With an unhinged North Korean leader’s itchy finger on the button and an equally temperamental United States president on the other side, we are witnessing a mad ,MAD world.
MAD, in this case, stands for Mutually Assured Destruction. While the US has the edge of a preemptive strike with Patriot missiles strategically positioned in South Korea and Japan, there is no assurance the fusillade of Intercontinental Ballistics Missiles it would unleash might not slip through to hit US territory Guam and the heavily populated West Coast cities of San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
I feel strongly and concerned about this, having a daughter living and working in San Francisco. I pray someone or North Korea’s own military cabal would put Kim Jong Un in a straitjacket, throw him in a detention cell and throw away the key.
This is the only way to avert a global nuclear war. The scenario of a conventional war as seen in the Korean conflict between 1950 and 1953, when North Korean troops crossed over the 38th parallel and into South Korea’s territory.
Seeing North Korea getting military aid and even troop support from China, the United Nations intervened and sent in a coalition force with US ground troops at the forefront. The three-year war officially never ended but a Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) along the 38th parallel was placed in effect.
In a discussion of the present tinderbox situation in the Korean Peninsula, someone asked how China and Russia would react if the US unleashes its full complement of ICBMs on Pyongyang. Almost everyone to a man said the two North Korean allies would come to the succor of Pyongyang.
I had a different view of how events would unfold, but I kept it to myself, not wanting to look like a know-it-all and spark a heated debate. I now express my view on the volatile Korean Peninsula situation in this column. I expect, of course, divergent views on the matter but here’s mine.
There will be the usual outrage and condemnation from Beijing and Moscow over a possible preemptive US strike against Pyongyang. But after the usual diatribe against America’s excessive use of firepower, sober heads will prevail. For one, the international community cannot really blame the US for decommissioning a nuthead like Jong Un. He has been behaving as a global bad boy, launching several test missiles over Japan and escalating tension not only in the Asia Pacific region but on a global scale.
Jong Un’s rationale for his belligerent behavior? He claims he wants North Korea to reach a “nuclear equilibrium” with the United States. This is something he might not see in his lifetime since the US is way far too ahead in warfare technology. Indeed, Kim Jong Un has crossed the red line.The US has to protect itself and defend against a loose canon like the North Korean leader. Besides, who knows? Even China and Russia which are trying to rein in Jong Un might only be too glad to get rid of the loony.
There are other players like Britain, Germany , France, Canada and Australia. They figure in the equation in the alignment of forces. South Korea and Japan, which are directly in North Korea’s line of fire, will also act in its own defense.
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Here at home, President Rodrigo Duterte said he has early-stage insanity but that his arch critic Snator Antonio Trillanes IV is already on stage 3. Duterte was reacting to Trillanes’ statement that he should seek psychiatric help for challenging him to a gun duel. The heated exchange was an offshoot of Trillanes daring Duterte to sign a waiver allowing the opening of his bank accounts here and abroad. Asked by ANC news anchor Pinky Webb whether he (Trillanes) also has secret bank accounts here and abroad, the senator categorically denied he does.
“Not in my name, relatives or friends,” said the senator. But he accused Duterte of having secret bank accounts abroad.
Digong called the senator “Trililing,” a play on Trillanes’ surname.
Did I hear someone suggest a psychiatric test for all politicians seeking public office? This has been proposed before but the traditional politicians of course think it’s a crazy idea.
Things are really getting out of hand in the use of loose language by our politicians. Last week a visibly irate President Duterte lashed out at Commission on Human Rights Chairman Chito Gascon .
“Gascon likes to bring up the cases of minors and young men allegedly the victims of extra judicial killings. What is he, gay or a pedophile?”
Two young men—Kian delos Santos and Michael Remecio—were recently killed by cops during police operations.
