Alright, we're moving along quickly now into the 2nd week of our course. Today's big global story is North Korea/South Korea/U.S. military drills.
What are some of the political issues pertaining to this whole scenario ? Why is there a North and South Korea in the first place? What role did Canada and the U.S. play in the Korean war? Should they have participated in this? Should countries sort issues out on their own or should other nations become involved?
There are a lot of topics to consider here.
Other topics to consider: U.S. slaps a new 20% tax on all Canadian lumber imports. Is this fair? Does it violate NAFTA?
Today Trump will meet to discuss the elimination of NAFTA. What are these implications for Canada?
Go ahead and post on these or other topics as the week unfolds.
NORTH AND SOUTH KOREA
ReplyDeleteRecently, the U.S. and South Korea ran a massive military drill just kilometres from the border. This drill included helicopters, jets, tanks, Multiple Launch Rocket Systems, self-propelled explosives, and much more. Additionally, the U.S. deployed some of its navy, and the ships are expected to reach Korean waters soon. In retaliation, North Korea held its own military drill.
Why are they doing this? And why is Korea split into North Korea and South Korea? Well, the split was a result of the Korean War. This began before WWII, when Japan occupied Korea. In 1945, the Japanese Empire in Korea died, and Korea was split at the 38th parallel into a temporarily America-controlled South Korea, and a temporarily Soviet-controlled North Korea. Eventually, Kim Il-sung (The grandfather of Kim Jung-un) was “elected” as the “democratic leader” of North Korea, and South Korea held elections and created The Republic of Korea. The American military withdrew, as Korea seemed relatively stable, but then Kim Il-sung decided to invade South Korea in 1950. The Korean War had started. Both Soviet Russia and China assisted North Korea, and the U.S. helped South Korea. The winning country changed many times from North, to South, to North, and back to South. Finally, it was agreed that they would stop, and a border very close to the original 38th parallel was established. The border has remained and is now the location of the DMZ.
Canada was involved, as were other UN countries, but it is often forgotten as the U.S. made up such a large amount of the troops. However, this sparks another discussion: should all these other countries even be involved? The conflict between North and South Korea had very little to do with them at all. The war was mostly carried out by the U.S. (with the south) and the Soviet Union as well as China (with the North). In reality, the Korea War was driven by the Cold War. The Cold War was between the U.S. and the communist Soviet Union. However, they never directly fought, as both knew the other had nuclear bombs that would insure Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD). Instead, Joseph Stalin (leader of the U.S.S.R.), fought the U.S. through smaller wars, such as the Korean War. He was smart enough to not send Soviet troops to fight the U.S., but instead supplied those who fought the U.S. to avoid MAD from direct conflict.
The country of North Korea was basically a puppet for the U.S.S.R. Is it still? Is this okay? Should superpowers use other countries to fight their wars? Is Russia still involved with today’s North Korea? Is Russia still an issue? If so, how large of an issue?
I think there's a character limit, and I had some issues with fitting it all, so here are my sources (sorry).
Delete-NEWS-
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-usa-idUSKBN17T0AW
http://www.skynews.com.au/news/top-stories/2017/04/27/north-and-south-korea-show-off-military-power.html
-VIDEOS-
North and South Military Drills
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EwuHoN-HO4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVwQXJdo_Qs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBtefevpqZE
Summarized History of Korean War
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6cE_dcWJFk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0E9Kel8BtE
This is actually very interesting, I did not know that Soviet Russia helped North Korea, and used North Korea as a puppet. I also did not know how the war had stared. One question I still have is why is both the USA and North Korea gearing up for war now, what makes this a time to start military drills, why did this not occur sooner, what is happening in the current day that has sparked this sudden interest in war? Obviously some of it can be linked back to US president Donald Trump, but there have been other presidents that showed an anger towards North Korea, what makes this any different?
DeleteGreat comment Isaa - I think you may have hit the exact point in your reference. What makes it different? Trump. War can be good for an economy as it puts people to work and can allow certain bills to be passed into laws without much scrutiny. Does anyone have any of their own theories or want to expand as to why we are gearing up for war now in 2017 and we weren't in 2016?
DeleteI think donald trump wants this war. war is great for the economy and will "make america great again". but hopefully someone intervenes and stops this from becoming the third world war.
DeleteTrump most definitely wants this war to happen. He likely has the understanding that a war will make America seem very powerful and their economy will improve. That is not always the case with wars, though.
DeleteNorth Korea and South Korea
ReplyDeleteOn the 27th of April, the United States announced that they will activate the THAAD system(a missile defense system in Korea). The vow was made as North Korea decides to conduct continuous peace-threatening nuclear tests and missile tests. North Korea has already been continuously threatening South Korea, a nation located below North Korea under 38 parallel since the Korean War ended. As a contrast to North Korea, a poor, violent, and brutal nation under the dictatorship Kim Jong-un, South Korea is a leading country with the peaceful democratic system. North Korea has constantly been threatening the peaceful democratic societies near North Korea for only one reason: to invade and conquer South Korea. Due to North Korea’s aggressive behavior, the U.S. has already activated sanctions against North Korea’s threats, however, it is apparent that North Korea is continuing its violent and uncivilized threats to both Foreign and Internal issues in North Korea.
The Article 3 of the Korean Constitution defines that the territory of South Korea includes the entire Korean Peninsula. This means that South Korea is the only government that exists in Korean peninsular. It is no doubt that North Korea is an illegal organization that occupies South Korean territory. South and North Korea was formed under a set of events. In the end of the 19th century, the Empire of Japan annexed the Korean Peninsula. However, as the WW2 came close to end in 1945, the Allied took over Japan’s territory. The territory included South Korea. Japanese in the northern part surrendered to the Soviets, while the Japs at the southern part surrendered to the U.S. Until elections were organized and local government was set up, the Allies took care of Korea. As Korea was not the highest priority at the time for the U.S, the U.S. decided to roughly cut South Korea into half along the 38th parallel. Korea was liberated, and the candidates quickly formed parties for the election to reunify the nation. However, the leftists and other candidates never came together. In the end, the US wanted Korea to be democratic, and the Soviets wanted it to be communist. Finally, the South declared itself as a nation in May of 1948. The president of South a democratic person. Meanwhile, in the North, Kim Il-Sung (the grandfather of Kim Jong-un) was appointed by the soviets. He then declared North Korea as a country. After the formation of the country, North Korea sent spies to assassinate the president and cause terror. They also killed invaded an innocent South Korean family’s house and killed the family because they refused to communism. Not only that, North Korea kept causing problems at the border too. They massacred American and Korean soldiers who guarded the border with axes brutally. Finally, without warning, North Korea tried to evade and conquer South Korea under the Communist rule, and they started a war. However, with great sacrifice from countries all over the world, including Canadian and American forces, defending against North Korea and China, South Korea managed to survive.
It is no doubt that many Canadians and Americans sacrificed their lives to defend Korea and to fight communists. Over 26,000 Canadians served in the Korean War, which began in 1950. The United Nations supported South Korea and sent troops, including Canada, to fight against North Korean invasion. Canada was a significant nation in the Korean War. Canadian forces created a defensive line against swarming Chinese Commies and bravely fought against them. Due to the war, 516 Canadian soldiers lost their lives. From the start of South Korea, United States has always been a friendly partner to go together with. President Truman saw the war as an opportunity to go war against communism. Truman ordered the U.S. troops to help South Korea. He also convinced the U.N. to support South Korea. With support from the U.N, the United States arrived to keep the peace and removed the invaders from South Korea.
DeleteWithout any question, United States must always be involved in the South and North Korean issue. With North Korea’s dangerous uncivilized threats using nukes that could end a country instantaneously, South Korea will always need the most powerful country in the world as a partner, the U.S. Because South Korea is such a civilized and a leading country, unlike North Korea, South Korea has joined treaties that prevent countries from creating nuclear weapons. South Korea does not have powerful military or weapons. Without the defense of the U.S, South Korea will never be safe. Using Vietnam as an example, Vietnam was instantly occupied by the communist Vietnam after the U.S. left. To defend the sovereignty and the rights of South Korea, the U.S. is necessary. Even with the history of Korea, the U.S. always has been a partner of South Korea. The U.S. supported South Korea from the start, and as a result, South Korea has become a successful democratic nation. Unless North Korea is merged to South Korea, the U.S. will always have to be involved with the issue.
Citations: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-39728536
https://www.thoughtco.com/why-north-korea-and-south-korea-195632
http://study.com/academy/lesson/the-korean-war-causes-and-effects.html
http://www.dummies.com/education/history/american-history/u-s-involvement-in-the-korean-war/
Yes, South Korea having the United States as an ally is best for its own protection. Because they do not have a powerful military, they are unable to successfully protect themselves from large attacks. South Korea's success is thanks to the protection of the U.S.'s support.
Delete
ReplyDelete20% tax on lumber imports:
It is not fair for there to be a 20% tax on imported lumber in Canada. Adding this tax violates NAFTA because it is an unnecessary tariff that NAFTA guidelines usually prohibit. NAFTA allows duty-free trade between Canada, The United States, and Mexico, meaning that no additional taxes should be added onto importing and exporting goods between countries. With Trump meeting to discuss the elimination of NAFTA, Canada will no longer benefit from the agreement. Although NAFTA is associated with many negative factors such as mass job loss in Mexico and The United States, the free trade did have benefits. By adding a tax on imported lumber, it will quickly become a costly resource to import into Canada. This means that Canada will have to renegotiate the rules of NAFTA and any exceptions (if NAFTA is not eliminated), discuss a new trade agreement, or completely end this free trade agreement. If not, Canada might have to add taxes to a resource imported in The United States, to reduce the overall loss of money for Canada’s economy.
http://www.naftanow.org/
http://www.torontosun.com/2017/04/25/donald-trumps-new-threat-after-lumber-tax-on-canadian-dairy-we-will-not-stand-for-this-watch
http://connectusfund.org/list-of-13-main-pros-and-cons-of-nafta
https://canadians.org/nafta
I couldn't agree more. NAFTA is a FREE TRADE agreement, meant specifically to eliminate tariffs between Mexico, the US, and Canada. Additionally, I do not believe that Trump will actually follow through with his claims of adding a 20% tax. Hes said similar things before, and it has been all talk, no bark. This is partly why I think Trudeau isn't retaliating with a tariff on American goods. He wants to simply wait out the storm because nothing will come of it.
DeleteNot only that, but Canada, along with Mexico, will have to have a legal upper-hand in the renegotiation of NAFTA, meaning retaliatory tariffs do not suit the long-term interests of Canada.
NORTH KOREA ISSUE
ReplyDeleteThe South Korean military, as well as the United States military, wrapped up their annual military drills on April 30th. These drills are often described as a "show of force" in order to deter any provocations from North Korea. These drills often signal a period of relative calm, but not this time - tensions are extremely high, with the President Trump warning of a "major conflict". The South Korean Defence Ministry confirmed Sunday that a joint naval drill with a US strike group, led by the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, was still ongoing in the Sea of Japan (East Sea).
The origin of this issue stems from the Korean War - with North Korea, backed by the Communist regime of the USSR and China, invading South Korea, backed by the United States and United Nations. When the North Koreans launched their attack in 1950, the South Koreans were on the brink of defeat. The United States, along with the UN, feared communist control of the entire Korean Peninsula becoming communist, and sent troops to support the South Koreans. Eventually they almost had complete control of the Peninsula until China intervened and both sides retreated back to the present-day boundary (called the Demilitarised Zone or 'DMZ'). An armistice was signed, but no peace treaty, which means the two countries are still technically at war.
Canada played a major role in the Korean War as a member of the United Nations. Throughout the conflict, Canada fielded the 4th highest amount of troops on the South Korean side. Probably the most notable engagement during the Korean War that Canadians participated in was the Battle of Kapyong, where one single Canadian battalion held their own against an entire Chinese division.
In my opinion, Canadian involvement in the Korean War was justified. The spread of communism was an existential threat to the Western way of life. Canada was involved, but at the same time, didn't get too deeply involved where we couldn't pull out if needed. And we made a big difference for a lot of people - South Korea has fared much better than North Korea in terms of economics, personal liberty, and security. It could be argued that Canadian involvement with the UN regarding this conflict lay out the 'blueprints' of peacekeeping.
As for whether countries should intervene in foreign conflicts, it all really depends. I could see any country justify their involvement if it served their interests. Does the result of the conflict directly impact the 3rd party state? Is there an ethical or humanitarian reason for getting involved? Finally, could the conflict be used for leverage by the 3rd party state? All these have to be considered before a country gets involved in a foreign conflict, and there aren't any right or wrong answers.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada_in_the_Korean_War#Battle_of_Kapyong
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_War
http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/world/south-korea-us-conduct-military-drills-despite-north-korea-threats/399909.html
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/05/02/world-war-iii-trump-russia-north-korea-syria-fear/101193642/
I entirely agree on Adam’s comment on this issue. Canadian force played a major role during the Korean War. With Chinese communist army swarming and attacking heavily to get through the defensive line, the remaining forces that decided to retreat could not have survived and form a mass counter attack against the Chinese and North Korean Commies, which late lead the war to victory. During the Battle of Kapyong, even though Korean army’s defensive line broke and, Korean forces retreated, Canadian soldiers bravely dug a trench and showed commitments and sacrifice. I believe that Canada should also be recognized globally for playing a major role in the war.
DeleteI believe that other countries such as United States must be involved. In order to suppress North Korea, which is a barbaric nation without any common sense, South Korea need a support and co-operative defense of a powerful nation like the U.S. Besides that, because the U.S. has contributed so much to the formation and the liberation of Korea, the involvement of the U.S. in Korean peninsula is a definite necessity. Even though the conflict can be leveraged for the 3rd party country, people should remember North Korea’s humanitarian issues and the reasons why North Korea does not deserves to exist or to be considered as a country with its corrupt and broken government system. If the involvement of the country is beneficial for both countries, there is no problem with the issue.
Citation:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada_in_the_Korean_War
https://www.thoughtco.com/why-north-korea-and-south-korea-195632
http://study.com/academy/lesson/the-korean-war-causes-and-effects.html
http://www.dummies.com/education/history/american-history/u-s-involvement-in-the-korean-war/
Canadians did play a very important role in the Korean war. Considering the effort and the many lives that were lost, I do agree that Canada should get more recognition for the contributions.
DeleteWorld Population Milestone
ReplyDeleteAccording to the “World Population Clock” the world has about 7.5 billion living in it. Just in 2011 did the population reach 7 billion. The UN reports that the population's growth rate sits at 1.11 percent, which adds to about 80 million people a year. At these rates the population is projected to reach 8 billion by 2024.
The UN’s stats also state that there is approximately 65 million more men on the planet than there are women. Some other statistics show that over half of the population is aged 30 and under. Nigeria having the youngest population with over half of it’s people ages 15 and under.
Asia is the most populated continent with over 4 billion residents, followed by Africa with over 1 billion. Also within the next five years India is to become the most populated country, overtaking China. Speaking of China and India each are two of just 7 countries that count for half of the world's population, these include China at 1.385 billion, India at 1.335 billion, the US at 325 million, Indonesia at 262 million, Brazil at 210, Pakistan at 195 million, and Nigeria at 189 million.
https://thenextweb.com/world/2017/04/26/worlds-population-just-passed-7-5-billion-fascinating-facts-us/#.tnw_LZ4gcDUl
Deletehttp://www.libyanexpress.com/world-population-passes-7-5-billion-with-62-of-humans-living-in-asia/
http://www.htxt.co.za/2017/04/26/world-population-crosses-7-5-bil/
The growing population is so fascinating in how quickly it is occurring. Also, it is very interesting that it is suspected that India's population will become larger than China's.
DeleteThe population is growing, yes. But the replacement rate of 2017 is lower than it should be, will this become a problem in the future?
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteNorth North Korea was formed through many hard fought battles.
ReplyDeleteIt started when japan and russia were fighting in 1904. japan won and used a puppet leader to try and assimilate the country. at one point they tried to make everyone have a japanese name.
when japan lost wwii Korea was back. but then the cold war came and the upper half was under russian rule and the lower half was american.
in 1950 North Korea launched a surprise attack and took most of Korea. but the un held the lower part. thus beginning the Korean war.
after three years and 2.5 million deaths the border is at the 33rd parallel and North Korea is lead by a dictator and south Korea still has american occupants
Very interesting. Could you provide a bit more information on why Japan and Russia were fighting in 1904? Also, why did North Korea launch a surprise attack?
DeleteOn April 24, 2017, Donald trump announced that there will be a 20% tax on Canadian lumber imports. The issue with this action is it will cause Americans who would like to build/renovate their homes to pay more money in order to do so. Also, this will cause lumber industries to lose a large amount of money. However, the Liberal government is working hard to ensure that this new tariff will not effect Americans too drastically.
ReplyDeleteThe reason why this dispute started was based on the fact that unlike American lumber companies, Canadian lumber companies are based on government owned land instead of private land. This was a problem because the American lumber companies would accuse the Canadian lumber companies of selling and cutting wood for less than the markets regular prices. This dispute has been going on for over a decade so the United states decided to act on their suspicions.
I think these tariffs are fair when looking at the United States' perspective. I think this because they are just trying to do what is best for their businesses and their economy.
https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2017-04-24/trump-said-to-plan-20-tariff-on-canadian-softwood-lumber-j1wq4tyg
http://globalnews.ca/news/3401242/donald-trump-announces-20-per-cent-tariff-on-canadian-softwood-lumber-report/
While it may make sense from the perspective of the U.S., it completely violates NAFTA. If Trump is to go through with it, further negotiations need to be made regarding NAFTA.
DeleteNAFTA and Trump’s Involvement
ReplyDeleteThe North American Free Trade Agreement is a trading bloc involving Canada, the United States and Mexico, allowing easier exports. When Trump was running for president, he expressed dislike of NAFTA and claimed he would dissolve it if he could not negotiate the terms. Trump will change NAFTA in conjunction with the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto. The terms of NAFTA are unlikely to be officially discussed in the next few months.
The cancellation of NAFTA would have a very large impact. For example, the soybean industry would lose as much as 3 billion dollars annually if Trump were to terminate NAFTA. The majority of Canada’s exports go directly to the United States, so imposing tariffs would be a major issue. In my opinion, NAFTA should not be terminated as it would weaken the bonds between the North American nations as well as make exports less profitable.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trade-nafta-idUSKBN17S2DG
The possibility of NAFTA being cancelled would have very severe impacts. Tariffs would become very expensive very fast, and it may become more difficult to trade certain things. Trump has truly shown his dislike for NAFTA, and he will very likely try to leave the agreement.
Delete