The reports earlier today were completely blaming North Korea for agressive actions and killing civilians for no apparent reason.
The Lookout on Yahoo reported:
Early Tuesday, North Korea fired artillery shells at the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong, which sits off the disputed maritime border between the two countries. The attack killed two South Korean marines and wounded 18 soldiers and civilians. It prompted an exchange of fire between the two sides, involving around 175 artillery shells and lasting about an hour.
The North accused South Korea of having started the exchange by firing shells inside North Korean territory during a set of South Korean military exercises that the North called "war maneuvers." The South denies that charge, saying that its soldiers were merely conducting military drills and that no shots fell in North Korean territory.
This report makes North Korea out to look like it is completely in the wrong.
But, then, a few hours later, the story changes.
From Yahoo News:
The skirmish began when North Korea warned the South to halt military drills near their sea border, according to South Korean officials. When Seoul refused and began firing artillery into disputed waters — but away from the North Korean shore — the North retaliated by shelling the small island of Yeonpyeong, which houses South Korean military installations and a small civilian population.
Seoul responded by unleashing its own barrage from K-9 155mm self-propelled howitzers and scrambling fighter jets. Two South Korean marines were killed in the shelling that also injured 15 troops and three civilians.
We know that North Korea is run by some very paranoid people. We know that Kim Jong Il is sick and about to be replaced by his son. It's a pretty safe guess that the son is willing to show that he cannot be pushed around easily.
So why does South Korea antagonizes these people?
It is easy to imagine that North Korea would get very upset about belligerent military maneuvers near their maritime border. Then after they demand a halt, they are ignored. What would be their response?
If they fired shells into the water, it might look like they were poor shots with poor equipment. I can see why they would fire on a military base.
I am not excusing North Korea at all. They are dangerous and not to be messed with.
I think that if you are messing with a hornet's nest and they buzz by your head and warn you to stay away, you'd better to stay away. Why in the world would South Korea fire shells into North Korean waters? What could possibly be the purpose of that besides starting a war
4 comments:
I saw this South Korea's shelling in the water footage on TV news last night. It reminded me how much our image of North Korea is controlled by media. Not just North Korea, but other politics-related incidents as well. I think many people are still really stereotyped and they don't even know that they are.
The ruling big wigs want us to hate North Korea. However, there are some legitimate questions about whether it really was a North Korean torpedo that sunk a South Korean navy ship. Plus, it was very suspicious that the South Koreans would not permit the North Koreans to even look at the evidence. Best to just assume that government officials and their media mouthpieces are always lying.
Oh, come on.
I know its all the rage for libertarians to be pacifists these days. However that doesn't mean you need to make excuses for North Korea. Not that there is even any need to make it other than making yourself feel good about your political position. You have nothing to worry about. The response from "evil" America and her allies will be the same as it has been for the past several decades; "we condemn the perpetrator (North Korea) but the victim (South Korea) must show restraint and bare some responsibility in this matter to maintain the peace. Here take some goodies from us and please play nice."
South Korea may have been doing military exercises near North Korea but they did not fire on North Korea; its people or its territory. North Korea had absolutely no excuse, legal or otherwise, to start hostilities with South Korea. And the only reason they do it is because they know they can get away with it against South Korea or other western oriented countries. Had they done this to China or Russia new world maps would have to be drawn within the week to accommodate South Korea's new northern neighbor.
Thankfully, Anonymous knows that South Korea did not fire on North Korea or its Territory. How he knows this he does not say. Cause, you see, he just knows. All you need to do is say you know it, and that makes it true. Get it? Click your heels and believe it, know it. The remainder of his email is composed of a rather long list of other unsupported assertions. Shameful lack of thinking or reason, taking a page straight out of Fox news playbook.
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