America Shows North Korea Its Strength

The U.S. has issued a fierce warning to North Korea following the former’s March joint military exercises with South Korean forces. The two countries have decided to continue the exercises in April. Before this, the U.S. had already dispatched B-52 strategic bombers, B-2 stealth bombers, F-22 stealth fighters and the nuclear-powered Cheyenne submarine to South Korea, along with other advanced weaponry. Perhaps the U.S. thought this was still insufficient, because in the past two days America has deployed specialized guided missile defense radar systems on the Korean coast — with a supposed detection distance of 4,800 kilometers — along with two warships equipped with anti-guided missile defense systems. If one adds to the equation Burke-class, guided missile-equipped destroyers, high-altitude deployment early warning aircraft, satellites with photo resolutions of 0.1 to 0.15 meters, unmanned surveillance aircraft, underwater spy systems, etc., it can be said that North Korea has been wrapped up so tight that even a drop of water cannot escape.

Thus, the U.S., with great fanfare and bombast, deploys around North Korea the most sophisticated weapons technology and comprehensive, three-dimensional surveillance and spy equipment in the world. America has adopted a position of war-at-moment’s notice with its response to North Korea, which has purpose beyond merely responding to the North’s nuclear weapons development program and affirming its staunch military support of South Korea. I’m afraid that America has additional motives in this response.

First, this response is to give the impression to the U.S. Congress, the public and the news media that, now and into the future, all parts of the world are unsafe, especially with the imminent Iran and North Korea nuclear weapon crises. Right now Congress is considering cutting the U.S. military’s budget, specifically with the automatic spending cuts in place. Just in the fiscal year 2013, the U.S. is looking at cutting the military budget by $46 billion, putting the military in a place where it’s unmanageably strapped for cash. It’s no wonder why U.S. Secretary of Defense Hagel on April 3 exhorted Congress to address the automatic spending cuts and increase the military’s budget — or at least not let it be reduced any further.

Second, the U.S. is to proceed with its Asia-Pacific strategic rebalancing and systematic deployment of its ever-evolving military — to deploy and test its newest military capabilities in as wide an array of contexts as possible, as well as to monitor its opponent’s own weapons capabilities, combat style and communications efficacy. One could say that the U.S. is using the present crises and every related event as an excuse not only to turn the Korean Peninsula into a showroom for its war machine but also a testing ground.

Third, the United States' large-scale withdrawal from Afghanistan gets closer every day; when this happens, several tens of thousands of soldiers will be reassigned from the region. For this reason America has committed itself to a lofty tone with regard to North Korea’s nuclear missile program so that it has a tenable excuse to give the masses when it finds a new home for those soldiers in bases close to North Korea.

Moreover, by going to such great lengths to show off its most advanced arsenal, the U.S. markets its second and third-tier weapons that are for sale to its buddies. Although the U.S. has clearly and publicly made its fierce threats, and furthermore made a show of strength as a warning, and in public takes on North Korea directly and forcefully, its deeper intention is finding an excuse to establish its military power in the Pacific and send a message to China, Russia and other such countries: America is still the strongest military power in the world and has the most authority to address North Korea’s nuclear missile program.