Upping the Antebellum
So this is new:
outh Korean authorities were investigating a hacking attack that brought down the servers of three broadcasters and two major banks on Wednesday, and the army raised its alert level due to concerns of North Korean involvement.
Servers at television networks YTN, MBC and KBS were affected as well as Shinhan Bank and NongHyup Bank, two major banks, the police and government officials said. At least some of the computers affected by the attacks had some files deleted, according to the authorities.
“We sent down teams to all affected sites. We are now assessing the situation. This incident is pretty massive and will take a few days to collect evidence,” a police official said.
To the best of my knowledge, the Norks have never done this sort of thing before. They’ve engaged in the usual computer espionage against the South, but not something this big and this public. The “public” part is what’s really disturbing. Normally, Dear Batstuff Crazy Leader plays for the home crowd. But sinking a South Korean ship, and now this, have really raised the crazy stakes.
There are two bad options: we go to war with North Korea and lose, or, we go to war with North Korea and win, and then are responsible for twenty million cult members living in medieval conditions. With a not happy China just over the river.
There are two bad options: we go to war with North Korea and lose, or, we go to war with North Korea and win, and then are responsible for twenty million cult members living in medieval conditions. With a not happy China just over the river.
What we need is a President who will call up XI Jinping and (credibly) tell him "I hope it doesn't come to this, and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to avoid it, but if North Korean troops cross the DMZ the first thing I'm going to do is order a nuclear strike on Beijing."
What we need is a President who will call up XI Jinping and (credibly) tell him "I hope it doesn't come to this, and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to avoid it, but if North Korean troops cross the DMZ the first thing I'm going to do is order a nuclear strike on Beijing."
The problem with this game is that the Norks aren't leaving them much of an "out" other than a full-scale backdown and loss of face. While it doesn't feel like they want an actual resumption of the Korean War, it does feel like they are operating on a grand assumption that the South Koreans and the United States (and China) will "do nothing, as usual".
What happens when they sink another warship? Shoot a passenger plane down? Rain artillery shells on Seoul? At some point, they won't be able to say "My bad. Can we talk?" That is the problem with brinkmanship; at some point, someone's bound to NOT blink, and then you've got a shooting war on your... (show more)
The problem with this game is that the Norks aren't leaving them much of an "out" other than a full-scale backdown and loss of face. While it doesn't feel like they want an actual resumption of the Korean War, it does feel like they are operating on a grand assumption that the South Koreans and the United States (and China) will "do nothing, as usual".
What happens when they sink another warship? Shoot a passenger plane down? Rain artillery shells on Seoul? At some point, they won't be able to say "My bad. Can we talk?" That is the problem with brinkmanship; at some point, someone's bound to NOT blink, and then you've got a shooting war on your hands.
It's starting to feel like 1913 all over again. (show less)
Not sure what they were trying to accomplish by going after banks and broadcasters. Maybe just trying out some Chinese software.
Not sure what they were trying to accomplish by going after banks and broadcasters. Maybe just trying out some Chinese software.