Just like Iraq

[Proud liberal 80]

The U.S. Military can easily destroy North Korea and remove Kim Jung Un. The problem is the aftermath just like Iraq. "You break it, you own it"

[HAB911]

1. In the meantime Seoul will be reduced to ruin

It's like if Paris were 35 miles from the front line, 20M people in danger

[KG]

2. nothing like iraq; NK has a large, well trained, well indoctrinated, functioning military.

in the meantime, Seoul is within artillery range from the border.

it would be nothing like iraq .

[ollie10]

3. Mission Accomplished?

Yes we could destroy North Korea. We could nuke it and send the entire area into a nuclear winter if we want.

But we cannot prevent them from retaliating on South Korea with what is left of their arsenal....and don't forget they have quite a few chemical weapons in their arsenal.

If we are "lucky" only hundeds of thousands will die....more likely over a million.

The humanitarian crisis is staggering.

The environmental crisis is hard to comprehend.

How far would fallout travel?

And....if and when it is all over....probably months from now.....what will we have "won"?

What will be the effects on Asians who see America using nuclear weapons again against an Asian nation?

might that...er....encourage....er.....terrorism?

[Proud liberal 80]

7. I agree with a lot of your points

Which could bl also be applied to what happened in Iraq

[maxsolomon]

4. Not at all like Iraq

Different religion.
Different culture.
Homogenous population.
Decades of oppression.

I'm getting really tired of knee-jerk speculation on DU.

We're not going to do jack. Trump is posturing.

[Proud liberal 80]

5. Sigh...

Where was my knee jerk reaction? And yes all of those things that you listed makes NK different from Iraq. That wasn't why I was saying it was the same. My point was, if we did ever get into a war with NK we would have no problem defeating its military and overthrowning its leader. But the problem would be us creating an unstable environment and it would be hard for us to leave. Just like in Iraq.

[maxsolomon]

8. SK is there to reunify with them.

They're not mutually hostile populations.

Its more like W. & E. Germany.

[gratuitous]

6. There's also that "proximity to China" thing

Trump may not be a student of history, but China still remembers U.S. troops crossing their border during the Korean Unpleasantness of 1950-53.