NBC‘s Brian Williams is talking about North Korea, which has no weapons capable of reaching the U.S.–not the U.S., which has thousands of missiles that could hit North Korea.
It’s not easy to figure out what’s going on with North Korea. We hear that new leader Kim Jong-Un is making threats to attack the United States, South Korea or both–and that’s leading to some rather alarming, and alarmist, coverage.
As ABC World News reporter Martha Raddatz put it (3/31/13): “The threats have been coming almost every day, and each day become more menacing, the threat of missile strikes on the U.S., invading armies into South Korea and nuclear attacks.”
The dominant narrative would have you believe that the United States was basically minding its own business when North Korea began lashing out. On CBS Evening News (3/29/13), Major Garrett explained:
North Korean saber-rattling is common every spring when the United States and South Korea engage in military exercises.
So there are “exercises” right next door, conducted by the world’s most powerful military, which possesses thousands of nuclear weapons; and then there’s menacing saber-rattling.
While North Korea’s apparent threats are obviously troubling, one doesn’t have to be paranoid to take offense at those military drills. As Christine Hong and Hyun Lee wrote (Foreign Policy in Focus, 2/15/13):
The drama unfolding on the other side of the 38th parallel attests to an underreported escalation of military force on the part of the United States and South Korea. In fact, on the very day that Kim visited Mu Island, 80,000 U.S. and South Korean troops were gearing up for the annual Ulchi Freedom Guardian. For the first time in its history, this war exercise included a simulation of a pre-emptive attack by South Korean artillery units in an all-out war scenario against North Korea. Ostensibly a defensive exercise in preparation for an attack by the north, the joint U.S./South Korea war games have taken on a decidedly offensive characteristic since Kim Jong Il’s death. What’s more, a South Korean military official discussing the exercise raised red flags by mentioning the possibility of responding to potential North Korean provocation with asymmetric retaliation, a direct violation of UN rules of engagement in warfare.
In other words, there are some real world events that might bother North Korea’s leadership–no matter what one might think about the level of North Korean paranoia. On much of the U.S. television coverage, the threats are virtually all coming from one side, without any explanation, and the United States is merely on the scene to bring down the level of tension. As ABC‘s Raddatz (3/31/13) explained:
The U.S., which launched two nuclear-capable B-2 stealth bombers last week to carry out a practice bombing run less than 50 miles from North Korea, says it will continue to respond to provocation.
The U.S. will not say specifically what those counter-provocation measures may be. But an indication of how serious they are, the Pentagon says they hope they never have to put them into effect.
Again, the standard is pretty clear: Statements by North Korea says are threatening provocations, while when the U.S. pretends to drop nuclear bombs just across your border, well, that’s just how you “respond to provocation.”
Don’t worry–they’re just “responding to provocation.” (cc photo: Naval Surface Warriors)
While it is certainly difficult to get a sense of what exactly the North Koreans are actually saying, one of the most interesting takes came from B.R. Myers, a professor at Dongseo University in South Korea. He was quoted by a New York Times blog (Lede, 3/29/13):
We need to keep in mind that North and South Korea are not so much trading outright threats as trading blustering vows of how they would retaliate if attacked. The North says, “If the U.S. or South Korea dare infringe on our territory, we will reduce their territory to ashes,” and Seoul responds by saying it will retaliate by bombing Kim Il-sung statues. And so it goes.
I think the international press is distorting the reality somewhat by simply publishing the second half of all these conditional sentences. And I have to say from watching North Korea’s evening news broadcasts for the past week or so, the North Korean media are not quite as wrapped up in this war mood as one might think. The announcers spend the first 10 minutes or so reporting on peaceful matters before they start ranting about the enemy.
That’s important context.
Meanwhile, NBC reporter Richard Engel (NBC Nightly News, 4/1/13) told viewers that “if you watch North Korean state TV, the country looks like it’s at war.” And he closed:
The world’s last Stalinist state talking war to stay in power. Pyongyang’s secrecy makes the old Soviet Kremlin look transparent. North Korea appears to want to pick a fight and the U.S. says if it comes to that, it is ready.
WTF I’M GONNA DIE THIS IS THE ENNNNND
While your point is somewhat valid, it doesn’t take into account the history of both nations and what actions they have taken before the recent back and forth….i.e. NK incidents with SK involving the loss of life, NK launching space lift vehicles that are essentially the same thing as an ICBM w/o a warhead, NK’s constant use of threats to garner political power….
The US is far from innocent, but we didn’t just go poke a sleeping bear. This bear has been mouthing off for years.
I really hope the don’t do anything please pray so notin happens
Well…um okay. Lol watch it not happen.
Look he has went way to far. Look at all the threats and look at all the actions that he has done took. The chances of this guy getting up tomorrow and changing his mind is slim to none. Not counting all the hardliner Generals that he has behind him wanting this. They believe American does not have the gut for a long dragged out war. There for the America leaves Asia and they get the south. China is happy on all ends. We can’t act as if we know the people that are over there. We can act as if there stable. There not , so this whole idea of them not wanting to commit suicide is not true if they think of it as them not thinking its suicide. Its not for food this time. There not asking for talks. The other problem is we are not offering food ether. And south Korea is pissed. So This just may go down this time.
GUYS! THIS IS TOO MUCH. I CANT. I CANT. DEAAATH HURR WE COOOME. OH MEH GOODNESS. DIEEE .
WERE ALL GONNA DIE BECAUSE OF STUPID BRIAN WILLIAMS………………………………………………………………………..
what if hippies are time travelers who have taken over north korea in order to secure the death of america in order to stop industrialization
-_-“
I like turtles
Peter, unlike those who dismiss this, I think you are not sufficiently taking into consideration anti-war experts who have a much stronger view on the US (or rather the disguised Global Empire, posing as the US) being the intentional escalator to a potential B-2 B61-11 demonstration of its new powers by using the deluded and lured 28 year old as a ‘test rabbit’ for so-called “limited nuclear war”.
Chomsky, Chossudovsky, Wolin, Parenti, Bacevich, Harvey, and some other informed minds on global imperialist behavior and strategy would be useful in getting a deeper insight than the Tom, Jane, and Harry talking heads you reference.
Best luck in being helpful in unwinding this rather nasty plan for the next change to the Pentagon’s New Map (or rather the Global Empire’s new map via control of this last super-power many still think of as their country),
Alan MacDonald
Sanford, Maine
^^ Shut up
Lets see I seem to recall back in the good old days of Billy-boy, N.K. did a lot of the same, making with the threats, doing the “Bad Boy” strut, and ending up with more ‘aid’. I really don’t see this as much more in the long run. We do this every year.
And as for the ‘response to the provocation’ it sound like the old ‘we will play your game homey’, and we do have to “respond” to make Kim Il-sung look good for his people.Pretty soon he will turn to his people and say “See, I made the bad man go away”.
Would NK really even stand the slightest chance without being obliterated.
Sen, You label North Korea a “bear”. How do you label the U.S.?
If you keep submitting well written articles just like this then I will always keep returning back to your blog. Really good material.
Well, there is a lot of context missing. During the Clinton years, there were hints of progress, as when NK agreed to stop nuclear bomb development as a condition of the US’ providing a light water reactor that could run off lower-grade uranium. Gingrich blocked funding, so we couldn’t carry out our end of the bargain. Tensions escalated, but by late 2000, Madeline Albright visited Pyongyang and handed off her small diplomatic inroads to Bush-Cheney, who promptly ditched them.
This realtively recent history is, of course, lost in today’s media propaganda machine, which won’t report the number of times that the US has threatened to use nuclear weapons against NK, or refused to sign a non-aggression pact with NK, much less a “no-first strike” treaty with it.
Getting a litlle arcane, I know for a fact that in 1995, the Pentagon vetoed SK’s requests for rockets with a 100 mile range and made SK purchase only those rockets that with a 250 mile range. In other words, the Pentagon wanted SK to possess only those weapons whose range could theaten the entirety of NK. These US warmongers want tensions stoked regularly, to provide the crises that justify more weapons and even more expensinve weapons systems. It’s a real pity, I’ll tell you.
A little historical context for all of this wouldnt go amiss…
http://newantarctica.com/2013/04/mad-sad-and-bad-north-korea/
Richard Engel has been bitten by the famous bug. Some reporters like Chris Hedges and Robert Parry maintained their integrity and were marginalized. Many others decided to help write the propaganda and were rewarded with promotions and big salaries. Which way will he go?
Good grief, the subject of North Korea sure does bring the crazy trolls out of the woodwork, doesn’t it?
The only time when a fake threat stops being so is when the weapons fall. By then it is too late.
Given the police state characteristics incorporated within the NDAA. Is the US then an ’emergent Stalinist State? And what about that strangelovian pre-emptive nuclear strike clause as part of the military’s new offense doctrine? Who’s more crazy Kim Jung UN or our Pentagon strategists?
Ok everyone in the human race….raise your hands if you think there is a chance in hell that the US will invade or nuke North Korea in some sort of premeditated attack……Wait I see a hand……yeah you standing next to Dennis Rodman.Step up my fine fat feathered korean little nuckle head.Say your name,and state your game.
http://www.halukonat.com/NUaFapTyeBepPBfP4199.html