No war on North Korea. No showdown with China.

Today (or last night, the time zones make it unclear), North Korea assaulted South Korea with artillery, killing two soldiers. The South Koreans are holding vigils, and I'm sure world leaders are holding conferences. And of course in case you've been living under a rock, this comes amidst new revelations concerning North Korea's nuclear program, and tensions between the two countries have been high for some time now.

There has definitely been tough talk on the issue of North Korea from the American government for years, the better part of a decade really. But I for one do not want to see an invasion of the "rogue state," nuclear arsenal or no. Here are some reasons why:

• We've already got U.S. forces committed around the globe. The tricky situation in the Koreas would require a lot of troops. More so if China gets involved (see below). It'd be a waste of human resources in a time where people need to occupy themselves with work, not war.
  
• Ditto with cash. The corporations would make a ton but working people wouldn't stand to improve their quality of living. What did Iraq and Afghanistan do to prevent the Great Recession? Halliburton and Blackwater and their ilk raked in the dough on fat military contracts. Soldiers got the short end of the stick and I don't think a dime "trickled down."
• North Korea is China's ally. After the boat incident last summer, the new rising star of international capitalism took a harder line on its little neighbor; if it wants to be a global player it needs to put more pressure on its batshit stupid friend there. And I don't think China wants North Korea acting the fool, so let them work it out.
• Following on that last point, if the U.S. invaded North Korea it would be taken as a major offense to China, who has a sort of Monroe Doctrine attitude about the Asian Pacific. Nothing would prompt a showdown worse than aggression against their neighbor, and we can't have a war on China. It's not sustainable. Not even if our very beloved President issued a draft.
  

Face the fucking facts, America. We lost at the recent G20. We are no longer the Head Motherfucker in Charge. We shouldn't have acted like we were in the first place. We need to keep a cool head and learn some freaking humility. No more shitting around with these wars on these ruined nations. No more posturing and waving our proverbial dick at China; we need to take care of our own failing infrastructure and our own jacked up economy.

And that, my friends, is the point. The ruling class of this country fucked us over. The financiers, the politicians, the military. Their reckless policies in pursuit of corporate profit have stalemated our future as the American working class. We can't let them coerce us into more war - not with North Korea, not with Iran, not with Pakistan or Yemen or Mexico. No more military ops. No more drones. No more "support personnel." Draft workers into an national infrastructure, mass transit, and green energy construction program. Bring us up to speed with the implemented technologies of Germany and Japan. Fund it by levying an 80% tax on corporate profits. Nationalize the companies that don't comply. Issue an amendment to the constitution that provides for federal-level recalls so we can hold any politician who breaks with this program accountable.

It's time we get our heads out from our rectal cavities and go after the bastards who do nothing but pass bad policies before they drag us into more special-interest conflicts. War on North Korea will not keep us safe. It will take all the problems that have been festering under the surface in America for the last fifty years and burst them like a popped boil.

And there will be no going back.

On the hues of kettles and pots.

For this post I was first inspired by a quote from South Korean President Lee Myung-bak in response to the alleged torpedoing of a warship by the North Koreans : "We had been forgetting ... the reality that this country faces the most belligerent regime in the world."

It's like the guy is totally oblivious to the character of his own goddamn ally. You know, the one his country is conducting military drills with "in case North Korea invades" (really it's just a provocative show of force).


Today, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has insisted that North Korea end what she calls its "policy of belligerence."

Uh-hunh.

Can we review the list? The US is conducting operations officially in two countries - as an open secret in three more (Yemen, Pakistan, and Somalia), and has its fingers in plenty of other places, most notably in South America. The only other major power in recent years to actively invade a sovereign nation was the Russian attack on Georgia, for which the Ruskies caught a ton of flak (but, of course as it is still one of the world powers, no tangible reprucussions). No other country in the world but the good ole US of A is waging five major military operations simultaneously.

But that's all par for the course the most benevolent country in the world, which, incidentally, has been attempting the multi-regional occupation for two decades now.

And, not coincidentally, par for the course for the ally of another of the world's most belligerent nations.

But that's how it goes: On the world stage, might still makes right.