Today's news cycle has revolved around a report that North Korea, who has been threatening the US forever, is now capable of arming an ICBM with a nuclear warhead. To make matters worse they apparently, obviously unconfirmed, have 60 warheads. As expected Pres Trump responded using language we've heard from the Kim Jong-un:
Trump's response, some may call a bluff, was then called by NK who have threatened a missile attack on Guam!
Now before I go on, let's get one thing clear. Trump is not responsible for this mess. He is not responsible for this nation developing its missile and nuclear program. Much of the blame goes on Bill Clinton who made a lousy deal with them. Then Goerge W Bush for doing nothing and of course barack hussein obama who more or less ignored the impending threat from this country. Trump is 100% correct when he says a mess was left for him. (Side note: The deal Clinton made with NK, is no different from the one obama made with Iran. That said we will be doing a similar song and dance in a few years when Iran advances their missile and nuclear program, regardless of what the left will say about the deal he made.)
What you have here America is an escalation of words that will lead to war unless cool heads and pressure from the UN but more importantly China can calm things down. China is keeping NKorea running and has not done anything to actually punish this rogue nation. They are the key to stopping potential war, World War III if the US preemptively attacks, from breaking out.
The US has the means to obliterate NK as ret Gen Jack Keane explained today
BUT, if the US attacks first in a preemptive strike in all likelihood it will not be 100% successful because the number of targets. All the artillery, missiles and rockets aimed at South Korea must be knocked out. All known nuclear related facilities (R&D, storage, actual missiles etc) must be hit, and potentially targeting Kim Jong-un. With so many targets there's no guarantee of 100% success with a preemptive attack, which means a retaliatory strike against S Korea, Japan and other US interests allies. Keep in mind China is in bed with NK, so is Russia and Iran, thus the potential of actual world war breaking out IF the US strikes first.
Many will shake their heads in disagreement but our only option is to wait and see if Kim strikes. While we wait heavy sanctions must be levied and again pressure China to shut the tinpot dictator down, up to and including regime change. It is far better to wait or let Kim strike otherwise any action by the US would result in the world body coming down on the US as the bad guys. Let NK threaten and attempt to attack the US. IF they're able to launch against the US, NO ONE in world body will have any ground to stand on when "we" turn NK literally into a parking lot.
Keep this in mind
#1 North Korea is size of Pennsylvania
#2 US has 4500+ nuclear warheads
#3 Crazy Fat Kid won't strike bc he knows the US will wipe NK off the map
If that doesn't calm your nerves, then consider this, these are the weapon systems we're allowed to see and know about:
This is THAAD when it was in developmental stage, it is now deployed
Both of these are on all ships and some ground based variants
There are countless other weapon systems we know about, there are others no one outside the military knows about. That said while the current situation appears dangerous I'm not worried... I am worried about when said unknown weapon systems are revealed to counter Kim, because it will start another arms race, most likely in stealth weapons.
One last thing, Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), "Star Wars" program under Reagan was a bluff against Russia that bankrupt them. Who is to say there's nothing orbiting the Earth right now especially after a number of fmr shuttle and space missile launches carrying a "secret payload"!
