great! > > _Okay Turnip, don’t panic… just keep smiling and back away slowwwwwly toward the exit…_ “To locate, close with, and destroy the enemy, by fire and maneuver, or repel the enemy assault by fire and close combat.” Marine Corp motto writers get paid by the word, evidently. ---
**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:** [December 18, 2014, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-us-government-the-one-considering-retaliation-against-north-korea-for-hacking-sony/707551/26 "2014-12-18T16:16:15Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > How strong is the evidence that the Norkies are behind this? I haven’t followed the story at all closely. > > Regards, > Shodan I’m not sure there is any such evidence known to the public, beyond just widespread speculation. I may be wrong. ---
**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:** [December 18, 2014, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-us-government-the-one-considering-retaliation-against-north-korea-for-hacking-sony/707551/27 "2014-12-18T16:42:00Z")
I stand corrected. Intelligence officials are [saying](http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/top-movie-theater-chains-cancel-premiere-showings-of-the-interview/2014/12/17/dd1bdb2a-8608-11e4-9534-f79a23c40e6c_story.html) off the record that the government has concluded that North Korea is responsible. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2014, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-us-government-the-one-considering-retaliation-against-north-korea-for-hacking-sony/707551/28 "2014-12-18T17:11:09Z")
Thanks for the info. Time to send _Team America_ after them! Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2014, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-us-government-the-one-considering-retaliation-against-north-korea-for-hacking-sony/707551/29 "2014-12-18T17:44:01Z")
I’m conflicted on this. One one hand, it galls me that the bad guys won, and terroristic threats ended up being totally 100% successful. On the other hand, talking about “retaliation” for North Korea derailing a rather stupid-looking comedy seems a bit like using a sledgehammer to swat a mosquito. ---
**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:** [December 18, 2014, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-us-government-the-one-considering-retaliation-against-north-korea-for-hacking-sony/707551/30 "2014-12-18T17:49:30Z")
Apparently they completely [wrecked](http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/bitwise/2014/12/sony_pictures_hack_why_its_perpetrators_should_be_called_cyberterrorists.html) Sony Pictures’ IT infrastructure, to the point where they may not be able to pay employees because they have no payroll systems. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2014, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-us-government-the-one-considering-retaliation-against-north-korea-for-hacking-sony/707551/31 "2014-12-18T22:40:05Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > Also, Japan doesn’t have much of a working military to attack NK. Why? We took it away from them after they, y’know, teamed up with Hitler and tried to take over the world. We said hey, we’ll carry the guns from now on. So there is at least some moral responsibility on the US to project Japan. The majority of the Japanese populace is rather happy with their anti-militaristic constitutional requirement. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2014, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-us-government-the-one-considering-retaliation-against-north-korea-for-hacking-sony/707551/32 "2014-12-18T22:42:09Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > I’m conflicted on this. One one hand, it galls me that the bad guys won, and terroristic threats ended up being totally 100% successful. If we’re able to track down the people associated with the attack, it would be possible for Sony to re-issue the thing. And of course, Sony could simply give the film out to YouTube and Netflix and Hulu and everyone else who wants it for free, and end up having made the most watched film in the world before the end of January. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2014, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-us-government-the-one-considering-retaliation-against-north-korea-for-hacking-sony/707551/33 "2014-12-18T23:29:38Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > I’m conflicted on this. One one hand, it galls me that the bad guys won, and terroristic threats ended up being totally 100% successful. > > On the other hand, talking about “retaliation” for North Korea derailing a rather stupid-looking comedy seems a bit like using a sledgehammer to swat a mosquito. Compared to the other stuff North Korea does to the international community like manufacture and sell drugs or selling nuclear technology, hacking into Sony is a pretty mild thing they done. But since the world doesn’t react when NK sells nuclear technology to Syria or Myanmar, or when they manufacture meth and sell it overseas I doubt they react to this hacking scandal. Either way, this was an attack on US soil but it was an attack on a Japanese company and it was an assault on freedom of speech in general, something 100+ nations recognize as an important right. You’d assume it wouldn’t just be the US responding. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-us-government-the-one-considering-retaliation-against-north-korea-for-hacking-sony/707551/34 "2014-12-19T00:09:09Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Thanks for the info. Time to send _Team America_ after them! > > Regards, > Shodan Yesterday I saw that some theaters are going to show _Team America_ in place of the canceled movie. Today I see that some theaters are canceling _Team America_ too! ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-us-government-the-one-considering-retaliation-against-north-korea-for-hacking-sony/707551/35 "2014-12-19T00:18:03Z")
Way to bum everyone out, North Korea. Pshhh. ---
**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:** [December 19, 2014, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-us-government-the-one-considering-retaliation-against-north-korea-for-hacking-sony/707551/36 "2014-12-19T00:27:43Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Yesterday I saw that some theaters are going to show _Team America_ in place of the canceled movie. Today I see that some theaters are canceling _Team America_ too! Why can’t these threats happen to movies like “Battleship” or “Transformers 2?” ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-us-government-the-one-considering-retaliation-against-north-korea-for-hacking-sony/707551/37 "2014-12-19T02:25:34Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > “To locate, close with, and destroy the enemy, by fire and maneuver, or repel the enemy assault by fire and close combat.” > > Marine Corp motto writers get paid by the word, evidently. Hey, they don’t call it a theatre of war for nothing. > [@](#): > > We shall fight in the ticket queues, we shall fight by the popcorn stand, we shall fight in the aisles and in the seats, we shall fight by the tills; we shall never surrender. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-us-government-the-one-considering-retaliation-against-north-korea-for-hacking-sony/707551/38 "2014-12-19T03:18:40Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > The majority of the Japanese populace is rather happy with their anti-militaristic constitutional requirement. You mean the one they just changed? > **[Japan cabinet approves landmark military change](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-28086002)** > > Japan's cabinet approves a landmark change in security policy, paving the way for its military to fight overseas. > [@](#): > > But a reinterpretation of the law will now allow “collective self-defence” - using force to defend allies under attack. > > PM Shinzo Abe has been pushing hard for the move, arguing Japan needs to adapt to a changing security environment. > > “No matter what the circumstances, I will protect Japanese people’s lives and peaceful existence,” he told journalists after the change was approved. > > The decision must be passed by parliament, which the ruling bloc controls. But by reinterpreting rather than revising the constitution, Mr Abe avoids the need for a public referendum The LDP (the ruling party) just won a smashing victory in last sundays elections. ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-us-government-the-one-considering-retaliation-against-north-korea-for-hacking-sony/707551/39 "2014-12-19T03:21:34Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > Also, Japan doesn’t have much of a working military to attack NK. Utterly incorrect. They just don’t use their military to attack people anymore. > **[Japan Air Self-Defense Force](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan_Air_Self-Defense_Force#Aircraft_inventory)** > > The Japan Air Self-Defense Force (Japanese: 航空自衛隊, Hepburn: Kōkū Jieitai), JASDF (空自, Kūji), also referred to as the Japanese Air Force, is the air and space branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, responsible for the defense of Japanese airspace, other air and space operations, cyberwarfare and electronic warfare. The JASDF carries out combat air patrols around Japan, while also maintaining a network of ground and air early-warning radar systems. The branch also has an aerobatic team know Th... > **[Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan_Maritime_Self-Defense_Force#Equipment)** > > The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (Japanese: 海上自衛隊, Hepburn: Kaijō Jieitai), abbreviated JMSDF (海自, Kaiji), also simply known as the Japanese Navy, is the maritime warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, tasked with the naval defense of Japan. The JMSDF was formed following the dissolution of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) after World War II. The JMSDF has a fleet of 154 ships, 346 aircraft and 50,800 personnel. > Following Japan's defeat in World War II, the Imperial Japanese Nav... > **[2024 Japan Military Strength](https://www.globalfirepower.com/country-military-strength-detail.php?country_id=japan)** > > Detailing the current military strength of Japan including air force, army, navy, financials and manpower. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-us-government-the-one-considering-retaliation-against-north-korea-for-hacking-sony/707551/40 "2014-12-19T05:25:03Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > You mean the one they just changed? > > [Japan cabinet approves landmark military change - BBC News](http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-28086002) > > The LDP (the ruling party) just won a smashing victory in last sundays elections. The constitution didn’t change. Japan has been a single-party state for about the same amount of time as China, so it’s not terribly meaningful that the LDP won. They have always won. The Prime Minister changes because the party wants him to change, not because the LDP will get voted out. But Abe’s being ambitious about jazzing up the Japanese economy, so he’s been able to attach a few side issues that the LDP is for, but the people aren’t, to his overall political bag. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-us-government-the-one-considering-retaliation-against-north-korea-for-hacking-sony/707551.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-us-government-the-one-considering-retaliation-against-north-korea-for-hacking-sony/707551.md?page=3)