Obama and U.S. Foreign Policy

The Obama Administration has roundly failed in managing their foreign affairs. North Korea and Iran continue to act as rogue states with no sign of change. The situation in Afghanistan continues to deteriorate. Our relations with Pakistan are just coming back from the brink of collapse. We have rolled over like an old weak dog for Russia in relation to the placement of missiles in Poland and, in turn, alienated our strongest ally in Eastern Europe. Granted, the Bush Administration was no prize in foreign affairs, but they were much more capable in carrying the Big Stick that is needed to draw other nations into line.

A good example of the Bush Administration’s abilities and ideas at work was the Iraq War Surge. Bush ordered thousands of troops into Iraq to provide security, hunt the groups threatening the country’s stability, and train the Iraqi constabulary and military to quell the religious unrest and take command of their country’s streets. The surge was the best thing that could have happened to Iraq. The security it provided gave time for our team to highly train several Iraqi police and military units in the practice of counterinsurgency and basic law enforcement. These units have emerged victorious for the most part in relation to controlling the streets and capturing those internal terrorists who would do harm to their own people. These elite units are the only thing that is holding the nation of Iraq together for now. Though our Iraq activities ended under the auspices of the Obama Administration, the surge was devised and executed by the Bush Administration. The surge was a smart move in a war that didn’t really have a lot of smart moves.

Kim Jong Un in North Korea seems to be carrying on in his father’s footsteps. In most circles I don’t think there was any doubt he would continue antagonizing his neighbors. North Korea continues to demand much more than its share of attention. They are developing nuclear weapons. The North Korean government makes no excuses about their nuclear program being for purposes of war. The Obama Administration continues to mollycoddle them. Recently, the Administration approved new shipments of food to North Korea to help them alleviate their food shortages. What did the USA get in return? We got nothing; only the promise of additional talks about their nuke program. That has all gone out the window with the recent advent of their failed missile launch. Our President is timid when it comes to putting his foot down in the international community. He will simply allow North Korea to continue to make nukes and practice their missile ballistics. He might shake his finger at them a bit and make up some tough sounding rhetoric, but in the end nothing will be done and he will end his first term in a similar fashion to Jimmie Carter. Obama is an “internationalist.” Rather than seeing the U.S. in control of its own destiny, he prefers to place our destiny in the hands of the international community, the UN. Then we can be just as powerless as the UN.

With the exception of the recent mass murder by a U.S. Trooper and the incredible fuck up of burning some Qurans in public, the problems in Afghanistan are not due to the actions of our troops over there. They are due to the inactions and inability of the Administration to create a focused plan of action in regard to the country. This, along with our government’s inability to manage our relationship with Pakistan, has created a situation with virtually no upside. We have been in there since 2001 and should be out of there by now. Instead, our president started a surge of his own, shipping battle weary troopers from Iraq to Afghanistan to provide additional security in hopes of developing the same Nation Building success that Bush had in Iraq. No dice. Afghanistan is an entirely different country. Where Iraq had always had its provinces under control of the central government, Afghanistan is a tribal nation that has had a weak central government with virtually no control over provinces outside of the capital of Kabul.

That being the case, Afghanistan is a nightmare for regular troops. We should have maintained the action as a Special Forces action and used local indigenous troops to do all our fighting for the government there. After 11 years of conflict, our troops should not be providing security to the Afghani government. Regrettably, the Afghani military, like the Afghani government, cannot be trusted to provide security or fight corruption.

Our president will not put the screws to Afghani President Karzai and make him clean up his government. There are no Afghani patriots who would fight corruption. There is no legal system there to mete out justice to those who would take advantage of the peasants and make them pay out bribes in order to curry government favor.

The only choice our president has left us is to get out soon and let it collapse. President Karzai will face a similar fate as his predecessor, President Najibhulla who was placed in office by the Soviets. Najibullah was castrated by Taliban soldiers in 1996. After that they drug him behind a truck until he was dead. Since the Taliban were Pushtuns like himself, Najibullah believed they would not harm him. Karzai probably thinks the same thing. History does repeat itself.

Pakistan: Hillary's Road to Nowhere

This week Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and head of the Joint Chiefs Mike Mullen were whisked off to Pakistan to smooth over our relations with them. The nation of Pakistan plays a pivotal role in our master strategy to take out the leaders of Al Queda and the Taliban. Without Pakistan’s wholehearted support to root out the leaders and dedicated troopers of these terrorist organizations, we might as well pull up stakes and get the heck out of there and Afghanistan. If Pakistan is not going to watch the backdoor to Kandahar, our troops are at great risk as this allows the Taliban and their Al Queda cohorts to cross the Pakistan/Aghani border with impunity. This is akin to chasing the Viet Cong across the Vietnamese Highlands to have them cross borders into their sanctuaries in Laos and Cambodia.

Hillary is over there with Mullen to persuade the Pakistani leadership to continue their partnership with us in the battle against the Taliban. The President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, has put out some drivel about working with us towards peace in Afghanistan and cooperating in actions against “high value targets.” But at the same time he wants us to reduce the number of U.S. intelligence staffers/troops we have there. Currently that number is around 200.

Look at it from Asif Ali Zardari’s point of view, he has thousands of voters in the streets from Karachi to Abbotabad calling for the end of the relationship with the U.S. Well, actually they like to say “Death to America” and “Death to the Great Satan” when they protest the U.S. presence on their soil. Generally, the people of Pakistan have very little say in the management of their country as their country has been on a war footing for decades! Their military really runs the show there. If a president does not please the military, that president can rely on a short leash that will be pulled by a general.

Ever hear of Kashmir? I mean outside of the Led Zepplin song? It is a territory under Indian rule that Pakistan insists belongs to them and, of course, India believes they own it. Kashmir, the land of contention! Instead of placing a large troop presence in North Waziristan where they can root out the Taliban on their side of the border and force them like a hammer into the anvil of American fire power, the Pakistani military maintains the majority of their armed forces on the border with India fearing an invasion or at least another ramped up border conflict.

By the way, how tough is their military? This week, six terrorists took over a Pakistani Naval Air Station. They destroyed two surveillance aircraft, Lockheed Orions, and killed several Pakistani Naval guards. In the end, when the Pakistani security forces retook the base, 4 of the terrorists were killed and two got away. Yeah, they got away.

Is the Pakistani Army tough? Are they well trained? Can they even defend their own country from assholes within? No, they are a bunch of pussies. Looking back at the border wars they have fought with India, the Indian armed forces has kicked some ass.

Pakistan is a bad situation that is not getting better. Americans are coming out of the woodwork calling for an end to the foreign aid we give to them. You can’t blame them. Bin Laden lived in Abbotabad for several years and there is not a doubt in our intelligence community that Pakistani intelligence agents in their ISI, Inter-Service Intelligence Agency, knew precisely where Bin Laden was. Now it is a question of trust. How do you trust a partner who has harbored your most dangerous and evil foe?

Trust goes both ways. They no longer trust us to be upfront with them as we would not tell them we were going in after Bin Laden at his mansion. Why should we? They would have tipped him off and then Seal Team 6 would have looked like fools charging into an empty villa.

We provide Pakistan with $2 billion annually in foreign and military aid. Why? They have nukes, that’s why. We are trying to work with them to contain and maintain their nukes so they don’t fall into the hands of a terrorist organization. There is a radical islamist element in the ISI and there has been for years. The ISI has recruited and trained terrorists like the Lakosh to disrupt Indian control in Kashmir. The Lakosh was the group involved in the attack in Mumbai a few years ago. How do we know that a radical terrorist does not already have a nuke intended for us or maybe Mumbai or New Delhi?

The geopolitical situation in Pakistan and Afghanistan is not getting any better. The Pakistani government has started playing footsie with China and China is now providing aid to the Pakistani government. What kind of strings come with that aid?

Quick Thoughts for the Present Time

Energy

In a few months, Americans will be protesting and raising hell about energy. They won't be protesting and demanding Green Jobs. Everyone knows that was a pipedream boondoggle. Our "Green Economy" is a future reality. It is not necessarily mythological, it is simply a ways off from being a driving force in our economy.

No, the protests I am predicting are for oil. There will be demands for our government to do something about the price of gasoline. The closer our price of gas approaches $5 per gallon, the sooner you can expect the consumer protests. I have a fourteen gallon tank in my "economy" car. At $5 per gallon it will cost me $70 to fill my tank! Some economy!

Instead of doing something useful, like ending the moratorium on drilling and pumping from the Gulf of Mexico or drilling in ANWAR, he will do a temporary fix like releasing some oil from our strategic reserve. The President will speak honestly and sternly with our overseas oil suppliers. None of it will matter as by the time President Obama starts his second term, we will be at six dollars a gallon. At that point, it will cost $84 to fill my tank.

By the way, Cuba and Russia are drilling in the Gulf. Why can't we?

Libya

The President and Secretary Gates have promised us that there will be no boots on the ground during the Civil War in Libya. That's good. Now, can they make the same promises about the U.N. Peacekeepers that will have to be there to maintain the peace after the Civil War is over?
Those American Troops will be Peacekeepers, not warriors. Their reasoning will be along the lines of "NATO does not have the resources and we wish to prevent atrocities and other types of war crimes. Thus, it is critical to the maintenance of peace in Libya that American troops take a role with the U.N. Peacekeepers."

Iraq

When American troops leave, a security vacuum will be created. Entering that vacuum will be Iran. Iranian revolutionary influence has been evident in Iraq since the fall of Saddam's regime. Shiites are the dominant sect of Islam in Iraq and after the Americans leave, watch how fast the balance of power there goes to hell and the security situation degrades. Then, Iran will decide they must occupy the eastern half of Iraq to maintain their own security. That will create a rather nervous situation for our friends in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

China

Despite great success in managing limited capitalism in a communist country, China is a time bomb looking for the right time to economically implode. The PLAPF, People's Liberation Army Police Force, is the iron bars that maintain order in the country. There are a number of religious movements and political ideals and activists the Chinese government is working hard to keep under wraps. China is working hard behind the scenes to suppress any thought that is not government approved. Consider the great efforts they went through to stop the Jasmine Protests.

The stress between the "Haves," people living in the Eastern industrialized part of the country, and the "have nots," those living in the more agrarian West China, will continue to be an internal pry bar, stressing the social and political order. The new leadership that is expected to take charge of the country in 2012 will have its hands full.

California

I appreciate the hard work Jerry Brown has put in to tally the budget cuts he needs to balance the state budget. He only needs about $14 billion more to balance it. He will not get the tax increase or tax increase continuation he wants. California does not have an income or revenue problem. It has a spending problem.

Governor Brown says the Republicans, who represent small regions of the state, are holding up the ability of the State to tax its people. Oh my, the tyrrany of the minority! Those few Republicans in the State Senate and Assembly represent every Republican in the State of California at this time. I can't believe the Democratic leadership honestly believes the people of this State will vote to increase their taxes. They need to meet with their constituents who are not on CalWorks (welfare) or taking money from the state in retirement or as payroll. It is amazing that those on the Government dole seem to have the largest lobbies and the loudest voices.

North Korea

Thankfully, Kim Jong Il is a non factor at this time.

Obama Caves in to Republican Demands to Extend the Tax Cuts

Or, perhaps we should say the government may forgo the re-imposition of the Clinton Tax Increases? Anyway you cut it, the Dems had to acquiesce to the GOP demands as the public had spoken loud and clearly in relation to how it felt about taxes, the lack of jobs, and the slow economy. Our politicians know when their number is up and it was up the first Tuesday of November when Americans walked to their polling places in significant numbers to change the political landscape of our nation. The uber liberal members of the Democratic Party put up a token resistance, but in the end, even they had to admit that to raise taxes now was a bad idea that would draw nothing but ire from their electorate.

The Dems got an extension to the unemployment insurance, but at a cost. Not just a political cost, but a real cost to our budget. I have not seen where or how Congress is paying for these continued tax breaks and unemployment extensions. We continue to spend like a madman in a whorehouse with a credit card. I am not a Tea Party member. I am a realist. We must put aside political concerns and take charge of our nations spending. There are too many politicians with pet programs like Foodbank Vouchers for the Farmers Market, or anti-drug programs, or other types of outreach programs that flat out don't work. They are less than 40% effective and, yet, the politician who fought for the bill won't let it die!

If you had a car that ran at less than 40% efficiency, you would get rid of it. If your cable TV only functioned 40% of the time, you would look for alternatives. When our pets are sick and can no longer function normally, we put them to sleep. We shoot horses when they can't walk. Hell, doctors provide additional morphine to those near the end of their cancer suffering to allow them to reach the "Big Sleep." Let's put some government plans that don't work out of their misery! Take a look at some of the programs running at less than 40% efficiency. It will surprise you. http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/expectmore/rating/notperform.html

Once you see these non-performing programs, write your congressperson and let them know how you feel about throwing away good money after bad.

# # #

How about my buddy Kim Jong Il and his boy, Kim Jong Un? Those two dummies are heading for a showdown with South Korea and it might not be pretty for them. The Kim's have to cowtow to their military as their political philosophy is "Military First." This means that the military gets the lion's share of the budget, food, and oil. The civilian population is an afterthought. If the Kims were to change their ways and focus on the needs of the general populace, the military would vote them out at the point of a bayonet. North Korea is a military dictatorship and nothing less. These are thugs who only understand force.

A lot of Americans want China to help us control or at least manage North Korea. China has no interest in that whatsoever. As long as North Korea is a thorn to the side of America and South Korea, it continues to be a bargaining chip for the Chinese. If the North Korean issue was solved, then China would lose that leverage with us. North Korea makes China more important from the standpoint as a major power upon which the U.S. will be dependent. Eliminating the North Korean issue diminishes China's importance on the world stage. I am not saying that North Korea is China's only bargaining chip, but, at this time and for the foreseeable future, it is the most useful.

Many ask me, "Hey, Otto, what would happen if the North attacked the South again?" I honestly believe the South Koreans would clean the North's clocks. The South Koreans have some of our best military technology. The North Koreans make it look good in parades, but the South Koreans are the ones who will kick ass this time around. There may be a B-2 Spirit bomber helping them out here and there as well.

Otto Talks Politics-Illinois and California-Dominated by Big Cities

It has been a while since we talked last so I thought I would comment on the upcoming election. There is so much media information and interpretation as well as poll after poll that either confirms or goes counter to some pundit’s predictions; I thought I would run through some of it.

California and Illinois are very similar in that they have a rural population that tends to the right wihle their urban populations move to the left in politics. It must be disconcerting to have your state's politics dominated by the likes of San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Chicago. San Francisco is liberal, Los Angeles is clueless, and Chicago, heck, they're old fashioned, they like corruption.

We can start with the Illinois Senate race for President Obama’s old seat. I watched the Democratic Candidate Giannoulias and the Republican Candidate Rep. Mark Kirk on Fox News Sunday in a very balanced interview. They each were able to make their case and defend issues that were brought before them. There are a lot of questions about Giannoulias’ activities at the small family run commercial bank where he served as the senior lending officer. He is not specific on when he left the bank so no one can nail down if he signed off on some loans to people with supposed ties to the mob. But let’s get real here; in lending you look at ability to pay and credit character. If he made a loan to someone with questionable morals, a criminal background, or were suspected of criminal activities, he approved it based on simple lending criteria. There is no “Morals” report for this sort of thing like a credit report. If the loans were properly underwritten, there is no harm and no foul.

He wants to be on the Senate Banking Committee should he be elected. Do we need more bankers on that committee? It seems to me that bankers create rules that are favorable to bankers. Ask the American Bankers Association about that.

Rep. Mark Kirk is currently a U.S. Navy Reserve Intelligence officer. He works weekends at the Pentagon in uniform. He has a strong following in his district with a center/right voting record and has been called a moderate. He has flip flopped on some legislation. The Huffington Post noted that one day he was saying he would vote for the Jobs Bill and when the chance came he voted with the rest of the Republican Party. Can you imagine that politics actually play a role in how a congressional rep votes? The Huffington Post and other more left leaning sources have indicated that Rep. Kirk is a serial embezzler. I have looked into this pretty extensively and there is apparently no smoke to that fire.

Kirk has been in congress a while and understands how things work on the Hill. Giannoulias is the Illinois State Treasurer and has had some good accomplishments that served mostly Chicago and the Chicago area. Illinois is a big state; it is more than just Chicago. I think as a Naval Intelligence officer, Rep. Kirk sees the bigger picture much better than Mr. Giannoulias. In matters of geopolitics and use of our military, Rep. Kirk has the advantage. I am sure Mr. Giannoulias is a fine state treasurer and should probably stay there. My hope here is that Rep. Kirk can see beyond Highland Park (his cong district) and realize he represents the farmers, laborers, merchants, and manufacturers of the entire state.

California Politics

California is screwed up. It is a statement that not many in the country will argue with. The state has a $20 billion budget deficit and the Democratic lead legislature can’t find ways to cut spending. Why? Because they have taken so much money from special interests they can’t cut any programs without stepping on some contributor’s toes.

• Can’t fix the shortfall in funding for government employee union pensions, they took millions of dollars from the unions.
• Can’t fix the welfare system, they have taken millions of dollars from non-profits that are connected to the CalWORKS welfare system or funded as ancillary organizations and the California legislators have accepted contributions from the employees of these non-profits.
• Can’t take out housing subsidies, contributions from contractors, realtors, and developers have seen to that.
• Can’t fix the schools, teachers’ union contributes millions.
  
  Did I say California was screwed up? Maybe it is more like screwed! Want a better example of this? The California Governor’s Race is a laugh riot. Who in their right mind wants to try to govern the ungovernable? The California Legislature is like the local Dog Park. No one is quite sure how they got there but with only two terms you have to learn how to dominate those around you quickly. The scent of urine in the State Assembly is overpowering! Must be all those new members marking their territory.
  
  On paper, Meg Whitman, former CEO of eBay, is an obvious choice for the office of Governor. She says she will run California like a business. It seems that Schwarzenegger said the same thing. But he is an actor and she is a real business person.
  
  Jerry Brown, AKA Governor Moonbeam, had two terms as governor from ’76 to ’84. He had a generally lack luster 8 year run that was highlighted by disco, a poor economy and Proposition 13; the proposition that stabilized property taxes in the state. Brown hated Prop 13 and ran vigorously against it. The people of California passed it overwhelmingly. Many also recall how in the middle of one of the worst recessions to hit California he halted freeway construction. Are you listening Organized Labor?
  
  Boxer or Fiorina?
  
  Fiorina has allowed Boxer to define her in this election and that is a shame. Carly Fiorina is probably one of the best Senate candidates to come out of California in a long time. Regrettably, due to her poor campaign and according to the polls, she will not win. Carly did the right thing for HP at a time when HP was overgrown and overspending. Did your HP Tech stock decline? Sure, so did most tech stocks. Get over it. There were a lot of sour grapes about the moves she made at HP. There is no doubt as studies look back on her tenure that she helped HP prepare to be more competitive.
  
  As for those HP folks in Barbara Boxer’s anti-Carly commercial, they were never promised a lifetime job at HP. How about that one lady who says she had to train her replacement? How much did HP pay her to do that? I bet it was a high 5 or low 6 figures. Unless you work for GM as a union assembler, the State of California, or the Federal Government, no one has a promise of a lifetime job.
  
  Senator Boxer has never authored legislation. Never. I find it hard to support a Senator who cares so little for her constituents that she won’t author legislation to help them. She has a pretty good deal in DC voting yea and nay to other’s bills with virtually no responsibility for her state. Her way of helping voters is to review how much government spending she has forced our way. Government spending does not create permanent sustainable jobs. Boxer constantly talks about sustainability, but what she means is sustainability for the environment and government, not for people’s jobs.
  
  HR 4646 – The One Percent Tax
  
  This bill, sponsored by DeFazio and Harkin will take one percent of your savings and checking account initially and then one percent of every transaction you perform. This can either be in the form of a debit card, cash, credit card, hand written check, or automatic payment. They will take one percent of every transaction run through financial institutions.
  
  This will never take off. It will never pass. It was only introduced to tweak the noses of the Tea Party members and get a little Presidential Brown on the noses of DeFazio and Harkin. It is a diversion. While we are complaining about this new taxation, perhaps they can slip a socialized medicine bill on to the floor and get it passed. Oh, wait, they did that.
  
  
  
  
  
  

Politics in August-Fighting the Doldrums

Hillary Says: Make your Vote Count in November!

Don't forget the KFC Hillary Meal: two fat thighs, two small breasts, and lots of left wings. Finger lickin' good?

* * *
Robert Gibbs-Why are the liberals being so hard on this guy? Gibbs is smarmy and needs a decent haircut. But, he is the President's spokeshole. He is an employee. He only says what the administration wants him to say. Press Secretary/Spokeshole is a thankless, virtually powerless job.

* * *
Target Stores Inc. - Liberal organization MoveOn.Org arranged protests at the Minnesota Headquarters of Target to protest Target's donation of $150,000 to a conservative candidate for Minnesota's Governor. They want Target to make an equal donation to a liberal candidate.

Last time I looked it is a free country and the Supreme Court took the gloves off of anyone wanting to support a specific candidate. I understand why left wing/democratic supporters would protest this sort of thing. They are so anti-business that there are few businesses that would consider giving to their candidates without a quid pro quo.

Hey, conservatives! Let's go out and protest the local union hall when they give to their candidate and tell the union to give equally to our candidate! Let's demand SEIU give to the Conservative Caucus or Sarah Palin Fund or some BS like that.

If they don't like Target, maybe they can shop at Walmart! Oh, yeah, they have no use for unions and liberals either.

Hey, SEIU-How many illegal aliens are enrolled with you? Man, if they ever searched your database you would probably lose a third or more of your membership.

* * *
Our President wants to improve our relations with Cuba and allow less restricted travel between our countries. My question to our President would be, "What did Cuba do to deserve a relaxation of tension between our countries? Why are we rewarding Cuba?" It certainly cannot be their adherence to the principles of human rights. Have they allowed truly democratic elections that were not controlled by their government? Are they privatizing any businesses there? no and no. There is no reason to relax any of the restrictions which we placed upon them.

Cuba is a good buddy of that fool, Hugo Chavez. Cuba supports the FARC, or the Colombian Revolutionary Army that mainly consists of violent criminal malcontents and has killed thousands of innocent civilians since its inception. Hugo lets the FARC live in his jungles. Thanks, Hugo! Cuba loves dictators and despots. The President is screwing everything else up this year for incumbent democrats. Let's really tick 'em off with normalizing relations with Cuba.

***
The New York Mosque

Perhaps this is the start of a true bizarro world. Let's put the mosque in New York at Ground Zero. Then we can build a statue to Golda Meir in Tehran, a tribute to the Japanese Emperor at the USS Arizona memorial, a painting of Fidel Castro in Miami City Hall, we can build a U.S. Army Museum at Wounded Knee, and place a statue of Hitler next to Auschwitz. If we are going to allow tasteless BS like this mosque, let's go all out!

BTW-While the mosque is being built, do you think the Mob will take advantage of all that building material and machines? Isn't it cool how construction supplies are easily resold? I will thank the NY Mafia to make it as difficult as humanly possible for them to complete the mosque. A fire in the middle of construction? Someone dropped their cigarette accidentally. The construction foreman broke his leg? He should be more careful. All of our rebar is missing? You better check the inventory.

***
Geopolitics-The flood in Pakistan could undermine a lot of the work we have put into building up the government there. If they are unable to manage the care and supplies arriving to help those flooded, the military could take over again. I hope everyone remembers how poorly that worked for us and our allies in Afghanistan. With the Pakistani military in charge again, who needs Al Queda?

North Korea-Kim Jong Il is Mad-What else is new?

(Photo caption: Hot Mamas from the North Korean Navy's favorite dance troupe prepare to do a group split.)

I know I speak for many when I say that I am simply shaking in my boots regarding Kim Jong Il’s announcement that North Korea will have a “physical response” to the war games and training activities that will be taking place in international waters off their coast. Kim, known in his own miserable backwater of a nation as the “Dear Leader,” is the de facto leader of North Korea and he rules with an iron fist. No velvet gloves here, my friend. Handsome and discerning, he is not. Perhaps a better way to describe the man is ruthless and paranoid. This guy is more paranoid than a meth addict with arrest warrants in an unregistered vehicle coming to a Highway Patrol check point.

A physical response by North Korea could take many forms. It could be that having that many foreign ships near their shores may lead to mass stomach upset. In that case, the physical response might be mass regurgitation by millions of North Koreans. That would put a terrible strain on their sewer system if they had one. Sans sewer systems, it is likely to pack the many drably colored outhouses throughout the country. I pity the poor Koreans del Norte holding back their plume of vomit with one hand over their mouths and another pushing others out of their way as they battle for an open spot in the “People’s Outhouse.” Oh, gosh, think of the dry cleaning bills!

What the Dear Leader is implying by his “Physical Response” is that he will commit North Korean forces to bring death and destruction upon the navies of the U.S. and South Korea. Our forces will be facing the East Sea Fleet, ten combat squadrons comprising some 470 vessels. That sounds impressive until you realize this is a “brown water” navy. Meaning the ships are primarily used for coastal defense and supporting Army operations along the coast. So, most of these 470 vessels are coastal patrol craft not much bigger than WW 2 PT boats. Yes, there is the occasional modern destroyer or guided missile patrol boat, but for the most part, North Korea relies on their submarines for offensive operations.

The South Korean Navy Destroyer, the Cheonan, was destroyed by a torpedo launched from one of these submarines. The Romeo class submarines are of an old 1950’s Soviet design and use diesel/electric motors. It is said that on silent running they are quieter than our own modern nuclear subs thus difficult to find underwater. One must listen carefully for the cavitations of the propellers as they move stealthily through the Sea of Japan. It is not surprising the Cheonan was unaware of the presence of one of these submarines nearby before it met its fate.

The threat of North Korean submarines should not be taken lightly. Though anti submarine warfare has come a long way it is often luck, not skill, which allows us to locate these slippery silent specters of the seas. I understand the North Koreans have highly disciplined crews. Let’s face it; if they screw up, the penalty is death either by a courts martial or the sinking of their sub. That would keep me in line for sure!

Their torpedo boats and guided missile patrol boats also pose their own difficulty when used as an offensive weapon as their speed and maneuverability can create problems for those ships tasked with defending against them. But, then again, if you have the U.S.S. George Washington out there with a full complement of attack helicopters, fighters, and a picket line of defensive destroyers and frigates, maybe it becomes another American Turkey Shoot.

There is a North Korean Air Force with which to contend. Pilot proficiency is based on hours flown and the quality of that flight time. It is stated that North Korean pilots are not as well trained as their counterparts in the south. Estimates state pilot proficiency is 60% at best versus South Korean pilots with many estimates rating North Korean pilots with less than 30% proficiency. They are very limited in how they may conduct operations as they are wholly dependent on others for materials such as missiles, fuel, radar, avionics, etc. The NKAF also supports an extensive anti aircraft system consisting of Soviet era anti aircraft missiles and radar directed anti aircraft guns around their military and industrial complexes. They boast an exceptionally large number of anti aircraft sites. They still use barrage balloons. Some may find this quaint unless you are a ground attack pilot preparing to pull up from a strafing run. The cable extending from a barrage balloon can just as easily take out an A-10 Warthog today as it would take out a Stuka dive bomber in WW2.

With all this talk of death, destruction, and war, maybe there is a better way for us to get along with the North Koreans. Maybe we could go out and buy them some new clothes. When I see the film of their parades and even just film of everyday life there, it seems they all wear the same sort of dreary quasi military uniforms in a lovely shade of olive drab with their little peaked caps with their cute little red stars on them. But let’s face it, after 60 years of wearing the same clothes day after day, year after year, life can take a bleak turn. I mean, where the heck is their fashion sense? Let’s open an outlet mall in Pyongyang! A little color might brighten their mood.