North and South Korea and War Lies

By Charles Tolleson
November 23 2010

Two recent books, “War is a Lie” and “The Culture of War”- http://www.nysun.com/arts/why-we-fight-martin-van-crevelds-the-culture/86443/ -came to mind when I saw the news about an exchange of artillery fire between North Korea and South Korea over some disputed maritime borders off the West Coast of Korea. Why was South Korea firing artillery rounds during a military exercise on a small island 80 miles from South Korea and so close to North Korea that North Korea could return artillery fire and hit the South Korean military? Could South Korea have been trying to provoke North Korea? “War is a racket.” General Smedley Butler

After the skirmish the U.S. dispatched a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the USS George Washington, which carries 75 warplanes, to join exercises with South Korea from Sunday to the following Wednesday, U.S. officials in Seoul said. "This exercise is defensive in nature," U.S. Forces Korea said in a statement. "While planned well before yesterday's unprovoked artillery attack, it demonstrates the strength of the ROK (South Korea)-U.S. alliance and our commitment to regional stability through deterrence." Now why would the U.S. plan a military exercise five miles from the North Korean coast? This is more propaganda to stir the passions of the tribe and promote the war lovers’ sport, war. The war lovers always say their wars are defensive in nature, or for humanitarian reasons. Instead, the war lovers simply get pleasure from war.

Stock markets declined as a result of the skirmish and the death of two South Korean Marines. I wonder how many politicians and generals who knew of the pending attacks and shorted the markets?

It is as if both countries are saying they own the waters around Yeonpyeong Island and the people in those islands are our resources which we derive our living from. Has anyone thought to ask those people living on the islands which country they want to belong to? Maybe they don’t want to belong to either owner. Maybe they want to belong to themselves. Maybe they want to trade and travel with both North and South Korea.

Those people living in the disputed territory should just declare their independence from both North and South Korea and call themselves just plain, Korea.

Of course the bully, the United States, said they would defend South Korea. The chest thumpers never miss and opportunity to build up and try to justify the trillions spent on war that gives them power, prestige, and nice retirements. “I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy.” John Adams

The U.S. has a treaty with South Korea to come to their defense. What a deal for a little country like South Korea! Why does the U.S. make these one sided treaties with these small countries that cannot help the U.S. equally in defense? The U.S. makes a treaty with a small country like Israel that cannot provide anywhere near the defense to the U.S. that the U.S. can provide for Israel. So Israel can become a bully in the Middle East knowing the U.S. is their big bodyguard. South Korea can provoke North Korea by carrying out military exercises in disputed territory knowing their big bodyguard, the U.S., will be happy to have a reason to justify their huge military expenditures.

I suspect somewhere in the treaty with these small countries is the stipulation that they must buy their war toys from the U.S. The U.S. is one of the world’s largest international arms dealers which recently extradited, from Thailand, Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout for selling arms. The U.S. just cannot stand competition in the arms trafficking industry!

The U.S. is all concerned about North Korea, Iran, and other small countries developing a nuclear bomb. Their concern is based on the realization that if these small countries have nuclear weapons then the U.S. cannot invade and occupy them without the consequences being too great. This is called mutual deterrence. It is what kept the former Soviet Union and the United States from creating World War III. The War Nation and their parasites love small wars as a way to create the most exciting sport in the world. After the sport is over there are parades, medals, monuments, and annual gatherings to drink and regale in past glories. “A soldier will fight long and hard for a bit of colored ribbon.” Napoleon Bonaparte