As if the economy, a war on terrorism and political disputes in Washington weren’t enough, we now have the potential of entering a nuclear war. What may feel like a flashback to the nuclear arms race during the Cold War for some, for our generation, it’s a whole new playing field. With North Korea already prepared to fire against US targets, the US has also enhanced military presence in the area to show our allies we’ve got there backs while simultaneously proving to N. Korea that we have equal nuclear capabilities.
But what are the chances of us really going to war? Well, it depends who you ask. While some say North Korea is just talking a big game, others fear due to Kim Jong Un’s relatively recent entrance to the international arena, they’re not exactly sure what the young leader is capable of. Kim Jong has claimed he wishes to “settle accounts with the US imperialists in view of the prevailing situation.” If the attacks were to begin, North Korea has stated it would attack US mainland, as well as military bases in the Pacific and in South Korea, including Hawaii and Guam.
Defense Secretary Hagel says Washington is willing to take a more peaceful route, however the reality of the situation has to be considered – especially when North Korea has made such radical threats.
Of course this situation doesn’t just include the US and North Korea. It’s much more complex. North Korea recently announced a “state of war” with South Korea, an ally to the US. There’s also China, which doesn’t want a strong US presence in the region and Japan, another ally to the US, caught in the middle of regional conflicts.
So where does it go from here? We’ll just have to wait and see. With North Korea declaring a state of war with South Korea, we’ll see to what extent the US is going to defend its ally and – more importantly – how they’ll go about doing that. Whether a nuclear war is eminent in the future, there are no clear answers right now. Only threats, talks and hopes that the growing tensions between the two nations will dissolve.
Photo Credit: Rueters