According to some right-wing studies, there is speculation that President Obama – in light of falling approval numbers and pressure from Israel – may push for war with Iran. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen just lately told “Meet the Press” the Pentagon is in fact organized to assault the nation bordering Afghanistan. Yet such activity may have to wait. North Korea may be the next threat when it comes to war, writes Front Page Magazine. Not only would this be disastrous in terms of lost lives, but it would be deadly for manufacturing and also the world imports market.
Nobody wants a New Korean War
Recent territorial clashes between North Korea and South Korea – as well as the sinking of the South Korean ship Cheonan – have drawn the United States into a fray that could effortlessly lead to a New Korean War, suggests Front Page and other sources. North Korean leader Kim Jong-il says his country is ready to fight, which has caused global stocks to plummet. ”We do not hope for war, but if South Korea, with the United States and Japan on its back, tries to assault us, (we) will finish the task of unification left undone during the…(Korean) war (in 1953),” said Kim Jong-il, who also confronted “powerful nuclear deterrence” to those nations who cross North Korea on the matter.
Jong-il has also confronted violent retaliation if additional sanctions are placed on North Korea by the United States and also the European Union, a move both nations have seriously considered.
South Korea is an American ally
UPI indicates that half of United States adults surveyed by the Angus Reid Public Opinion group believe that a New Korean war is inevitable. Among those respondents, less than half are against the United States of America getting directly involved in a North-South Korean conflict. Considering the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said following the Cheonan sinking the Americas would defend its ally – South Korea – in an armed conflict with North Korea, the intent is clearly there.
War noise and the gasps of strangled business
In America, the noise over a New Korean War is financially troubling, says The Detroit Bureau. Setting aside the potential for tragic loss of life on all sides and the United States’ arguable over-commitment in Iraq and Afghanistan, business numbers could also suffer. Automakers like Hyundai and Daewoo, as well as electronics manufacturers like LG would be hurt, as would import-dependent retail giants like Wal-Mart and Best Buy. South Korea would experience economic hard times as their import routes are constricted by war, and even China would feel the pinch as they deal with refugees flooding their borders with the Koreas. Eventually the Americas would feel economic hardship in a chain of events related to our ever-cheaper, ever-faster consumer world.
America would cry for its South Korean supply
Considering reports that South Korean manufacturers are largely unprepared for the possibility of a New Korean War, shipping lanes would likely be shut down or severely impeded. North Korea reportedly doesn’t have a top flight military anymore, but the potential is still there for significant damage to lives and economic systems. If commerce lanes are blocked, South Korea and America will suffer, although North Korea will no doubt suffer ultimate defeat.
Additional reading
Associated Press
newser.com/article/d9h5b3183/north-korea-threatens-nuclear-retaliation-to-us-south-korea-military-exercises.html
The Detroit Bureau
thedetroitbureau.com/2010/05/how-a-new-korean-war-would-affect-u-s-business/
Front Page Magazine
frontpagemag.com/2010/05/26/the-new-korean-war/
Real Clear Politics
realclearpolitics.com/articles/2010/08/04/iran_war_option_on_the_table_106598.html
UPI
upi.com/Top_News/US/2010/06/03/US-adults-expect-new-Korean-war/UPI-27261275605162/
