Korea: Playing with fire – nuclear fire!

Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings, is a saying many British Gazette readers will be familiar with. One of the things I noticed, but did not comment upon – until now – right from the time when I was a little boy and later as I entered my teens, the time I developed “an interest” in such as the attractive lady above, was that performers such as our lady fire eater were required to perform in attire that effectively covered them no more than did their underwear whilst the gentlemen were kitted out often in white tie and tails.
It’s quite a thought isn’t it gentlemen. Many of us, myself included, will have made speeches at venues such as conferences before an audience of several hundred, and televised. Every time I made such a speech I was dressed in a suit, shirt and tie. The thought that one would have to walk out on stage wearing only a pair of underpants is horrifying!
This fact is of course EXACTLY the argument many feminists pick up on! I can see their point. But being an “unreconstructed un-PC male” I like to see attractive young ladies attired such!
Before we move on, a brief comment upon the history of the circus: The originator of the modern circus was Philip Astley, a cavalry officer. In addition to stunt horsemanship, there were acrobats and clowns. Astley’s first circus was put on in Lambeth on 4th April 1768. Of course, acrobats and clowns had been around for centuries before this. These performers, along with musicians and singers were hired by the wealthy to entertain them. Astley’s innovation was to bring many performers together and to offer it to ordinary people.
One of the things about “stunts” be they flame eating, hire wire acts and “those magnificent men on the flying trapeze” is that these stunts are incredibly dangerous! Sadly, from time to time accidents happen and these performers are seriously injured or killed. The fact that these performers were undertaking extreme risks, not to save another’s life or defend a nation but merely to entertain members of the public – and historically were not well paid for doing it! – was known to the audience and this formed part of the thrill.
This voyeuristic thrill seeking of course went back to Roman times with the Roman circuses – which were bloody fests of gladiatorial combat and also making executions into a form of public entertainment.
One of the necessary qualifications to be a circus performer or acrobat is something that those in the financial services sector describe as a high risk appetite. When encountering a wealthy client wishing to invest money a professional adviser must, in addition to understanding the client’s overall financial and tax position, be advised by the client of their risk appetite. “No risk” means such as Investment Guaranteed Growth Bonds and Income Bonds from National Savings and Investments. “Very high risk” means such as Contracts for Difference (CFDs).
Generally investors are of two types: those who invest their own money and those who invest other people’s money. The later should have great experience and expertise and should be aware of the risks involved to any particular investment.
Those occupying positions in government are in a similar position. Their decisions will not only affect their own lives but the lives of many others. In some cases millions, even hundreds of millions of people.
One of those persons is Donald John Trump – the 45th and current President of the United States.
In our article last Sunday (http://www.british-gazette.co.uk/2017/09/03/dangerouser-and-dangerouser-things-can-only-get-worse/), we described the two peaceful solutions that are possible.
The first is to accept that the despotic regime that runs the ill-named “Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea” will develop a capability to attack the continental USA with ICBMs armed with thermonuclear warheads.
The second is for China “to encourage” Mr Kim and other members of his despotic regime and significant members of hench people to cross the Korean/Chinese border into the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, in eastern Jilin province. Its population is approximately 400,000 of which a large section is ethnic Korean and to stand by and allow the re-unification of North and South Korea. For this to happen, China would insist that US forces withdraw from the Korean peninsular and that all treaties of military support between the two states would be abrogated.
We will first deal with the first solution:
There are some VERY serious problems with this!
Since 1992, North Korea has proved that it simply cannot be trusted to adhere to any agreement. It has broken every agreement. As for the regime making a choice between nuclear weapons and acceptance in the international community, it has made that decision long ago: the former. What this means is this: should North Korea succeed in producing thermonuclear weapons and ICBM’s it will likely export such items – in defiance of the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty which it has not signed – to any state which has the money and the desire to purchase same.
The United States will simply NOT accept this.
Furthermore, Pyongyang is the world’s capital of cyber-crime! Most cyber-crime originates from there.
It is likely that the Trump administration has come to the conclusion that the Kim regime can no longer be left in post!
So is there any prospect of a “peaceful” reunification of the two Koreas?
Possibly: If China and the USA are prepared to make compromises and work [secretly] together.
One thing the foreign policy professionals in the US State Dept. will have noted is that the Chinese government and President Xi Jinping have lost face by the actions of Mr Kim.
For those readers unfamiliar with Chinese culture it is hard not to overstate the importance of “face” to the Chinese. The most important thing to ensure when dealing with a Chinese person is to make sure they do not loose face. This means they must not publicly be seen to be belittled, made to appear of little or no importance, have little or no influence, humiliated, made to look ignorant, stupid, reckless or foolish.
Allowing oneself to be photographed like thisis unthinkable for a Chinese politician. Just like walking out on stage in one’s underpants!
The FACT is that Mr Kim has not caused the Chinese government and President Xi Jinping to loose face once. He has caused them this many times! Examples include; killing Kim family members who were close to Beijing. By upstaging President Xi at the BRICS summit he was hosting with North Korea’s sixth, and by far largest, nuclear test – AND just before next month’s crucial Chinese Communist Party Congress to boot!
These things will make the Chinese government and President Xi Jinping very angry. Very angry indeed. And that is a VERY stupid thing to do!
The reason why Mr Kim is still where he is is that to bring about the collapse of North Korea will be to destabilise the region and cause an even greater loss of face.
The FACT is that the Chinese government and President Xi Jinping desperately want a solution:
“Who will rid us of this turbulent provocateur?”
However, whilst the Chinese government and President Xi Jinping desperately want Mr Kim to depart the scene, they do not want the ultimate humiliation – i.e.; gigantic loss of face – of seeing South Korea takeover North Korea supported and in conjunction with the USA.
To have their border with a US dominated Korea will simply NOT be accepted.
What President Trump must realise is that he, “The Donald” can not be seen to be a winner here! The USA will ONLY be able to peacefully and effectively end the North Korean threat by concluding a formal peace treaty to legally bring the 1950 Korea War to a close which will have to mean the removal of ALL US military bases and troops on the Korean peninsular and the ending of the military alliance with South Korea.
The newly recreated unified Korea will clearly be influenced by China. The task of rebuilding North Korea will be a monumental task, many times more expensive and difficult than the task presented by the old East Germany. Huge levels of investment will be required, but given the industrious nature of the Korean people this will pay handsome dividends eventually.
It MIGHT be that this is going on in secret right now!
Let us hope so!