A Happy Easter, or Resurrection day to us all! But in as much as we'd all like to celebrate the Risen Lord, we have been greeted by some disconcerting news. North Korea has declared a “state of war†with its southern counterpart, and has severed the remaining military hotline between them. They have also issued a stern warning directed at the United States, that any provocation or challenge to their sovereignty will be met with deadly, even nuclear force. Kim Jong-un, the country's young and rotund president, has even ordered their missiles to be aimed at US targets like its military bases in Guam, and even the mainland! These are the latest rhetoric from a belligerent country that has refused to join the mainstream protocol of the world. The 38th parallel is once again on the brink of war, just as it was in 1950-53!
Technically, both Koreas are in a relative state of war, since only an armistice was agreed upon, and not unconditional peace. That situation has lasted the past six decades, highlighted by small skirmishes and constant saber-rattling from the North. Some analysts say that these motions are most probably the North's response to the stiff sanctions imposed on them by the UN, as punishment for their recent long-range rocket testing in December and the most recent nuclear testing. Some say that all this is just Kim Jong-un's way of showing his people that he is in control of the military, and that his age is not a hindrance for him to take on the US. He is approximately 30 years old.
It is questionable if the North does have the capability to strike at US targets, whether in Guam or the mainland. Some dismiss the latest posturing of the young leader as nothing more than window dressing for his constituents, just like his predecessor. Just the same, the US is taking his threats seriously, deploying their own arsenals a little bit closer to South Korea, just in case. Russia and China, known “friendly†countries to North Korea, have called for calm and sobriety at this latest outburst from the North, which it has done from time to time. Some even say you can set your calendar by it, especially when there is a new president on board!
I don't know, but just how much of this rhetoric should the world take from North Korea, which refuses to peacefully join the global community. We know how impoverished their nation is, with hunger spread across the countryside. We have seen the NASA photos of the earth at night, where it is clear that practically the whole of North Korea, save for Pyongyang, is without electricity! Like they need more sanctions like they need food! And yet, they act like they can take on the world. Analysts say that while North Korea is predictable, the young president is not. The North may be able to get the first shots, but that may be all that they will get. To start a war would most definitely be their end. But who wants another global war, which may happen if countries start taking sides?
Maybe if he was given season tickets to the NBA by his friend, Dennis Rodman, he would calm down? Doesn't this just speak volumes of this living god?