One matter that has come up in analyses this week is that the DPRK's leader apparently wants to reunite the Korean Peninsula: I haven't heard that previously of this particular person, and it is concerning.
The only way that is spiritually acceptable for a reunification of the Korean Peninsula is under a genuine democracy - and just in case China's President Xi wants to come out with the "one nation, two systems" rubbish, that has failed in Hong Kong, owing to China's restriction and undermining of democratic essentials, leaving just a token show of democracy, and not real freedom, which includes the freedom to safely dissent.
If there was such a reunification, then it would be possible for the USA to withdraw its forces - subject to a credible guarantee that China would not invade, of course. That would deal with China's desire for a buffer against US forces on its border - which is why it hasn't taken the action that it can, which would inevitably lead to the DPRK being a failed state as it collapses. In the meantime, the presence of US forces, the conduct of joint military exercises, and the closeness of military forces to their border (the so-called "DMZ") is essential - after all, it was the DPRK that started all this by invading South Korea.
I had been thinking that just signing a peace treaty would be a great step forward (difficult, given the political games of the DPRK), but, if reunification is the DPRK's aim, that won't suffice. If reunification wasn't the DPRK's aim, then a formal peace to the Korean War would open the door to a military de-escalation - it would, after all, protect both sides, and I am aware that, yes, the DPRK started this, but the instant that US-led, notionally UN-commanded forces crossed into North Korea after driving them out of South Korea, they changed the fault of aggression to one that was one both sides.
So what is the long term solution? Partition for the foreseeable future ...
On a couple of other, minor matters:
- I've been re-watching the TV series The Dresden Files, which is a pale shadow of the book series. One of the things I came across in the special features is an admission of guilt by one of the series writers: "We always found the writing in a real emotion" ... meaning they think psychic "stuff" is all a lie, and confirms why so many drama writers make absolute stuff ups of anything to with the supernatural, a lot of science fiction, and most films trying to cover principles, not emotions. We need some decent writers - and film backers - who are prepared to commit to spiritual principles and the reality of psychic phenomena, not the fallacious view that emotions are all.
- And on fallacious views, we could really do with a more widespread presence of competent management in business, and a system that is not so short-sightedly focused on week-to-week and month-to-month numbers, and trying to **** up the wall further by having bigger numbers, no matter what the human cost. (How about film makers portray simple incompetence, rather than dramatic greed or something else equally "flashy", as the cause of business problems?)
