So. What’s happening between North and South Korea right now is some pretty serious shit. There are a boatload of people with a boatload of guns and a country with a new nuke they are dying to try out and one sunk ship and a torpedo which some group of scientific geeks have conclusively agreed was North Korean. They all stare at each other across this demilitarized zone (DMZ) which has even more mines and ingenious anti-whatever technology strewn across it than there are soldiers on both sides (both Koreas deploy the majority of their military and technology within 160 kilometers of the demarcation line that runs through the middle of the DMZ … in practical terms that represents over one million troops on either side, plus large numbers of tanks, long-range artillery, and armored personnel carriers.).
So. This is serious. And North Korea is seriously pissed. How pissed?
Well. According to an NPR report South Korea (after 8 years I believe) has restarted their propaganda campaign where they pipe in propaganda PR through huge loudspeakers over the DMZ.
Now. Let’s get this straight.
There are more mines then soldiers in the DMZ. And there are pretty much no North Korean civilians within listening distance of the loudspeakers so … if you think about it … South Korea is simply doing this to aggravate North Korea. (I feel like I just described some grade school hijinks … I love typing the word ‘hijinks’).
So. What happens when you poke the bear with a stick?
North Korea has responded by saying “knock it off or I am going to shoot the loudspeakers.”
Ok. I find that funny. Two nuclear powers bringing an entire conflict to head by shouting propaganda into empty space and shooting out the loudspeakers so that the mines can sleep more easily.
In response to North Korea’s response South Korea has decided to shift from piping in verbal shouting propaganda to playing Ted Nugent musak as loud as they can.
At last report North Korean soldiers are running screaming from their posts.
Last last update: North Korean General Secretary Kim Chong Il has reported ordering a new loudspeaker system constructed and begin piping in Barry Manilow (non musak) in retaliation.
A perfect case study of enlightened conflict. That’s all I can say.