I think that sanctions by the UN is actually our best policy. North Korea is already starving, and the country is bankrupt. The are very chauvanistic and say that sanctions means war, but in reality North Korea knows that any attack on the U.S. brings basically half the world agaisnt it. Nato has been enlarged just recently and its memember continue to grow economically also. As for a war with Iraq we might not be able to get the defense of the world, because we would be considered the agressor and Sadaam is not stupid enough to attack us. But with North Koreas we can sanction them and it would come up with two results, cripple them economically and end communism or they would be forced to attack us, which would certainly be the single biggest mistake, because then all NATO memember and allies would be forced to war with North Korea, then they'd be fucked. Hell they already are fucked. But the sanctions would finally deliver the final crippling blow the the bankrupt communisits, who are creating this whole mess and bluffing in order to get concessions from the West.
As for China in this conflict, they actually have not been supporting North Korea much, and have just been tryin to end the conflict. More and more china is liberalizing and become more capitalist, which is why their economy is growing so fast. Plus China's leaders would not want to engage in this war because, this war would actually crush china's economy. Its true that WW2 helped the american economy but that doesnt mean that war is good for economies. The only reason it was good for America was because we were in a depression and it helped solve unemployment problems, but more because the industral powers of Europe had been destroyed forcing them to buy from us, and giving us a favorable balance of trade as our industries remained unchallenged. For the most part war ruins economies. And in this case it would destroy China's export driven econonmy. China's major trading partners are the U.S., Japan, and the European Union. If they sided against us, then they would have no one to export to meaning, no growth or money for china, which maybe growing fast now, is still delicate, and its leaders know it. Their leaders realize that as long as their economy is growing then they can remain in power, so they wouldnt risk damaging themselves in a war against the still more powerful west.
P.S. there are four communists countries, China, Cuba, North Korea, and your forgot Vietnam.
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