In the news today

[DB_Hunter]

well, maybe you've already heard but...

Military Junta Continues Crackdown in Myanmar, Targets Buddhist Monastaries in Night Time Raids

if I recall correctly, Myanmar has a great deal of natural gas deposits... perhaps Bushie would like to... oh, wait. What? China would certainly take that as a sign we want to tango in World War III? Well then, you certainly can't expect us to be there.... Besides, Islam isn't involved, nor terrorism, so once again most of the U.S. remains oblivious to this event...

I knew there were energy deposits in/around Burma/Myanmar, wasn't sure if it was gas or oil.

I think its difficult to say who is doing what in Burma with just this information. I think it is safe to say the US has some role in this new flare up, though I'm not sure what. This is out of acknowledgment of the US being a global power which aims to control world affairs rather than US bashing, in case some of you get the wrong idea. China is another player probably, as is India.

I think Burma is important not just because of its energy reserves, but also its strategic value due to its location. China is currently pursuing a policy known as "The String of Pearls". Basically, around the entire Indian ocean coast from Pakistan in the West to somewhere near Burma in the East, China is building deep sea ports from where its own warships will be able to operate from as well. So if this policy is completed China will be able to project its power in a way like never before, thus not only increasing its own political power but also threatening that of the United States and also the other regional power, India (note obviously India is not where China is building its ports).

North Korea Disable Nuclear Facilities by 2008

I suppose this is good news... ... if in fact they're not full of shit this time, as they were the last time they signed an agreement to scale down their nuclear programme... Maybe they're content with whatever weapon they produced already? Or maybe they're hoping to just buy the goods from Iran?

My personal opinion currently is that the US is full of shit when it says that it wants N Korea to drop its nuke program. As crazy as it may sound, it actually benefits the US to be seen to have a nutcase in that part of the world. Why? Simply because it justifies a military presence again on China's doorstep. If the two Koreas have peace then there will be no reason for US troops to remain in South Korea, and that would be a strategic loss for the US.

As for the danger to the US from North Korean nukes, I don't think there is a danger of a strike in reality. N Korea is hostile because it is essentialy a cornered animal, which desperatley needs things like oil and food. It is trying to survive, not start a war.

[rockmanj]

As a side note, the US has agreed to turn over control of their bases here (in Korea) to the Korean military...

[Assertn]

If the two Koreas have peace then there will be no reason for US troops to remain in South Korea, and that would be a strategic loss for the US.

How would that be a strategic loss for the US? It's not like we would lose our alliance with South Korea the second our troops leave or anything.....

[DB_Hunter]

@rockmanj: Have they? I wasn't aware of that. I know a few years back Bush announced a shake up of US troop deployments world wide and was going to shift troops away from South Korea and Germany as well, and this was supposed to take place over a few years. Are you saying that all the bases are closing?

@Assertn: I'm not saying the US would become an enemy of South Korea if the troops left. It would however definitely be a loss of military influence in the region, and could allow China to increase its polticial activity in the area.

[Genma]

@Assertn: I'm not saying the US would become an enemy of South Korea if the troops left. It would however definitely be a loss of military influence in the region, and could allow China to increase its polticial activity in the area.

... Point being?

You're typing about this shit as though Americans are still Imperialistic. Since China is now a Democratic country (at least partially), and the fact that most of our imports come from China, I don't really think we're worried that China will have an influence on South Korea.

The reason we have troops there is to monitor N. Korea, and crazy "im so ronrreeey" Kim Jong-il.

[DB_Hunter]

Do you mind telling me when America stopped being imperialistic?

Edit: Japanese workers in Wikipedia row

Quote: "The Agriculture Ministry is not in charge of Gundam," ministry official Tsutomu Shimomura told the Associated Press news agency.