What The Heck Is N. Korea Doing?

[Annie]

This morning reading the Trib., it seems most of the world is trying to figure out what it is that the little dictator wants. Considering the massive failure yesterday and the probable costs, none of it makes much sense.

Now I come across this, which goes beyond incomprehensible to the truly bizarre:

http://www.strategypage.com/qnd/korea/articles/20060705.aspx

Forget the Missiles, This is Even More Bizarre

July 5, 2006: While everyone's attention was focused on North Korean missiles, the real story is the North Korean economy. It continues to fall apart, and more North Koreans are unhappy about that. Worse yet, more North Koreans are finding out how badly they have been screwed by their leaders. Meanwhile, North Korean officials engage in even more bizarre behavior. For example, food and fuel supplies sent to North Korea have been halted, not to force North Korea to stop missile tests or participate in peace talks, but to return the Chinese trains the aid was carried in on. In the last few weeks, the North Koreans have just kept the trains, sending the Chinese crews back across the border. North Korea just ignores Chinese demands that the trains be returned, and insists that the trains are part of the aid program. It's no secret that North Korean railroad stock is falling apart, after decades of poor maintenance and not much new equipment. Stealing Chinese trains is a typical loony-tune North Korean solution to the problem. If the North Koreans appear to make no sense, that's because they don't. Put simply, when their unworkable economic policies don't work, the North Koreans just conjure up new, and equally unworkable, plans. The Chinese have tried to talk the North Koreans out of these pointless fantasies, and for their trouble they have their trains stolen. How do you negotiate under these conditions? No one knows. The South Koreans believe that if they just keep the North Korean leaders from doing anything too destructive (especially to South Korea), eventually the tragicomic house of cards up north will just collapse. Not much of a plan, but so far, no one's come up with anything better.

 

[no1tovote4]

It had to be embarassing when the missile failed so early after launch... The short heels-wearing little Dictator has got to have squelched that in the news reported to his starving population...

Imagine, "I know we paid more for this one missile than it would take to feed y'all for a year, but it was really important for a world credibility!"

 

[Annie]

It had to be embarassing when the missile failed so early after launch... The short heels-wearing little Dictator has got to have squelched that in the news reported to his starving population...

Imagine, "I know we paid more for this one missile than it would take to feed y'all for a year, but it was really important for a world credibility!"

If the reports on 10 missiles failing is correct, then the 'big one' is embarrassing, but the other 9 are ??????

Ok, so they need 'trains,' but to steal them from the one country that has been trying to keep the dogs from their door? :duh3: