Guest Post by Martin Armstrong
Trump has sent a demonstration of strength against North Korea deploying a group of aircraft carriers towards the Korean Peninsula. With the loose-canon in charge of North Korea, a show of force is not guaranteed to have any effect on giving him a second thought. The measure instead may more likely simply exacerbate tensions in the region. Unquestionably, North Korea remains the biggest threat in Asia.
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The extensive sanctions have had no impact upon North Korea when you are looking at an absolute dictatorship. Another missile test is possible to coincide with the 105th birthday of the late state founder Kim Il Sung next Saturday. North Korea remains working on a long-range missile to be able to strike the West Coast of the USA.
Trump recently threatened that the US would be ready for dealing with North Korea if China did not exert pressure on Pyongyang in the dispute over the North Korean Atomic program. There was no common ground between Trump and Xi Jinping on dealing with North Korea and thus we see the deployment of the fleet. Some think that Trump’s threats should be taken seriously given his response to a presumed poison gas attack a few days ago in Syria.
Meanwhile, North Korea threatened to be ready for a “ruthless blow” if the country was provoked by the USA.
Any other loose cannons lying around besides Kim?
AH-HA, no wonder a typo in Title – it is a Martin Armstrong article.
Look, another country that isn’t doing anything except minding its own business, let’s see if we can threaten them.
Who does this kind of action serve? How does it make the world better or more peaceful? Why can’t North Korea be North Korea?
Because they’re playing with things that go boom and render big chunks of real estate unusable for generations; that’s why…
So do Israel, South Africa, Pakistan, India, China, Russia, France and the UK.
Not to worry about SA. If they kill all their whites, their nuke program will go mothballs.
As I understand it, a-bombs have a shelf-life.
We never know what’s really going on. Everything we’re told is a lie.
For all we know, Kim is digging his nuke test tunnels deep and evidence mounts that his regime is going to “test” an H-bomb. For all we know, setting off a nuke with many times the power of prior fission bombs could set off a mighty wave of activity all around the Pacific’s Ring of Fire.
Kim is the textbook exception to the rule that nuclear weapons proliferation makes it MORE difficult to have a nuclear war. Either the guy really is nucking futs, or some other explanation, but this could be one of the very rare cases where what some clown does in No-where-istan actually does make a difference to the rest of us.
But as I said at the beginning, we neither know the truth nor will we EVER know the truth. That’s the world…too big, too complex, too heterogeneous to ever “know.”
The words you write, are true barnum, we live in tiny bubbles, that we create, to shield us from the ugly thinks we don’t want to witness.
every once in a while, tpbp try to pop our bubbles, and get us to look directly at the absolute terror, to get enough public sentiment on their side, and let loose the dogs of war.
You really need to read the news more, particularly the news concerning NK.
I’m with you HSF. Let’s mind our own business for a change.
That is one big freakin’ ship!
musket,
Yeah, ain’t it amazing what the defense procurement people can do with a few hundred billion FRN’s!
NtroP:
Yeah I was in the Patriot project office as the deputy for special access programs during the 1 Gulf War ….I know exactly what you mean……
“Meanwhile, North Korea threatened to be ready for a “ruthless blow” if the country was provoked by the USA.”
Lessee; who’s the one lobbing missiles in the direction of Japan? Who’s the one threatening nuclear action if a shot is fired into North Korea after lobbing missiles in the direction of Japan.
Hint; it ain’t the USA…
“…after lobbing missiles in the direction of Japan.”
The fact of the matter is that North Korea shot missiles in the direction, far off Japan’s coast. Not shooting into Japan’s coast. To start a war over such a thing is absolutely ludicrous. If you want war, then by all means grab a gun and get started. As for I, you won’t see me fighting in a war that has nothing to do with me, and I don’t want to hear that NK will nuke us. Kim has been doing these childish things for many years, and has yet to bomb, or invade anyone. He is acting as a child who is being ignored. The only logical and sane thing to do is diplomacy. A great leader would try to talk his country out of war instead of going headlong into one over threats. Cool heads will always prevail. All they have to do is sit down and talk.
“Unquestionably, North Korea remains the biggest threat in Asia.”
Utter nonsense.
Mind your own fucking business, America. Isn’t that what Trump got elected to do?
SK and Japan are allies we have defense treaties with, it is our business when NK threatens them and lobs missiles in their direction (missiles that were specifically developed for this with no defense need or provocation involved).
Threatening Hawaii and possibly even California too, but maybe that isn’t any of our business either?
You seem to be living in a fantasy world.
I don’t recall anyone threatening Hawaii and possibly California.
Do you have a link to prove that allegation?
Sure:
https://www.csis.org/analysis/north-korea-threatens-strike-united-states
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/north-korea-threatens-united-states-talk-nuclear-war-article-1.1307068
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2016/05/04/North-Korea-threatens-United-States-with-peace-treaty-demand/7471462373747/
https://myaccount.nytimes.com/auth/login?URI=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2016%2F03%2F07%2Fworld%2Fasia%2Fnorth-korea-threatens-nuclear-attack-as-us-and-south-korea-begin-drills.html%3F_r%3D5&REFUSE_COOKIE_ERROR=SHOW_ERROR
http://abcnews.go.com/International/north-korea-warns-us-disastrous-final-doom/story?id=28711834
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-korea-north-attack-idUSBRE9260BR20130307
http://dailycaller.com/2015/02/04/north-korean-military-threatens-final-doom-on-united-states/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/21/north-korea-threatens-us_n_6362608.html
http://www.westernjournalism.com/north-korea-threatens-to-nuke-white-house-and-pentagon/
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/north-korea-threatens-nuclear-strike-amid-claims-that-us-attempting-invade-1575872
Is that enough to get the general idea? There are thousands more but it would be an abuse of the forum to post all of them so maybe you could try an internet search if that isn’t enough.
HuffPo? Really? You actually put the Huffington Post as a a source?
Wow. Just wow.
FWIW not one of those sources has any credibility. Zero.
Even the Huffpo reports it so you assume the other links are of no importance or fake, along with the video of the speeches and statements all over the internet confirming what has been said.
I added Huffpo since I figured you may want to blame all the others on being just right wing fake news, and with Huffpo in the mix that kinda kills that argument, doesn’t it?
You asked for something to demonstrate the truth of the post, you got it.
If you don’t believe it how about posting an equal amount showing it isn’t true?
I’m more than willing to consider your evidence I and the rest of the world are wrong about this.
Speaking of “abuse of the forum”, I count acting as a shill for msm fake news sources while posting anonymously a clear example of forum abuse.
Post your own sources showing something else discrediting their reporting then.
Or is “true” news relegated only to your own posts and no other source? You never seem to provide any support for them from any other source to examine, credible or not.
BTW, those aren’t all MSM news sources, only a few, with some of them under attack by the MSM as fake news (i.e. The Daily Caller and Western Journalism)
“SK and Japan are allies we have defense treaties with…”
We? I don’t ever remember signing a defence treaty with South Korea, or Japan for that matter. Did you sign a defence treaty with them? Did anyone you know sign a defence treaty with them? A few psychotic men signed that treaty, and put my family and I in danger, not to mention yours also, by signing said treaty to send YOU AND I, or our children to die in a senseless war in case someone dared to threaten or invade a country I have nothing to do with. Nothing. Signing treaties of defence with other countries without my consent makes that treaty null and void as far as I’m concerned.
Why would anyone ask you to sign a treaty? Yo have no authority to do it.
But the United States did, starting back at the end of WWII as part of the treaties that brought it to an end.
I didn’t give the United States government authority to sign treaties that effect my life, and the life of my family. How does one derive such authority? By the end of a barrel? I wonder if I could go house to house with a big group of my buddies, all with guns ready to shoot, and demand all of them to pay tribute to me because, well if they don’t I’m gonna drag them out of their house and peaceful life and make them a slave inside a cage. Or even worse kill them. After collecting tribute from everyone, in which I will be back next year to collect again, I’m going to go down to another neighborhood and start shooting. I’ll devastate the whole neighborhood. Oh the glory!!!! After I defeat them I will make them my subjects, and force them to sign a defence treaty with me. If ANYONE threatens my new friend I’ll go back to my neighborhood and force my neighbors to die and kill defending my other neighborhood. Oh, and they’ll love me for it.
That right there above sounds like a psychopath to me. Just because a band of thugs say the have authority doesn’t mean shit. I’d wipe me arse with that defense treaty if I could get my hands on it.
right on the money, mafia…but that in actuality is all of government across the world. Only instead of having many small country governments, they have formed (or attempted to) a unifying world gov under an EU banner or UN banner all at the behest of the biggest bully, the MIC of the US.
however even on a small scale, look at statute law from city to city…I dont recall any of this infringement upon rights being allowed… state and country sure, but city incorporations … no.
it all comes down to money though. those that carry the force (barrell of the gun) are the ones that are paid via the debt accumulated in each of the governments and with no regard for actual liberties they will carry out whatever force is necessary and called for by those governments.
The Constitution gave it that authority. Treaties are the historical dominion of every government that has ever existed throughout history.
Perhaps there is somewhere else you would prefer to live where the government doesn’t have the authority to enter into treaties, but I can’t think of any to recommend.
Alliances and treaties caused World War I and the deaths of millions.
I thought Killary Clinton would start WWIII, but it looks like we’ll be getting it either way. Trump is a lying piece of shit war monger. He is about to drag us into a war with North Korea, and it looks like he is trying to start one with Russia. Two nuclear powers, plus the United States, also a nuclear power, going to war. Just think about that for a minute. Don’t worry, I’ll wait……
Okay now, not to mention China entering this war on North Korea’s side, maybe swaying Russia in in the meantime. They are apparently trying to end the world. They think that their bunkers will keep them safe I guess, while all of us above melt from our bones. For all you who voted for Trump, thanks for sending us to WWIII. I guess I can’t blame you though, it was going to happen no matter who got in, I mean look at his former opponent. Sheesh. I don’t vote by the way, and this situation is exactly why. Maybe you, dear reader, should try it out.
Absolutely. Not voting means never having to say you’re sorry.
Except for not voting against a candidate you end up hating for whatever reason.
Because you helped elect him by not voting against him.
The Pentagram has had plans in place for a long time now to “reduce the surplus population”. In the “iconic” situation room photo the WH distributed just after the “Osama bin Laden” operation, you’ll see a mousey little dame peering out from the rear of the room; she wrote a think-tank paper on how to “humanely reduce the population quickly” or some such.
Makes me wonder if indeed the aliens have taken control. Because these people sure as hell aren’t Human!
Not voting also means you got no right to bitch.
Hey Steve. When has bitching ever gotten you anywhere?
Voting has always been the only official way to register a bitch. This time there was enough bitching to avoid having the Bitch in the White House.
“the only official way…” Exactly. Voting is the sole remedy the ‘officials’ grant unto you. I say fuck the officials and their bullshit game. But I know how good it makes you feel so vote to your hearts content. Just don’t imagine it’ll get you anywhere but where the Officials want you.
There is only one real way to “vote” in this country – that is with your wallet. And that even got partially blunted by the Fed in 2008, by them attempting to “print” production. I, and many others have completely checked out of the “the system” and enforce that by NOT producing, not going in to debt and NOT doing anything that could increase our footprint in the taxation for war system at large. Once the dollars were not paying me what my production and ideas were worth, that was it.
All of you that still go to work in the morning, are regularly paying towards all of this. Every time you make a “purchase” of something on credit, you are funding this BS. Every time you go to work to sustain that debt, you are paying taxes right out of your paycheck that continue this shit. You may “vote” in the booth, but what do you think the life blood of the MIC, the Banksters, Wall Street etc. is? Is it a continuous stream of voting ballots? No, it is a continuous stream of debt slaves, still blindly believing they are working for their own sustenance. Your dollar is so worthless now, you are working for less per hour now than 15 years ago. Maybe you have more of them per hour, but they buy so much less, and they steal more, you are essentially working for free anyway.
I don’t want to hear any of this “well I have to so I can survive” shit. Please, no one is forced to not pay their home off sooner than 30 years. No one is required by force to trade in their car every 3 to 5 years and pick up another car payment. No one is forced to work 40 and 60 hours a week to support their lifestyle, when without debt, they could work 20 hours or less and be just fine. And, anyone, that since 2008 did not see the writing on the wall, and did not work towards the singular goal of no debt, and less productivity on purpose just has not been paying attention.
This crap will continue until a large majority of people just say NO. Period. When people just get up one day, and say I have had enough, that will be the day that all of this BS stops. That is the ONLY vote that WILL matter. But see, that is where the problem is. That requires not buying all the ego-inflation shit, the “hey, look at me, I OWN this” nonsense that cable has told us we “need”. We don’t need any of it, including the cable itself. NONE.
There is a certain satisfaction one gets from seeing all of this crap happen, and knowing that while maybe you can’t do anything about it ourselves, at least you are not spending any of your precious time, energy or resources contributing to it. Remember, IRS can take your money, but they can’t tax you on your time, and they can’t force you to produce. Period.
My suggestion to anyone that does not like what is going on; your first step is to sit down and plan on how you can strategically check out of the “system” as quickly as possible. Forget the “career path” that is a con job. The blunt answer is – there is no “path” only servitude. The CON JOB is there is still a path to anything but debt slavery. There isn’t.
Your cynicism is noted and, evidently, shared by the many. Only 55% (126 million) of the possible voting population did their duty. This is the very root of the problem. Most Americans are either too cynical, sanguine or lazy to be bothered to vote so the motivated crazies, the lgbt’s, the far left pinko’s and the do-gooders end up disproportionately represented and it is not until near disaster (think Hilliary) do they bother to get of their collective asses to let their voice be heard.
This constitutional republic endows many rights and only has three basic requirements of it’s citizens; Vote, Jury Duty and Defense of it when required.
Maybe it is time to take our responsibilities as seriously as our rights.
So rights come from government? You’re reading the wrong books.
Books?
There are only three documents you need to read and understand;
The Declaration of Independence, The Constitution and the Bill of rights.
Maybe you should start there.
As for you Anon. You can stick your head in the sand, you can attempt to totally withdraw but you are surrounded by a police state. So if you want to preserve your freedoms you had better get involved or the crazies will eventually have you dancing to their tune or you will be imprisoned or dead.
There are no political solutions to the problems of politics.
The constitution is meaningless. It was rendered meaningless in 1863, its corpse was burned in 1913, its grave was paved over in the 1940’s, it went entirely down the memory hole in the 1960’s and 1970’s.
I used to share your devotion to the founding documents. I now see that the consensus of the populace is what governs these things. For the USA to return to its early Republican roots would require the death or deportation of 250 million people.
Then is time to dig them out and dust them off. We have allowed the dark side to obscure their meaning and relevance for far too long but there does seem to be an awakening in the offing. Trump may be a stumbling first step but remembering how to walk upright is always difficult when you have been bed ridden for so long. The time has come to take back our country.
We agree on the goal, but disagree on how to get there.
The analytical system to which I adhere posits that the world goes by itself. All of the thing we see around us are cyclical to some degree. The herd mentality will govern what happens ahead, just as it did in the past.
The USA (and the West in general) has been coasting on the coat tails of far better men than we. Ours is a very debased society, and our civilization hangs in the balance. Much hardship is required to re-teach the timeless truths of success (properly understood and defined.)
There is no way to avoid that hardship, both because we’re already in such a deep hole, AND because people don’t learn without hardship. Recall the old adage: A tiny few people can learn by reading, a few more by watching the actions of others, but Most People have to pee on the electric fence for themselves.
The USA has been unsalvageable since Wilson’s presidency. We don’t go back, we only go forward. With some degree of luck, perhaps my descendants will enjoy a far better world than we have around us now.
PS: I err above; most people don’t learn EVEN with Hardship. What made Western Civ what we came to celebrate were the extraordinary hardships of the Middle Ages, which largely improved European Man by killing off the lazy and stupid. Those at the bottom of the ladder’s rung during the 14th century left zero living children. Their line died out, leaving the more talented to populate the continent. The effect of this (and the contribution of the Welfare State to undoing it) cannot be overstated.
Does appear we are argreeing – arguing but fundamentally in agreement.
Man the animal does what animals all do, breed to the limits of their environment. We have used and abused the the incredible bounty of the earth, particularly North America for the last 500 years. Seemingly unlimited resources, unlimited energy and technology that knows no bounds. This is rapidly coming to an end and at the same time (or maybe because of) there is the coming of the fourth turning. This fourth turning is going to be far more draconian than its predecessors and may very well be a near extinction event for man globally. It will once again cull the lazy, the stupid and the unprepared.
My hope and prayer is that we will not be so reduced as to be starting over from square one. We are going to need the guidance of our founding documents in surviving the coming fourth turning and crafting life after.
I fear it will cull lots of the prepared, too.
Fortune favors the prepared, but there are no bets that are certain. I have hope, because I have children (and grandchildren.) I’m not sanguine about their future, however.
Children and Grandchildren are definitely my main motivators.
I want to believe that thorough preparedness will save us but know that all battle plans are FUBAR the instant the battle begins.
Its not cynicism, it is strategic thinking. The first step towards not agreeing with “leadership” is to stop supporting it. The second step, (now that you have time to devote to it) is to become educated on what battles to fight. Most “voters” are so busy chasing the chimera of “career” they have no time to actually research what they have power over still as “voters” and make the wrong decisions anyway.
For example, I still do vote for LOCAL politicians, Judges and Sheriffs, because that still holds some weight. However, I have far more time to research who is actually on my side, which bond proposals are just more support for crap I don’t want, and which laws are just another “gimme” for some special interest asshole that wants to use government to force his competition out of business. Those career chasers next door just vote for who the teevee tells them is “fighting for them”. Doubt very much if they would have voted for that if they had time to spend looking in to it versus working for their car payment.
Time is the only resource that none of us can make more of, and if we continue to allow the liars to con us in to spending that time being distracted by the chimera of “career” and “have to produce” we have less time to focus on the real battles that matter. Cynicism is rejecting it all, strategically removing yourself from a con game is refocusing valuable resources on things that matter.
Cynicism and withdrawal are not a strategy but undeclared acquiescence.
They don’t “grant” it, the founding fathers established it and the Elite haven’t figured out a way to get around it yet. They’d far prefer to be Monarch’s and dictators with the ability to avoid the problem of getting the voters to vote for instead of against them.
Rights are endowed by government…. No wonder we’re all fucked.
Give me a monarchy over democracy any day.
https://mises.org/library/democratic-leviathan
Democracy is defective on every level, and an individualist-anarchist Utopia is just that–Utopia.
We’re stuck with some people ruling the rest. Better if a system is chosen that embeds fewer ugly realities…and democracy is worse than a hereditary monarchy. As Hoppe points out, democracy is mob rule run by people who behave like renters.
The right to vote is, there is no natural right to vote and was no right to vote in an American election at all till the Constitution established it.
Voting is an established right, a created right, not a preexisting natural right the way, say, self defense is which is universal for all people and all other creatures who have ever lived, are living, or ever will live. Even plants have self defense mechanisms of varying kinds.
Oh, I have every right to bitch. You, on the other hand can’t open your mouth. You’re the one killing innocent children in the Middle East with drone strikes. You’re the one taking my hard earned money made from the sweat off my back. You’re the one who voted for all these polices. You’re the one that can’t bitch, because you’re the one oppressing me. You have no right to bitch when your guy fucks up the world, because you voted for Him. Thanks guy.
You Sir, are clearly an idiot and my granddaddy always told me “Wrestle not with pigs cause you get dirty and the pigs enjoy it”.
Hey a real original response-for your grandfather. Now answer Brutus’ point. You’ve spend a lifetime voting for evil (or the lessor of two) and it’s Brutus and my fault this country has come to an evil end?
If you don’t vote, then the simple answer is yes. You and the 100 million or so other jerks that are too stupid or too lazy and have been for the last 100 years (http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/data/turnout.php) to get their fat asses off the couch in front of the boob tube and go to the polls so that they can have a voice in the direction of their lives. Or, God forbid, pick up their phone (if it is not already stuck in their hand on facebook, twitter, or whatever) and call to get an absentee ballot.
So quit your bitching.
Simple answer for sure. Keep reading TBP and in time, assuming you have a reasonable IQ you’ll come to understand that an election gives you the chance to elect one mask over another. Nothing more.
You may very well be right but if you look at the map of the last election, http://www.snopes.com/trump-won-3084-of-3141-counties-clinton-won-57/,
You are going to have a hard time convincing me that we might not be in the very deep hole we are in if everyone that could vote did.
“Unquestionably, North Korea remains the biggest threat in Asia.”
Unquestionably, Marty Armstrong remains the biggest mongoloid writing in the blogosphere.
Do you ever provide a reasoned response with logical argument supporting it instead of slurs aimed at avoiding one, probably because you don’t have one?
Kiss my ass. That’s as reasoned a response as anything you’ve ever posted here deserves.
And the best that can be expected of you.
Anon- If you disagree with Ed, list your reasons, don’t just run off at the mouth like a tard.
What has he said, other than personal attack and insult, that is specific to disagree with?
I disagree with attack and insult instead of reasoned response based on the discussable subjects posted for the following reasons.
1 it is non productive and takes away from discussing the issues at hand.
2 failing to discuss the issues at hand based on objective and supported statements leaves the issues unresolved.
3 it is a logical fallacy called “argumentum ad hominem” which attempts to divert recognition or discussion of the subject from what has been said to who said it instead of addressing it directly with a logical and supportable statement.
4 it changes the subject from what was stated to something else to kill the original subject from being discussed and potentially a new and more valid opinion being formed by one or all parties to the discussion.
Is that specific enough, or are you going to just accuse me of running off at the mouth like a “tard” to avoid stating them?
FWIW.. I’ve stated all these reasons before in various posts and usually do when I see nothing but argumentum ad hominem being used to avoid real discussion (it’s an Alinsky approved tactic, FWIW).