now we have to make sure that, no third party ,diverts American food aid(several billions of dollars per year) from a third source to sell to North Korea, we shipped over 150 million in food aid to the Sudan, only to have it sold on the black market by third party's . If they do not get the food, they will starve within 3 months, they will either threaten to go to war against the South, or make a deal.

Not sure how we got bitten. The food aid was a "carrot" for negotiation.

Food aid to North Korea began in the 1990's when Obama was still a youngin' walking around in a hoody. It began under Clinton and was continued by the Bush administration, Obama actually cut off the AID in 2009. But then again, who checks facts these days when they can use lies as an excuse to further their own agenda.

One can expect the 'cons' to become more agitated on these boards as an Obama victory continues to become more likely. If health care is struck by the Supreme Court, his supporters will be outraged and energized. Big Oil is selling our gasoline to China to keep prices in the US high, but what happens when they have to report their resulting record high profits in mid October - can you say backfire. I wouldn't be surprised if Obama pommels Romney worse then he mopped up the floor with McCain.

Oil companies post record profits quite frequently (as their profits tend to rise year to year). There's always the same impotent growling, but to date there's been little in the way of "backfire".

And even if there was, methinks the profits themselves would probably ease the sting.

Not that this has much to do with North Korea...

OMG...N. Korea is going to take over the world.

Well no romilio but they will be along side china ,russia and iran when the @!$%# hits the fan .

Big Trouble,

Whatever you're smoking, it sure has made you delusional.

...now we have to make sure that, no third party ,diverts American food aid(several billions of dollars per year) from a third source to sell to North Korea,

That's not really a worry in this instance. There's no embargo on food to North Korea. If North Korea had the money to buy food on the black market, it could buy the food on the open market now. It needs the food assistance because it can't afford to buy food.

BigTrouble,

Obviously you have been smoking and not sharing, I ought to call the cops on you. You Democrats forget that Obama is going to get a two sucker punch this summer, first his socialist medical bill will fail because unfortunately for him we are a democracy no matter how much he wants it to be different, second Israel will attack before his election because they have no vented interest in helping his re-election fight, he has shown again and again that he is totally pro Arab and anti-Israel. Obama will never survive, and thus will end the worst administration this country has ever seen.

North Korea needs food assistance because it uses it's money on the military rather than creating a food infrastructure. Sorry children we can't afford food this month, there was this guy at the market selling these magic bullets that will kill all our enemies...

I think they have a little more potential than that. Their rockets aren't that bad and it's hard to miss a whole country, especially if the missile has a nuclear warhead. Cyber attacks can cripple us if they prove to be any good at it (maybe China will teach them). And if they attack our allies, we could easily be draw into war on their behalf.

Even a little dog can put you in the hospital.

Meh. They have a limited stock of nuclear material, and no way to miniaturize it as of yet.

And even if they did, and had a fully functional atomic ICBM, or even several, I STILL wouldn't be scared of them, because I'd bet my bottom dollar that the ruling class is more interested in preserving their privileges and lives than going out in a blaze of nuclear glory, which would surely happen if they launched any sort of attack at the U.S.

And this is coming from someone on the West Coast.

As for cyber attacks, I continue to doubt that we can really be "crippled" via Internet hacking in any meaningful way, whether its well-funded agents in Chinese tech centers or brainwashed military men with a taped-up motherboard attached to a potato battery reading a "Dummies" book. I think we give the little dog too much credit.

Probably the worst part is sending more junk into orbit- that weather satellite isn't gonna do crap anyway

SF accountant ... I'd be scared of their rockets. The leaders of the USSR and the US were far more rational, with more to lose than the North Koreans, and yet we came so, so close to nuclear war in the early 1960's.

But we didn't!

Also, even if North Korea reaches full nuclear capability, with functional ICBMs, they'll only have enough to target two or three cities. Any nuclear strikes are too many, of course, but that kind of capability can't hold the United States hostage.

I'd be more concerned about their passing on their nuclear tech to our enemies for money or food.

Probably the worst part is sending more junk into orbit- that weather satellite isn't gonna do crap anyway

That is just a cover. What it will really do is project a giant holographic image of Dear Leader over the country on his centennial. It will be the first time ever that most of the population has had any night time illumination.

And as long as NK has nuclear weapons the Iranians are never more than 12 hours away from having the same.

And while the Iranians are a significantly greater threat in the greater scheme of things, I'm not terrified of them having nukes, either.

But that's a different discussion with a whole new slew of political implications and subtleties.

For NK, I don't see any pressing need for action. If they ever get sick of swimming alone in their toilet bowl of a country, they know who to call and what we want.

But they can be presumed/perceived to be a greater threat than they may be. And a shooting war, anywhere, is always only an eph-up away. WW I could have been stopped before it started but the presumption by all nations on both sides at the start was that once they started to mobilize it could not be stopped and war was the only option.

So then what is the real threat? These dictators, or our tendency to dramatize every international incident?

I agree, let's just leave them behind, nothing good ever comes from them!

The idea is to stop them selling nuclear weapons technology to our enemies. Fat chance of that, but that's why we haven't just left them to collapse.

If NK was geographically isolated, we could just ignore it. But, if it were to lash out, it could devastate a large swath of South Korea before it was, inevitably, defeated. The Chinese are also deathly afraid of a flood of refugees should NK collapse, so they'll never allow it to be fully isolated.

NK has been supplying surface-to-ship missiles to Iran. And you want to leave that alone ?

Idiots elect idiots.

I agree 100%! The Chinese can sell them their Rats for food. What a money maker!!!

We trade with China because they can make things we want and need for a fraction of the price that we can. I doubt that America will suffer its "downfall" in my lifetime, but if it does, it's not going to be because of trade.

Why are you, MANOFMANYTRADES-2683208 buying Chinese junk ?

"Nothing bad" is a significantly less demanding prediction than "the downfall of the United States". I'm merely expressing my doubt that my country risks cataclysmic collapse. How would that even happen?

SF Acct your "in my lifetime" statement sunk your junk.

We CAN feed all of our own. Obesity is a far more common problem among America's poor than starvation.

If anyone in America has a problem getting enough to eat, it's not because there isn't enough food here.

Despite having made contradictory statements Obama has made a final decision. Maybe?

We were not going to just "give" food aid to NK. The food was payment for concessions regarding their nuclear program. You think that capitalistic Americans would understand the concept of paying others to behave the way you want them to.

The confusion comes from the fact that it doesn't seem to work. Haven't those Koreans ever heard of a contract? We should sue!

@SFaccountant

Obesity mostly has to do with the quality of food which is consumed, rather then quantity. When food is of lower quality it lacks nutrient and leads the body to consume more (greater caloric intake). Obesity is also linked to an individuals stress level. People with higher stress levels are more likely to become obese as a result of stress induced inflammation.

@Barry-NJ

Last time I check giving a material something for a behavior is called by one of 2 names, bribery or racketeering depending on which party initiated it. If this was initiate by NK then racketeering, by the US then bribery. History has shown that time and time again rarely does with work in the long term.

I'm well aware that obesity isn't necessarily a product of overconsumption, but it is still a strong indication that there is no shortage of food or food access in the United States. Thus, my point is that any food aid going to other countries has absolutely no impact on the accessibility to food in America and will in no way impact our hungry. The issues that keep some impoverished people hungry are political, and are not due to a lack of resources.

Do you have any idea the kind of economic damage it would cause to suddenly stop trading with China?

Well, obviously you don't, since you suggested that, but just so you know, our economies are so intertwined at this point that losing trade relations would cause AT LEAST as much damage as the financial crisis, but all the damage would be caused from severed production lines and massive price increases.

China isn't the enemy. Neither is North Korea, really. Just an annoying dog barking for attention.

The manufacturing of technology takes technology. A resource that the US hasn't had in years. For instance, Foxconn, of Apple manufacturing fame has over a million robots on the job. The US doesn't even make robots any more. What we have done to ourselves, it will take a much longer time to undo.

It isn't "liberals" who are sending our jobs overseas, it is our corporations who are trying to avoid the costs of paying Americans a living wage. Romney and Bain Capital have sent more jobs to China than Obama ever did.

Technology is one of those things that when given away, you can never get them back, no matter how hard you try.

Technology is also one those things that you don't "give away". It's a form of knowledge, and not a scarce resource. You either share it or you keep it to yourself.

When China is no longer cheap, we'll probably move to the next impoverished country with decent enough infrastructure that's desperate for American investment. You might as well face facts: nobody wants to pay middle-class wages for unskilled labor in America. You can employ an entire factory staff in Vietnam, including management and maintenance, for what one union factory worker would cost in the US.

Get a degree if you want a job.

Most people with degrees these days are unemployed or working at McDonald's.

What will you do when your company realizes they can hire 8 3rd world accountants to do your job for the price they pay you for your degree?

We start this game every time they test a bomb.

We care because South Korea and Japan are valuable allies that could be threatened by North Korean action. If you insist on seeing our democracy as a thinly-veiled corporate org chart, then be assured that the companies that own our politicians have much to lose if the unthinkable should happen to our Korean or Japanese friends. To say nothing of what our allies would think if America just up and decided to leave them on their own. We have considerable influence in that region, and that influence comes with a price.

And while I agree that people regularly attribute to much of our government's actions (or incidental happenings) to the President's bidding, he does have substantial power in international and military affairs, which are not insignificant things. You won't get anywhere dismissing the post.

Actually SF, Korea should be kissing our backside as should China. IF the US had not defeated Japan in WW2, there wouldn't be a North Korea, South Korea, or most likely China. The Japanese Empire stretched well into China, and their million man army couldn't stem the tide.

As far as cutting the food aid, I agree, and I would also stretch that halting of aid to ANY other damned country to include Afghanistan, Pakistan, and even Africa. Lest we forget Kharzi's latest mandate, "We want you out of our villages, we just want you to rebuild our country." Lest we forget the BILLIONS of dollars we give to Pakistan, and for what? Severed supply lines, harboring terrorists, and supporting quasi-wars in Afghanistan. Should we forget the aid we send to Africa, where local warlords strong arm those shipments only to feed their "soldiers" and pirates. How easy it is to say America has an obesity problem, but I would say this. Fast Food is cheap. Good Wholesome food costs a bundle. We aren't shipping McDonalds, Wendy's, or Burger King to Korea. We are sending Grain, Whole foods, Rice, Lentils, and food that is quite honestly MORE HEALTHY than what we consume.

EVEN IF we have 1 starving child, 1 starving family, 1 starving veteran, I say that 1 is 1 too many. The UNITED STATES is the WORLD'S BREADBASKET. And yet we can provide more wholesome food to foreigners for free than we can BARE to provide this same sustainance to our own population. OBESITY is Big Business in the US. With Obesity, you grow fast food, dietary suppliments, gyms, Dr's, morticians, Hospitals, Bigger Clothes, Bigger Beds, Bigger Cars and Trucks, Reality TV Shows, Books, Magazine Articles, and let's not forget all the supporting cast of these BIGGER THINGS that we now need.

I would also disagree with the one poster that said that if we stopped trade with China, we couldn't survive. I STRONGLY DISAGREE. The Automobile was invented in THIS COUNTRY. That car did not run on gasoline. THIS COUNTRY invented the Light Bulb, the Telephone, The Assembly Line, and JUST ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE INDUSTRIAL. WE have the technology. We have smart people here. We have people that WANT AND NEED JOBS. Did you know we are the 3rd largest exporter of OIL in the World? WE DON"T NEED ANYONE, PERIOD. THIS COUNTRY has the means to provide for itself. IF we were so destitute, so lacking in the ability and know how to make these things happen, then tell me WHY MIT or HARVARD, YALE or the OTHER GREAT AMERICAN LEARNING INSTUTIONS are not located in Beijing. WHY IS IT, foreigners COME HERE to learn.

OUR Downfall comes from corporate greed. It is cheaper to hire some chinese stiff, who is willing to work for 25 cents an hour, 18 hrs a day to do the same job that an American Worker could do. OUR TAX CODE provides BIG BUSINESS tax breaks, foreign tax credits, and other benefits to have those jobs, those factories, in other countries. It isn't due to a lack of qualified workers here. It is a CORPORATION bottom line driven by GREED. And our politicians are bought and paid for with that special interest money, those campaign contributions, that PAC money. IT IS GREED my friends that puts us in the bind we are in, nothing more, nothing less. And I am willing to bet NONE OF YOU REALIZE the #1 Export of the United States is GASOLINE. That's right. Our fuel prices going through the roof is driven by greed and NOT BY A LACK OF THE NATURAL RESOURCES TO PRODUCE THAT COMMODITY. In fact, did you know that underneath the Great State of Montana there are oil reserves that far surpass ALL OF THE OIL in SAUDI ARABIA twice over? So my uniformed friends, realize our current woes are driven by the corrupt, greased palm, mouthpieces we elect that are bought and paid for by the wall street moguls.

WE could live quite comfortably, very self sufficient, and very secure. We don't need the "world". The world certainly needs US...

WE could live quite comfortably, very self sufficient, and very secure. We don't need the "world". The world certainly needs US...

We weren't self-sufficient before WWII and we're far from self-sufficient now. We do need the world. We don't produce enough oil or the all important "rare earths" that are vital for our technology. Despite impressions to the contrary, we're a major exporter of goods and services (which means jobs).

Further, living between two oceans is no longer protection in a world where even an impoverished country like North Korea can develop ICBMs. The saying "the best defense is a good offense" still applies. We're much better off with an aggressive foreign policy that it designed to anticipate and mitigate threats than living in fear of a world that would inevitably be dominated by China if we were to withdraw.

But we certainly could be self sufficient Barry. We could produce enough oil. "The Bakken is the largest domestic oil discovery since Alaska ’s Prudhoe Bay , and has the potential to eliminate all American dependence on foreign oil. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates it at 503 billion barrels. . Furthermore, as far as exports go, we ARE the #1 exporter of gasoline. And yes, that means jobs. However, do you realize under our current tax codes, it is more economically sound for businesses to farm out those factory jobs, build those factories, and employ workers in foreign countries because of the HUGE tax breaks we give to AMERICAN COMPANIES. Bring those factories back here, put Americans to work, and guess what, WE CAN PRODUCE JUST ABOUT ANYTHING HERE. And what "rare" earths are so necessary that we couldn't use technology and resources we can produce HERE? Think about this. The lightbulb, the telephone, the automobile, the airplane, metal ships, nuclear power plants, even computers - designed, built, innovated not as a NEED from foreign sources, were indeed ALL BUILT, PRODUCED, MANUFACTURED and INVENTED HERE in the US. Why do you think our ICBMs are located in the wheat belt of this country? You guessed it, WE SUPPLY THE WORLD with that wheat. And WHO in their right mind is going to nuke, bomb, or threaten the very food source THEY need?

We had these innovations, these inventions as a result of AMERICAN INGENUITY. We didn't rely on some Chinese Sweat Shop, or some Korean Hack Mart, or some Iranian Crude, or ANYTHING of those likes. WE did it before, we can do it some more. Unlike those liberals out there that are so damned concerned that WE can not survive, I say YOU DON'T HAVE FAITH in the INGENUITY OF AMERICA. Just think about this for a minute. If you can't fix something with Duct Tape (an AMERICAN INVENTION) then it's plain broken. Name JUST 1 Thing that we use that was invented somewhere else, besides gunpowder, which again is largely exported from HERE. Name 1 single thing that WE couldn't build, invent, or find some alternative way of producing... Having trouble? It is because EVERYTHING this world uses, even down to simple toilet paper, was invented here in the good ole USA.

I HAVE FAITH in the Genius of THIS COUNTRY. We have shown WE can do it ALONE.

I suppose, technically, we COULD do it alone, but why should we?

The United States is part of a global community, and home to the world's most (or at least one of the most) diverse diaspora. I can't conceive of a world superpower that would want to cut itself off from the rest of world.

And for what? Out of fear? Economic competition? Please. The United States is STILL the innovation center of the world, and there's no indication that will stop. I can see nothing beneficial about the isolationism you espouse, save the possibility of sustaining ourselves in a dystopian future where all countries are too suspicious and hateful to trade with each other.

Also, you shouldn't knock corporate greed so easily. Greed is part and parcel with that long list of inventions you noted. Production and innovation requires incentives. Incentives are euphamisms for "money". Wanting money is referred to as greed. It works.

Wow, seriously, what 'rare earths'? Try a 0.01 second Google search. They are the rare earth elements, things like neodymium, yttrium, niobium, all heavy metals that are, as indicated in the colloquial name, rare. China is the #1 producer of rare earth minerals in the world, though the U.S. did formerly hold that title until the one single mine in the entire country producing them (located in California if I remember correctly) shut down in the 90s.

Also, the automobile was invented by a frenchman in France in the 1700s, it was a three-wheeler that ran on steam and had a top speed of only about 3 miles per hour. I'm sure you can see why it didn't take off in popularity back then. Mercedes likes to make the claim that they invented the automobile, it may be accurate to say that they built the first industrial-era automobile.

If you can't fix something with duct tape, then it's plain broken? Amateur. Pathetic claim. Clearly you were born in the current throw-away culture, not the waste-not-want-not culture.

Some things not invented by Americans: Radar (we did get radio via Tesla, but not radar), Rocketry, Pasteurization, steam engines, windmills, hydropower, concrete, steel, crop rotation, fertilizers, plows, calculus.

Yes, we can and do build or produce all these things (or perform the process), but your claim that the U.S.A invented everything just demonstrates your wilfull ignorance.

North Korea shouldn't have a problem, other than with its relations to other nations, with nuking our breadbasket because THEY AREN'T GETTING ANY OF IT ANYWAY.

Conservative, eh? What are you trying to conserve, because the U.S.A. was not founded on the Bible & has found it repeatedly necessary to ammend the Constitution. You obviously aren't concerned about conserving our natural beauty with you advocating for getting the oil out of our breadbasket. I bet you fall for the propaganda that a pipeline will create thousands of jobs... when the entire point of pipelines is to ELIMINATE JOBS because they are the most expensive part of the operation.

Gah, enough of a rant. Wish I could vote you out of my country.

Actually Matt, you missed the point entirely with your rant. The point, since it seems to zipped over your head, was that THIS COUNTRY, has the capability to be self sufficient. We do not need to be dependent on anyone other than ourselves, and yet we seem to think, feel, and believe, that WE can not survive without everyone else. And yes, the USA has invented a VAST MAJORITY of the technology the world now enjoys. The claims that without Japan we wouldn't have robotics, computers, ect is bunk. And quite honestly, the alliteration to duct tape was and is the very thing you claim concerning a throw away society. If you DIDNT try to fix something with duct tape you would have just thrown it away. But I guess you didn't give it much thought with your pitiful tyrade instead of trying to comprehend the message.

And the question was asked, What super power would isolate itself from the rest of the world. I can think of China for starters. Who messes with China? No one. And no one is threatening their security, and they don't have their nose in everyone elses business either. Countries around this globe dislike us. Their people hold rallies, chant and jeer for our downfall. They burn our flag, effigies, and rejoice when tragedy strikes us. But it is these same people, when the proverbial shat hits the fan, WE are the 1st ones they come crying to. WE provide these same people with BILLIONS in aid. And what do we get in return? Certainly gratitude DOES NOT hit the top mark. And speaking of tragedy, WHO is the first anywhere on this globe to offer a hand when that tragedy strikes? US. Hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, famine, WE are 1st in line. Can we expect the same in return... I don't think so.

And yes I am opposed pipelines, and living here in Montana I can tell you it sickens me when a CANADIAN company can through OUR COURT SYSTEM declare emminent domain for one of THEIR projects. So you don't even want to get me started about job elimination when I can read daily about folks HERE being forced to sell off swaths of their farm land to some damned FOREIGN company for THEIR BENEFIT.

And while I do understand a company's need to generate profit, THAT PROFIT, should not come at the expense of American Jobs. Nor should we have to bribe and buy friends on this planet with foreign aid, but yet that is what we seem to do. And for sure that GREED is not the principles on which this country was founded...

I think it wouldn't kill you to express your disapproval of the President's policies without describing the President of the United States as "Half&Half" and "Dumb&Dumber".

You would do well to adopt what until recently has been a tradition in this country -- to disagree with a President but to respect the office enough to respect the man or woman who obtains it.

Diplomacy is complicated, nuanced business. If you understood it, you would have kept your mouth shut instead of letting such language tumble out of it. If you are a proud American, show a little respect.

Sadly, partisianship has overcome and eclipsed compromise and debate as the primary tool of American politics within the past two decades.

It's pathetic that you have individuals that are old enough to have a political opinion, but insist on referring to the other party or their politicians via childish nicknames more suitable for elementary school playgrounds than forums.

Respect has to be earned and not demanded for it to have any real semblance of respect. That said, respect the office, but you dont have to like the buffoon sitting in the chair. And even though I think the Chief Exec is a joke as a leader, to demean him based on his race is pathetic, especially when there are much more legitimate reasons to criticize him, i.e obamacare, the russian missile defense "give me time" garbage, and the insistant apologize for everything American are good starts. But an intelligent person would never have to stoop to demeaning a person because of his ethnicity.

A person can choose his friends. They can choose their profession. They can make choices in life. But they never have the choice of the color of their skin, or who their parents are, or even where they are born. Criticize a person on those choices they have control over...

What does Libya have to do with this? The situations aren't at all similar.

For that matter, how would we fight fire with fire in this case? Ask THEM for food while making stupid threats we would never actually carry out?

The Libyans now have the freedom to fight with each other until they can sort some form of Islamic government out. We have to be patient because it can take years.

SF- You should educate yourself on geopolitical affairs, you would then comprehend the Libyan analogy. If your moniker SF is for San Francisco, that would explain your diatribe.

So instead of responding to the simple question I asked, you want me to go "educate myself"...

Quite unhelpful.

But since you accused me of ignorance in a roundabout way, I feel inclined to be more specific.

Libya was a country with a valuable export industry and a modern, if not rich, society. It had markets and a decent, if stagnant, capitalist economy. Its people could communicate well enough with each other via modern means, but had to be careful about it because of Quaddafi's authoritarian security apparatus. It had very little military power by international standards, and wasn't an active threat to its neighbors in conventional terms.

North Korea barely has any exports, in part because very few countries will trade with it, and in part because it has a suffocating Stalinist regime that continues to impose Communist restrictions on the economy and civil society. The vast majority of the population live in dilapidated rural communities completely isolated from the few vestiges of modern life that can be found in NK. Very few of the populace can communicate with each other, and what media there is is supersaturated with a cult-like propoganda praising the ruling class. While many other countries suppress dissent, NK spares no effort in stopping dissent before it can even start. People are "rated" according to their loyalty to the regime by a state apparatus, and this directly affects one's options and quality of life, which generally goes from deadly to merely poor. NK has a massive conventional that is fanatically loyal, and PROBABLY possesses functional nuclear weapons, though they have no reliable means with which to deploy them, which makes them a considerable threat to outside forces, and makes any internal dissent (which never happens anyway) a moot point.

So! Following this analysis:

Libya -> rebellion to overcome tyranny and establish democracy with the aid of foreign air campaign

North Korea -> a bunch of helpless farmers starving to death while a million soldiers search desperately for any possible threat to get angry about

See the difference? I could go on if you like.

Who, may I as, is going to pay for all of these wars you advocate? It would serve all of you war mongers well to think about what you are say before speaking. SF Accountant is right - the consequences of cutting off relations with China would be beyond belief.

M Thompson-1401432, please tell us when is a good time to stop talking and start bombing. You make the call, and we all follow. Just say when.

I've been telling people that I am the right guy for this job. Just make me permanent president of US, and give me all the legislative and judicial powers in addition to the executive powers, and I am all yours.

Actually I prefer the idea behind one of Arthur C. Clarke's novels. The person best suited for the job was selected by a computer and it was always the person who least wanted it and had to be dragged kicking and screaming to the Oval Office.

Why not just skip the middleman? Elect the computer itself.

What I'd give for a technocratic party...

HAL 9000 is too smart to fall into that trap.

Curses! Foiled again!

Four more years of squishy, malleable sops in office, then. SIGH...

north korea has not changed since the 1950. no american president has had any luck dealing with them. they would rather make war than feed there people. wake up world and stop feeding there army.

The article says we stopped in 2009, though...

I wonder who stopped it in 2009 ? Bush ?

2009 was when Obama took over. Unless it happened right at the start of the year, it looks like Barak stopped the gravy train. Or, you know, someone that works for him at least.

It's hard to shoot it down. It is not up, yet. May be a B52 can bomb it on the ground. But that's AF, not Navy. Bad idea, eh ?

Launching of a communication satellite hardly falls in the category of missle testing.

Yes it does. The same missiles that can boost a payload into space are used as ICBMS. The U.S. government didn't go into a tizzy because the Soviets were first to put a satellite into orbit it was because it showed that they had ICBM capabilities.

If we just wanted to keep the food aid to ourselves, we could just keep the food aid to ourselves. We don't owe North Korea anything, and we don't need to come up with a lame excuse to not give foreigners money or goods they didn't do anything to earn. Besides, it's not like we seriously expect the North Koreans to keep to any bargain they make with us.

The launch is in direct violation of a UN directive (which is not a product of the US alone; China has the power to veto those), as well.

We just keep extending our hand, and wait for the day when they don't bite it.

Guys, don't harass someone with a disability. Henrich von Dorf is so feeble minded that he doesn't realize a rocket is a rocket, if you put a satellite on top, it is a satellite launcher, and if you put a warhead on top, it is a missile.

@lacomap cida

The following is informative for your infant mentality:

We don't have to be rocket scientists to make sense of rocket science. Most basically, a long-range missile or a satellite is attached to a rocket. For a satellite, the intent is to propel it out of the earth's atmosphere and into an orbit around the earth and keep it there. In contrast, a long-range missile is launched into space so that the missile re-enters the earth's atmosphere and hits its intended target without burning up as it re-enters. In short, the payloads are distinct but the rocket propulsion systems are basically the same.

Nevertheless, a missile isn’t a satellite, nor is it a rocket. Some refuse to accept the difference, insisting that it is impossible or unnecessary to make a distinction. Thus, one influential analyst (who knows better) responded to the latest announcement by dismissing the difference between a missile and satellite launch.

http://the-diplomat.com/new-leaders-forum/2012/03/28/time-to-call-north-koreas-bluff/

The food is there to stop them from testing bombs and missiles. Whether they feed their troops or starving people, or even to feed their landfill is up to them.

No its not. Stipulations in the Food Aid program require that the aid be distributed to the people. This is overseen by the UN. However, N Korea does not care.

Let them starve when they get hungry enough they will over through the dictator.

Not gonna happen. The only institution in North Korea that is properly maintained is the fanatically loyal and massive military. Even if rebellions could start, they'd never succeed.

But it's a nice dream.

Surprising isn't it. They even admitted on the last one they launched it would have been cheaper to pay china to launch the satellite.. if there even was a satellite.

They have money for video games, congnac, perfumes too, for the Kims.

correction - are now dashed ("not" was meant to say "now" luckily my finger is not on the nuclear trigger.)

Japan they may miss. But not China.

The money we use on food for NK is much less than sending in a carrier battle group and bomb them for a day.

@ lacompa cida

Wipe off the foam on your mouth. Drinky some ice water to cool down. Go to bed and sleep off your fantasy.