THE SENATE IS BRIEFED? NOW WHAT?

Well, I really wanted to write about Turkey toady and the issue of Kurds, but it seems like North Korea continues to be the hot topic. The bad news is, it seems to be getting hotter. It’s hard for me to imagine a conflict taking place on the Korean Peninsula. Hard to believe not because of the decisions that would have to be made to make this conflict take place. I do grow more concerned the Little Fat Man may actually blunder his way into fight. What makes it hard for me, is knowing just what a disaster a conflict such as this would create for so many people who couldn’t get out of the way. Experts can talk to they are blue in the face about the impact a war would have on the people of Seoul, but they simply don’t understand the humanitarian impact that fight would have on millions of people all at once. It’s a nightmare perhaps worse than anything witnessed in World War II. Frankly, I’m tired of hearing all the retired Army Intelligence Officers or CIA bookworms making a few bucks as they address the North’s ability to rain hell on Seoul. It makes me ill how these people rush to the scene of a potential human travesty for the sake of making a few bucks. If we are truly close to this event taking place, then it’s time to let the Commanders in the region do their job and not be second guessed by Ambulance chasing “Experts” back in the US. If the Commander of the US forces in Korea gives a public statement about what is taking place, listen to him and turn off the idiots on CNN and FOX. The closer this event actually gets, the more these fools rush to get on TV.

The Briefing:

If part of this briefing is about miniaturization of warheads and the progress the North Koreans may be having on such, then a real timeline was most likely established. If The Donald’s Team gave the US Senate some understanding of what was possibly agreed to with the Chinese, then the Senate may truly understand just how serious this issue has become. I’ve not paid attention today, so I’m not sure if any of them made a mad dash for the podium to speak about the classified information they were given. I have to think a few of them are going to make a comment at some point. I did notice CNN make a big deal out of the issue that Trump may not even attend the briefing! Typical CNN.

The Dragon Comments on the North:

I would think the little fat man would have his slaves, I mean military, paying close attention to the comments or issues that might come out of this “special brief”. The announcement of additional sanctions on North Korea hit the press shortly after the briefing, but then again, what have sanctions ever accomplished with North Korea? The real question is, what impact did this briefing have in the arena of perception management? Did North Korea become even more paranoid knowing the “unusual briefing” took place today? How much additional paranoia can this nutcase take? If ever there was a sign he was cracking, it could very well have been the sharp words and warning he sent to the Dragon. Another unusual event was the Dragon making the comment that North Korea had overstated its military capabilities. A slap in the face? Yes. Was it just a tit for tat with the little fat man or was the Dragon’s statement meant to work the perception issue on the US side? The North Koreans would find it insulting for the Dragon to make such a statement, but it may have been made in an attempt to cool the temperatures in DC. Telling the world the North is not as capable as they boast they are could increase the pressure on the US not to use military force. Who would know better than the Dragon what the North was capable of? Could the comment also show the US the Dragon is continuing to pull away from North Korea? My hunch is, the answer is yes on both accounts.

Where does the world stand now?

Is there truly a war footing on the part of the US? No. Not yet at least. The preparation for such an event, even one limited to “surgical strikes” on key facilities, is far more complicated than just watching the status of troops in South Korea. Unlike India, the deliberate concept of “Zero Start” is not a strategic playbook for the US. A version of a no notice start is always ready with the US, but that’s a reactionary concept, not a operational mission plan. So, the simple answer is, the US is not going through all the anticipated steps to prepare for a very violent engagement. The preparation in South Korea for a war there is mindboggling….trust me on that one….been there…..done that! Having said that, let me go back to my point about the paranoia level of the little fat man. Where is his head? Just how worried is he? Has he taken this too far? Can he find a way out? Does he event want to? Does this madman truly believe he can win a war on the Korean Peninsula? It’s just hard to tell, but the Dragon knows him far better than the West and in the end, that is the world’s best hope.

 Humble Pie:

Okay, here is the part that really hurts and calls for a large portion of Humble Pie. After years of listening to the constant flow of “experts”, most with their black turtlenecks on, such a strange look, I’ve often wondered, do any of them really have any idea of what the next real war would look like? What would happen? What would be the premise of the war? I came to one conclusion. No. No, they don’t have a clue on how the next global event would take place and worse, they had no understanding of just what the impact of such a war would be. Now, I know RAND and a few others have made a great deal of money off of the American Tax Payers to toss some analysis together and I even read one of them. But, I’m convinced they can’t see the real picture. They can’t put the human side to the story. Even in my own background, I never truly understood just how fragile the US and Western world was when it comes to day to day existence, until I spend seven years working in civilian emergency management. For those seven years, my job was to help the civilians, at the state level, respond to events that were far beyond the capabilities of local government. Short answer, scary…very….very….scary just how fragile day to day life is in the US and the rest of the modern world.  As for the typical “experts”, they really don’t get it and the ones that make money claiming they do, well, they are the worst of the batch. Some of you who read this blog site know exactly what I am talking about.

Here is the Humble Pie!  After a few years of tilting my head like a dog hearing a high-pitched sound as I tried to listen to the “experts”, I finally said to myself, “Self…let’s take a shot at the topic”! Yep, you may have guessed it. Deep in the Skunkworks of my Kitchen table and lounger, I’ve been typing away. The next world war. What will it look like? How might it start and most importantly, what will the world look like after it? That’s it. That’s what I’m up to. If you ask, “when”, the answer is within a few months………….. I hope! So, there you have it. After bashing the money hungry “experts”, I’m stopping to their level! One big difference. I don’t care if it makes a dime! When I’m finished, it’s going to Amazon, how I don’t know, but I have a friend who is a writer and she will help me make it happen. From there who reads it and how many actually read it, I don’t really care. When I’m long gone, my family will know it’s there and that is all that counts. Humble Pie! Yep…but mine will taste good! Oh ya. It will be in the format of a report five years after the war. That makes it much easier for me!