By This just goes to show that the American public is as naive about North Korea as a former Defense Secretary or State Department official:
Fifty-seven percent (57%) of U.S. voters nationwide favor a military response to eliminate North Korea’s missile launching capability. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that just 15% of voters oppose a military response while 28% are not sure.
North Korea defied international pressure and launched a missile last night. Officials from that country claim a satellite was placed in orbit. U.S. defense officials confirm that a missile was launched but that no object was placed in orbit. (……..)
The telephone survey was conducted Friday and Saturday, April 3-4, the two days immediately prior to North Korea’s launch. The question asked about a military response if North Korea actually did launch a long-range missile.
Support for a military response comes from 66% of Republicans, 52% of Democrats and 54% of those not affiliated with either major political party. There is no gender gap on the issue as a military response is favored by 57% of men and 57% of women.
Overall, 75% of voters say they’ve been closely following news stories about the possible launch. That figure includes 40% who’ve followed the news Very Closely.
Seventy-three percent (73%) are at least somewhat concerned that North Korea will use nuclear weapons against the United States. That’s up just a few points from 69% who held that view in October 2006. Prior to that survey, North Korea had successfully conducted an underground nuclear test.
Currently, 39% are Very Concerned about a possible nuclear attack from North Korea. [Rasmussen Reports via Ace of Spades]
I blame the breathless media reports about the North Korean missile test for such a high number. Normally I don’t watch the television news and today I was watching it just to hear what they had to say about the missile test. The poor analysis only further reminded me why I don’t watch these people in the first place.
Anyway put me in the minority of Americans then because I continue to believe that a military strike against North Korea’s missile facilities would be an absolutely inept decision and here is why:
- The US had more to gain from the North Koreans firing the missile because we can accurately gauge exactly how far along the North Korean missile program is.
- This test has only continued the isolation of the Kim and are even more of an international pariah, which a bombing campaign wold instantly make them into a victim of the big bad Americans. If people can make excuses for Saddam Hussein they can make excuses for Kim Jong-il just as easily.
- The bombing of North Korea would play right into the Kim regime’s propaganda that perpetuates the myth that the iron tight control of North Korea by the Kim regime is needed in order to keep the country strong and safe from the Yankee imperialists.
- North Korea would respond to such a bombing in some way such as provoking a DMZ confrontation or naval battle along the NLL. I would not be surprised if North Korea even launched a mass casualty terrorist attack with in South Korea.
The response by North Korea to any US bombing would assuredly kill Koreans, which the pro-North & anti-US groups in South Korea would pounce on to denounce the United States with. If non-dangerous US beef could get tens of thousands of people into the streets imagine what a mass casualty attack from North Korea in retaliation to a US bombing would do?
An even more dangerous consequence would be if the North Korean response inadvertently turns into a full scale war due to miscalculations on both sides of the DMZ on the intent of the other. Keep in mind that any war on the Korean peninsula would cause casualties that would dwarf the Iraq War. US casualties would be especially steep with the 2nd Infantry Division continuing to remain located near the DMZ.
The bottom line is that bombing North Korea’s missile facilities would play right into Kim Jong-il’s hands and is not in the US’s interest. I believe Presient Obama is not foolish enough to even risk such an attack. However, appeasement that is a different story.
3:35 am on April 6th, 2009 1
I agree with you!
I can’t imagine how Americans can be ’scared’ of a country like North Korea.
Did they survey confirm that the respondants knew how small North Korea is, how poor it is and how far away from the United States?
That’s like a horse being scared of a hedgehog!
Don’t Americans ever get sick at their country playing world police and getting critisised for it?
US media must have done fantastic amounts of sensationalising and scaremongering to get people that whipped up. The Cold War is over! It’s sad that people can’t see past hyped up media reports.
As for the actual ‘threat’:
Surely surrounding nations could easily intercept any missiles from North Korea if it turned out to be needed. Bombing of Korean targets followed by a ground war would lead to the deaths of thousands.
I don’t think North Korea has got any plans of attacking any country other than possibly the South (which they would like to ‘liberate’ but know they can’t).
I think they want to show the world they can defend themselves, launch the satellinte and complete some resarch, all in one go.
Other countries regularly test missiles and launch satellites, why is this so different?
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April 6th, 2009 at 4:35 am
“The Cold War is over!”
Not if Vladimir Putin and his second in command, Dmitry Medvedev, have anything to say about it.
I suspect that Americans are not aware of the chain of events military action, at this point in time, would set in motion. Sadly to say, most of my fellow countrymen seem clueless about the realities on the ground here in Korea. Also, they seem to have amnesia when it comes to remembering they’re in debt to the Chinese (Is it a trillion dollars?) and that the Chinese are not going to sit quietly by as the United States bombs an ally on their border. Additionally, they miscalculate the violent response of North Korea, which now has—what is it—six nuclear warheads. The United States is in no shape for another large scale war at this point. The threat from the North is real; however, it is not worth a full scale war. Besides, it would make a mess of things for those of us who live in Seoul.
“I think they want to show the world they can defend themselves, launch a satellite and complete some research, all in one go.”
True, but don’t forget Cordelia, they want to show potential buyers the quality of their product.
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4:44 am on April 6th, 2009 2
[...] We can all agree, though, the military option is just wrong. [...]
6:30 am on April 6th, 2009 3
I hope everyone realizes that we would have shot it down if the projected impact point had been within the parameters of SM3 or GBI’s defended areas, which would have been an adequate military response.
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7:09 am on April 6th, 2009 4
Mark, I bet you would!
(And rightly so; they have no business scaring their peaceful neighbours such as Japan. As I understood it, the missile stayed on an acceptable course, completed the launch after which the satellite started broadcasting some patriotic songs. So far, so good…)
Interesting theory that the DPRK wants publicity on its military capabilities so it can weapons to other third world countries.
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10:56 am on April 6th, 2009 5
Start bringing the boys and girls, aka tripwires to Koreans, back home Pres. Obama.
North/South Korea is not worth one drop of American blood.
Leave Korea to the Koreans.
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11:56 am on April 6th, 2009 6
BOMB THEM! BOMB THEM!
The economy, the Bailout, the increasingly-intrusive government is unimportant! We can make sacrifices with our lives and economic situation if it is for Homeland Defense!
We’ve always been at war with Eastasia!
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