Performing Surgery With Cinder Blocks, Not Scalpels

The failing NY Times describes (yet again) the deplorable military options vis a vis North Korea:

In North Korea, ‘Surgical Strike’ Could Spin Into ‘Worst Kind of Fighting’

The basic geographical reality hasn't changed in decades:

Even the most limited strike risks staggering casualties, because North Korea could retaliate with the thousands of artillery pieces it has positioned along its border with the South. Though the arsenal is of limited range and could be destroyed in days, the United States defense secretary, Jim Mattis, recently warned that if North Korea used it, it “would be probably the worst kind of fighting in most people’s lifetimes.”

...

North and South Korea, separated by the world’s most heavily armed border, have had more than half a century to prepare for a resumption of the war that was suspended in 1953. While the North’s weaponry is less advanced, the South suffers a distinct geographical disadvantage: Nearly half its population lives within 50 miles of the Demilitarized Zone, including the 10 million people in Seoul, its capital.

Lots of the NoKo artillery is shorter range, but they also have different types of rocket launchers:

A study published by the Nautilus Institute for Security and Sustainability in 2012 accounting for these and other factors such as population density concluded that the initial hours of an artillery barrage by the North focused on military targets would result in nearly 3,000 fatalities, while one targeting civilians would kill nearly 30,000 people.

That sounds dreadful but this later excerpt sounds worse:

The Nautilus Institute study projects 60,000 fatalities in the first full day of a surprise artillery attack on military targets around Seoul, the majority in the first three hours. Casualty estimates for an attack on the civilian population are much higher, with some studies projecting more than 300,000 dead in the opening days.

Until the South Koreans figure out how to move Seoul away from the border (or move the border -yike!) that city is a hostage.

Comments

[Dave (in MA)]

http://justoneminute.typepad.com/main/2017/07/performing-surgery-with-cinder-blocks-not-scalpels/comments/page/1/#comments

Last page? ;^)

[sbwaters]

Thnx, Dave. Right on the stick.

[hrtshpdbox]

U.S. special forces assisting a coup attempt would certainly be the least bloody path, if there is even a group there interested in overthrowing Kim Whatisname.

[Threadkiller]

LOL, Dave!

[henry]

The choice may be Seoul or Anchorage as the hostage. Trump's job is to prevent the second from happening. We can try to limit damage to Seoul (or Tokyo), but they are already hostages.

[Stephanie Puppy Pincushion extraordinaire]

UPDATE: The daughter has been released. Antibiotics have been changed to oral and she is here for now.

[narciso.]

Think of it like Grenada writ large, remember the intervention was provoked by the coup attempt against bishop by coard and Austin.

[jjm]

Wonderful news, Stephanie.

[James D.]

Very happy to hear that, Stephanie!

[narciso.]

Wonderful news Stephanie.

[Threadkiller]

Terrific news, Stephanie!

[narciso.]

It would be hard to see who fits into which program?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/october/20/newsid_3720000/3720608.stm

[sbwaters]

Certainly war is not an option for Trump, but Trump is negotiating, not with North Korea, but with China/Russia and Japan/South Korea.

Trump has played previous hands since elected to show:
1) he is firm in his resolve,
2) he is not looking to dominate East Asia,
3) while NK my want to extort more with nukes, China knows Trump won’t cave to extortion, and
4) partnerships should be worthwhile for all major parties.

China and Russia can calculate well enough to not wish to reach a point North Korea snaps.

I am no authority, but I believe, with an ever-increasing arsenal in Japan/South Korea, China/Russia will act before the U.S. runs out of options.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Here is Sundance's interesting take on North Korea and China, based on those two tweets from the President I posted this morning.

https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2017/07/05/president-trump-highlights-increasing-trade-between-china-and-north-korea/#more-135330

[Jim Eagle]

I think the McMaster/Mattis strategy is 1) Show Force: Militarize further the South and Japan, 2) Move Some B-2's from Whiteman to Anderson along with a Buffer bomb group, 3) Bring a few battalions of Marines to fortify the DMZ, etc.

Have Tillerson, Mnuchin and Ross put the mercantile, trade and finance pressure on both China and NK.

Then slowly boil the frog one Fahrenheit at a time.

Just my opinion from reading and hearing today.

[sbwaters]

Gee, MM, and neither DJT nor Tillerson asked me.

[henry]

Would you believe an anon from Mexico on the original CNN / wrestling vid? or is this more "pimp the normies" from /pol?

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

sbw,

I was dumbfounded when I read your post after I posted that link.

Maybe you should try for a second career as a pundit!

[Clarice Feldman]

http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/amelia-earhart-survived-plane-crash-history-channel-1202487563/
does this remind you of the "Top Men" scene in "raiders of the Lost Ark"?

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

TheLastRefuge‏ @TheLastRefuge2 7m7 minutes ago

Listen to @nikkihaley right now. NEW: "If you trade with North Korea, the U.S. will no longer trade with you."
BOOM.
Brilliant Strategy !!

=====================================

This is The Conservative Treehouse's Twitter account.

As predicted, using economic leverage.

[henry]

Great. A trade war will send the too big to fails into an instant tailspin. Plus, war is an extension of trade agreements at a different level.

[Jane]

Nikki Haley gave one hell of a speech and frankly I don't think war is off the table.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

From the last thread, I was of two minds on DoT's threatened outing of Ben's antics.
I was uncomfortable at the threat but didn't consider it serious. At the same time I believe the threat was to expose Ben's borderline illegal tactics to his employer who if they didn't have a problem with them wouldn't have done anything.
He wasn't calling SWAT on the doofus and outing him to his employer is not quite like CNN exposing some guy to the thousands of nutcake antifa fools.

But, most importantly, why these things are seldom a very good idea is for the very point CH made; the guy DoT was going to out seems not to be the actual Ben Dana Ward who afflicts this place.

[jimmyk]

In case this hasn't already been posted:

http://twitchy.com/gregp-3534/2017/07/05/if-buzzfeed-is-correct-it-appears-cnns-andrew-kaczynski-outed-the-wrong-guy/

Also this:

David Burge‏ @iowahawkblog

Geez, and here I thought Trump was the thin-skinned asshole.

[jimmyk]

Didn't Dana (or whoever it was) inadvertently out himself at some point? I remember he accidentally linked his own computer.

Not that that addresses the issue, and I think that came after DoT outed him.

I think there is some distinction between someone sabotaging a blog over a period of years versus posting a silly video on the internet. In the former case there is harm being done, and not much ability to stop it directly. I can't get too worked up over the damage from the doxxing in that case, though as Iggy points out there is a risk of mistaken identity.

[narciso.]

As Churchill put it the end of the beginning

http://dailyrushbo.com/limbaugh-it-is-the-end-of-cnn

Meanwhile the morning consult shows the ban is 60/28 in favor.

[Threadkiller]

Another Doxer thread??

::groan::

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

I see Mammarandum still has this headline in the sidebar;

How CNN found the Reddit user behind the Trump wrestling GIF

Does HH still defend Kaczynski when he can't even get the right guy?
Perhaps Andrew Kacynskki is the Unabomber.
I suppose I could be wrong but so long as he does what I say I'll not spread that rumor any further.

[Old Lurker]

Good one (via Lucianne):

http://www.newscats.org/?p=10216

[Old Lurker]

Some of the Lucianne commenters aren't so sure about my link at 4:02...

[Threadkiller]

http://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/ej-montini/2017/07/05/did-feds-phone-arpaio-prosecution/450741001/

[Threadkiller]

Perhaps Andrew Kacynskki is the Unabomber.

Another site, apparently, is calling him the Unadoxxer.

[Jim Eagle]

OL,

I have come to the practice of not believing anything I see or hear for at least 48 hours unless it is truly confirmed like a terrorist shooting up a nightclub in Orlando or Trump body slamming CNN.

[henry]

Moody's put IL general obligation bonds on review for downgrade. All done but the formalities. Illinois is junk.

[Old Lurker]

Good policy, JiB.

Henry, IL bonds became junk on Nov 8, 2016.

[henry]

Or '08 OL. A formal bond rating will be new.

[lurkersusie]

Test

[Clarice Feldman]

I couldn't sign in for a while. Glad I can again.

[Dave (in MA)]

Clarice, I get a pause of 20-30sec when I refresh the page before I can do anything.

[narciso]

I thought they had already ascertained this,

https://twitter.com/Jerusalem_Post/status/882680887242043393

[narciso]

shockers, this was red queen's cohort

https://www.weaselzippers.us/347186-study-millennials-not-ready-for-pressures-of-life/

[henry]

Part of the delay is waiting for the "s20.sitemeter.com" call to timeout, as sitemeter is discontinued.

[Clarice Feldman]

I can't even reload the page most of the time. C

[narciso]

this is what democracy looks like:

https://www.weaselzippers.us/347279-pro-regime-groups-break-into-venezuelan-congress-assault-lawmakers-who-oppose-dictator/

[narcison]

the answer is no:

https://stream.org/leftist-christians-really-care-about-poor/

[narcison]

this was the snowflake I referred to earlier,

https://twitter.com/laurenduca/status/882005086658068483

[Jack is Back!(On his iPhone)]

DoT became a pretty close friend since we shared some mutual aquaintences and interests. CH, I understand your concern but DoT's calling out "professor" Dana Ward was not to bribe him or hold him hostage but rather to rid us all of his intentional disruptions of academically approved leftist pollution, DoT is an officer and gentleman first . (Don't step in TK. We know your issues. This isn't one of them.)

I believe the JOM record will show that the original Ben was said Professor. If not mistaken Jeff Dobbs and he set up a comms channel.

I may be wrong on Ben but not on DoT's charachter.

[narcison]

re that photograph, they dated it to before 1943, but that's about where they stopped.

[Frau Steingehirn]

JiB @ 6:28 - That's the way I remember sdome of the things. What's the chance of two creeps with the same name and same vicious manner?

[Threadkiller]

Don't step in TK. We know your issues.

If you did know my issues you would say insulting things like that.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2017/07/05/mr-pinko-announces-cnn-meme-contest/

Do read the comments. I am like most and have no idea how to do one.

Here is the entry from a woman's husband, a 61-year old trial lawyer from Boston:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DD_yK56VwAAzMEy.jpg:large

LOL!

[Jack is Back!(On his iPhone)]

Always Queen of the prom, aren't you TK? Thanks for killfile. Work on your cars not my request. What a fucking asshole. No wonder DoT called you out. You couldn't match his manners and IQ in a thousand years. What's it feel like to shit in your hat and pull it down over your ears?

Grow up guy. Seriously.

[narcison]

I call it fake news emporium, because that's mostly what it is, sometimes they commit random acts of journalism, but that is an oversight,

[Frau Witzbold]

Who knew?

Arriving on Wednesday night, just before the Hamburg G20 leaders’ meeting, Trump’s 16 hours in Warsaw carry great resonance. Polish President Andrzej Duda will be proud to officially host his American counterpart even before this pleasure will be granted — if at all — to the likes of Queen Elizabeth, Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Emmanuel Macron.

Nah, the Polish president is well-mannered.

[narcison]

yes, I didn't always agree with danube, but he is an officer and a gentleman, the fact he may not want to tarry into this fray, is understandable,

trump was nominated and elected, not for his brief dalliance with birtherism, but on the national question of culture language and borders, this he shares with the brexit movement which succeeded initially then put forward an irresolute standard bearer, in france we know from Christopher Caldwell the system was stacked against such a choice prevailing, same as Holland, and probably Germany, it is demography and indoctrination that makes it so,

[narciso]

to hell with them,

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-40503842

[Threadkiller]

Did you even read what I wrote, JiB?

Good grief.

Then you get crude. How mature..

[Account Deleted]

I appreciate this author's perspectives:

TRUMP’S REVENGE
Published July 5, 2017 | By Jack Engelhard

Trump’s self-made video parody that shows him wrestling down CNN has all the self-righteous pundits in an uproar, but it puts the heat where it belongs.

On CNN and the rest of them that round-the-clock give him no peace, no mercy, no fairness, no slack. In return, Trump goes Raw. Like Truman once did.

Friends in Israel tell me that Trump is not alone. Benjamin Netanyahu, they say, gets the same treatment from the Hebrew press. Most times, even worse.

The same, maybe. Worse, impossible.

In fact, a Harvard study illustrates that Trump coverage from mainstream media has been a whopping 80 to 93 percent negative since he took office.

On top of that, the obscenities coming from our TV news and talk shows are so violent that there is no choice but to say that we are past media bias and deep into media depravity.

It’s been so non-stop nasty that many of us have stopped reading and watching the coverage. We know what’s coming. We are braced. Trump gets even. Trump’s revenge.

Thoughtful criticism is one thing, whether against Trump or Netanyahu. A barrage of it is something else. It then becomes pure, gleeful hatred.

I could write a book about it and in fact I did – The Bathsheba Deadline – from which I quote that today’s journalists are the offspring of “Woodard and Bernstein, all of them into it, into journalism for the romance of changing the world.”

With that, by the way, comes automatic hostility against Israel, more proof that Liberalism truly is a mental disorder.

Rather than Journalism 101, simply stating the facts, these kids, who ordinarily would have gone into teaching and nursing, embraced reportage as a means to MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE.

So forget detached and impartial coverage. Instead, they will tell you what to think.

“This,” I wrote, “is a generation of dreamers rushing, in their laptops, toward universal blessedness and they want it Now.”

Their brave new world was supposed to extend from Obama to Hillary. Well, it didn’t work out. So they’ve become angry, petulant and unhinged spoiled brats.

Many of them, entitled grandchildren of the 1960s/70s, have just started shaving and they arrive at a press briefing already sullen.

It is not the Progressive agenda that they were promised and they are shattered.

Behold their temper tantrums on word that the daily briefings may no longer be televised.

What hurts?

Woodward and Bernstein brought down a president, Nixon, and so today’s editors and reporters figure it’s their turn to bring down Donald Trump.

But they have not succeeded. That’s what hurts and that’s why CNN had to fire three reporters for faking yet another story about Trump and Russia.

But Nixon had Watergate. That was legit. The Russia business is totally absurd.

Perhaps Trump may want to slow down his tweeting. He may want to take more care in the language and images he uses. But no matter what he says or does, they are conditioned to go after him without cause or reason.

He gets no latitude, certainly nothing like President Harry S Truman.

Back in 1950, President Truman threatened to beat up Washington Post music critic Paul Hume because Hume gave Margaret, Truman’s daughter, a poor review for her singing. Truman wrote: “Some day I hope to meet you. When that happens you’ll need a new nose.”

Led by the indulgent press of that era, America laughed – Good old give-em-hell Harry at it again.

Anything like that from Trump defending his own family (which gets slandered regularly) and they’d call for his impeachment.

They hated Trump at Hello. Now we are saying Goodbye at anything that resembles true journalism.

Jack Engelhard’s books include “The Bathsheba Deadline,” and “Indecent Proposal” His latest is “News Anchor Sweetheart.” He is the recipient of the Ben Hecht Award for Literary Excellence.

[hrtshpdbox]

It's hard, for me, to find anything to criticize in Glenn Greenwald's balanced and well-stated analysis of the CNN blackmail story:

https://theintercept.com/2017/07/05/cnn-anonymous-critic-trump-wrestling-gif-reddit-user/

[Captain Hate]

Ftr the reason I brought up the doxxing was a mea culpa on my part regarding the circumstances of Maybee leaving, which I formerly thought was an overly high handed attitude and am now more positively thinking about it.

[David, Internet Deplorable]

Wow, Kevlar, from the length of the post, I thought for a moment the troll was back. I was getting ready to nuke with extreme prejudice, then I saw the first couple of lines and scrolled down to verify the poster. That was close!

David

[Account Deleted]

Sorry for the length. Newsletter article repost. No link.

[Account Deleted]

Close one David. ;)

[Account Deleted]

CH---> it's a day made for beer and random nakedness in Santa Cruz today: 77 and clear sunny weather.

Just sayin.

Kev

[RattlerGator]

Honestly, I'm still blown away at times at some of the in-house back and forth here.

[narciso]

this is where he usually hangs his hat,

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/20710

[Captain Hate]

Kev,

Mrs H will be out there a week from tomorrow for a month. Plenty of beer here. Plus after a hot start it's been a pleasant summer here.

[jimmyk]

Ftr the reason I brought up the doxxing was a mea culpa on my part

That was clear, CH, and appreciated--always good to see an open mind. For some reason I thought she might have left (also) because TM didn't delete some troll posts that had the n word or something to that effect, though my memory on that (and many things) is foggy.

As I said, I don't have much sympathy for someone actively inflicting aggravation on others with no way to prevent it, but I can respect someone having an absolute red line on doxxing.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

A gator is the bare minimum for the type of critter that can survive here, RG. : )

OTOH, I'm an absolutely cuddly Teddy Bear and I'm still kicking [barely].

[boris]

"Didn't Dana (or whoever it was) inadvertently out himself at some point?"

Yes, cleo attempted to post a photo from his desktop which showed up in text as the address of his computer, which included his name and organization.

Not going to try and look that JOM event up, but I do know that Jeff Goldstein (protein wisdom) doxed cleo long before DoT exposed Dana and provoked him into a heated confirming response. Charlie Colorado also knew cleo's identity from yet another website cleo infested.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Concur on every bit of that Boris.
I consider it unlikely however cleo was ever the Pitzer putz.
I think he purposely encouraged that misunderstanding for some time as well.
If he is the feather passing freak, seriously, he ought to be at the NSA, because he has created a pretty convincing alter ego bio.

[Clarice Feldman]

RG, when stuff like this happens here there's only one solution--Pistolas. I'm polishing up mine as we speak.

[Jane]

Thank God for killfile because anyone dissing Dot is on my permenant shit list. He is one of the finest most honorable men I have ever known. No one will ever persuade me otherwise, and I'm still angry about why he left.

On a lighter note (well not really) wouldn't the smart thing be to assasinate. Kim Jon Un and save 30,000 people in the first hour.

[narciso]

gatling guns, clarice, multiple barrels are required,

[Dave (in MA) I❤️KF]

</rodney king>

[henry]

Jane, offing Kim might be iffy. They try hard to brainwash their population into considering that family as God-kings.

[Clarice Feldman]

Narciso, for your incredible brain files:http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-news-and-politics/239003/parsi-niac-advance-irans-agenda

[JimNorCal]

I'm sure that killing the NK leader is not a simple op and I'd be scared to death if a loved one of mine was tapped to participate.

An oldie, but new to me.

[Texas Liberty Gal]

Great news Stephanie!! You must be so relieved!!

[RattlerGator]

Iggy, I see!

It must have been one hell of a time for feelings to still be a bit raw now. Especially so, given the frustration of the Obama years and the growing sense of success now or, at least, a strengthening resolve to win the fight.

[narciso]

tablet is one of the few places that practices real journalism, anymore, the forward is just pitiful nowadays, he filed a lawsuit sometime back, unmasking niac as an Iranian front, if memory serves, he also described the Rhodes road show, about a year before the samuels piece,

[RattlerGator]

Clarice, about those pistolas: I'm just a rubbernecker on the issue. No stray bullets, please.

[narciso]

yes, rattler,the punk whether it's zuul or gozer, was very vicious to at least two of our departed friends, and he pretended to have a son who had died in Iraq, this is why I compare them to mythological creatures of eastern Europe and russia

[Jane]

I don't know Henry. I've always heard that the population absolutely hated him, but granted that would be from people who had escaped. I'm not sure the population would be capable of rising up. They are all starving to death. Do you have any idea who's next in line?

[Beasts of England]

We never claimed that we weren't a dysfunctional family, RattlerGator. :)

[Clarice Feldman]

You know, Iggy, when I post stuff on FB of yours (where you're known as "the Great Iggy"), you have a tremendous calling. I'm thinking this year we ought to reveal that you are available--I think your cup would runneth over with women dying to meet you. Just saying.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

The President has arrived safely in Warsaw. HUGE security escort. Large greeting party, and thousands of Poles lined the streets in the rain to greet him.

Poland is giving him an exceptionally great welcome. They issued tickets to the speech tomorrow. allotted by province (or whatever it is called there) and people are arriving from the edges of Poland in buses, in order to reduce congestion. I am offering this detail because the US press has already starting the "they had to bus people in" chant not realizing this isn't like SEIU showing up for a Hillary event. Or maybe they do.

The speech will be televised in the morning, and I will put the link up when it is available.

Also there is a joint press availability early in the morning and will try to grab that link as well.

[Jane]

What about using a drone?

[henry]

Jane, UN is young enough that the line forms in front of the antiaircraft guns, or on occasion in an airport as with his late brother. Not sure he has designated an heir, or that the heir can get enough loyal generals to hold power.

[narciso]

niAC often has to yell squirrel,

http://www.iraniansforum.com/lobby/index.php/niac/87-niac-lost-defamation-lawsuit-and-was-punished-for-legal-abuses

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Trgarding North Korea, there are weapos beign used by the GCC I haven't seen or heard of before. Thomas Wictor has documented them on his Twitter site.

I try not to backseat drive military stuff or complicated foreign policy because I just don't know enough. Little derails are sometimes important.

For example, although I realized Jared Kishner's grandparents were Holocauset survivors, I did not realize that they were Polish Jews. There is a big article about his Polish heritage in one of the Polish papers. I would link it but it's all in Polish, but the gist of it came from a Polish-speaking person on conservative Treehouse.

These personal connections are important, like Ivanka's daughter singing in Chinese on You Tube.

[sbwaters]

I just wrote AP about Julie Pace telling them that nobody trusts a smart ass.

@jpaceDC had tweeted:
"So far both China and North Korea have proven to be impervious to Trump’s tough talk and threatening tweets"

Replying to Pace I posted two tweets:
1) Surely, @jpaceDC, you can distinguish between policy and a tweet. . . . Can’t you? ... Hello, in there? . . . Hey, @AP! Clean-up on aisle 3!

and
2) .@jpaceDC, I edit your work every day. I HAVE to edit your work because it needs it. Spend less time tweeting and more time polishing prose.

[Threadkiller]

Thank God for killfile because anyone dissing Dot is on my permenant shit list...
No one will ever persuade me otherwise, and I'm still angry about why he left.

This again?

If killfile was ever actually used we might be spared the meaningless pronouncements.

[narciso]

her drivel pops up in my fishwrap, every day, it must be like correcting first grade homework,

[Ralph L]

I see Maybee posting at Althouse, so she isn't afraid of obnoxious, personal comments and pointless back and forth.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

sbw,

We no longer have reporters, simply traders in snark.

Did you know that the CNN guy who supposedly tracked down the meme poster is only 26? who made the decision to hire all of these youngsters who have no knowledge of anything except trash talk?

Plus, he came from Buzzfeed, a "garbage site" as President Trump said. Why were his credentials considered acceptable for a major news organization? What's going on here?

[narciso]

the truth is out there, but so few seem willing to search it out, even when weasels like Rhodes admits it,

http://dailycaller.com/2016/05/22/ploughshares-fund-funded-media-campaign-on-iran-nuclear-deal/

this is why they sidelined Solomon, who does understand this stuff

[JimNorCal]

"You have to sympathize with CNN over such a dangerous gif. Why, after all, a mere YouTube video caused Benghazi!"

[narciso]

and why is that, it's like conducting a murder investigation without the body:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/jul/5/dnc-email-server-most-wanted-evidence-for-russia-i/

[Clarice Feldman]

RG, my aim might not be so good so I always offer fair warning before firing and advise everyone to duck and cover when I load those pistolas .