This week my SRA professor called the North Koreans “Masters
of Extortion”. It took me a second to think about, but this is very true, they
absolutely are Masters of Extortion. So it made me wonder, how can they get
away with all that they do? For example, only a month or so ago North Korea
made a deal with the United States so that the US would give them food and in
return they would suspend their nuclear weapons testing. This looked like a
promising proposition to the US, but now in the coming days North Korea plans
on testing a “missile”. Many feel this breaks the contract between the U.S. and
North Korea, so how are they able to get away with it? In the simplest terms,
North Korea is too crazy and erratic to predict. If the US attempted to punish
North Korea, North Korea might very well retaliate with a nuclear weapon, one
can never know. It is the last part of that sentence that scares the U.S. and
other major world powers from punishing North Korea. The consequences of
punishing North Korea far exceed the consequences of just continuing on the
same course. So in the end will North Korea get away with this “missile” test?
Of course. Why? Because they have mastered the art of extortion. The ethos they
have surrounded themselves with is one of confidence, they are renowned as mavericks.
Their style of government also allows them to continue this tradition. Recently
political scientists have found that the North Korean leader only needs to
satisfy about 70 people and he can stay in power. This allows the North Korean
leader to pretty much run the government as he sees fit as long as those 70
people are satisfied. This definitely aides his ability to create the ethos
that he has created surrounding his government.
You bring up a great point, it's pretty nuts. I don't know how the world has let it happen but we have. It's also incredibly scary I think, because the North Koreans simply do not give a damn.
ReplyDeletenot to reference everyone's favorite teacher, but Packer did talk about how irattional countries, have a lot of power. When you can not predict the outcome of something, and that outcome could be World War III you are going to do everything in your power to prevent that outcome. By beign percieved as crazy and unpredicatble they are allowed a lot of wiggle room with the major powers.
ReplyDeleteThis is pretty scary stuff. I'm not keen on the whole nuclear war thing. But I agree with you. North Korea is out of control. It's like a five year old has nuclear weapons. They don't understand the gravity of the power they hold and they abuse it constantly. On a lighter note, I'm taking SRA next semester, how was it?
ReplyDeleteI like the "one can never know" comment. haha I feel like this is so true when it comes to dealing with them, especially now. They are going to do whatever they wish regardless of what we say, clearly.
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