Increased Tension Surrounding North Korea

[Lauren Johnson]

[Lauren Johnson]

The widespread ignorance and stupidity that afflicts most of our political and military leaders is alarming. The latest thing to set me off were today's comments by PACOM Chief, Admiral Harry Harris, who testified before the House Armed Services Committee. Bloomberg's report on the Admiral's testimony noted:

While the joint statement emphasized diplomacy, the U.S. continued to move a battle group led by an aircraft carrier, the USS Carl Vinson, toward the region. At the same time, the USS Michigan, a nuclear-powered submarine capable of carrying 154 Tomahawks, arrived at the South Korean port of Busan this week. The move was was described by the Pentagon, which typically doesn't discuss submarine movements, as part of a routine patrol.

Pressed by lawmakers, Admiral Harris wouldn't discuss publicly scenarios for a pre-emptive strike against North Korea, though he did address the risk that U.S. action could be met by a response that would kill many South Koreans, Japanese and U.S. troops in the region.

"A lot more Koreans and Japanese and Americans die" if Kim's regime reaches its nuclear arms goals, Harris said.

China has also sought to calm tensions on the Korean Peninsula by emphasizing diplomacy. Speaking by phone with Trump on Monday, Xi urged all parties to avoid actions that might make the situation worse, and to work within the framework of UN Security Council resolutions, according to state broadcaster China Central Television.

Americans still cannot disabuse themselves of the idea that we are in control of the world and others must do what we say. We are like the Red Queen in Lewis Carroll's "Through the Looking Glass." Obtuse. Shrill. Demanding. Donald Trump, having discovered new virility through the meaningless use of U.S. military ordnance in Syria, is now busy pounding his chest like some Alpha male gorilla eager to prove that he is in charge. Trump's are moving a carrier task force towards Korea, we are deploying the THAAD anti-missile shield in South Korea and we are talking tough.

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