The United States Response
Headlines like the following mean what exactly, “U.S. warns of ‘overwhelming’ response to North Korean nuke use” (Associated Press, 2016).
“Russia taunts U.S. with biggest military offensive since the Cold War” (Ben Farmer, 2016).
We have heard it before, we heard it about Syria, and the so-called red line, if you use chemical weapons we will do this, they used chemical weapons and we did what exactly, well nothing, the killing continued. We postured and mumbled about the atrocities, condemned the actions using harsh words, but words only, and how do you suppose our enemies viewed this, probably as many of us here did, as nothing more than empty words.
Some don’t want us to do anything at all, none of our business, not our problem. We have enough problems here at home. We do have problems at home that need to be solved, but problems elsewhere tend to spill over and create bigger problems here, so what does it all mean for you, for us all. We do need to look to our own first in most cases, but when is enough, enough.
If North Korea attacks a United States ally with a nuclear weapon, will we respond? Will we go to war with North Korea and where would China be in all this. China who is a supposed ally of North Korea, how would they react? Who exactly would we be fighting, and by the way, who will do all of the fighting.
Will there be a draft, men, and women called up to fight? Who picks up a weapon to defend the United States, will it be us, the citizens of the United States, the reduced American military, who then. Well, that is the problem, isn’t it? No one knows and other countries know as well as we do here that we don’t have our act together, and that does not bode well for any of us.
What Does This Mean For You
The mere threat of a nuclear war instills a visceral fear in people. It may be the reaction to the possibility of this type of war, which may create the most problems. A civil defense drill, who remembers those from their school days, it has been decades since these types of drills have been conducted. Would anyone even cooperate with civil defense programs?
Travel would likely be restricted, air travel in particular, because of the threat of civilian aircraft being shot down, submarines in waters off our coasts may restrict maritime travel as well, and this means certain goods will not reach our ports in a timely manner if at all.
Product shortages may happen because imports may be reduced or stopped in some cases, so the latest gadgets, certain foods, and other products may be in short supply relatively quickly if things escalated to a war stance. It seems not much is made in this country anymore, so if imports stopped what is left from which to choose.
A war posture means oil prices will spike. Shipping lanes out of the Middle East will be closely monitored, ships stopped and boarded and some may be even sunk or hijacked. Just the thought of a nuclear war or even a traditional war would cause turmoil here and abroad, and if not prepared many of us will suffer.
Marital Law is a possibility, as well, as the threat of war looms. Some politicians and even the White House may take advantage of the situation. This all mere speculation, but look back at history, and look at what is happening now, and compare the two.
Right now, it is talk, but given the actions Russia is taking, what North Korea is threatening and don’t discount Iran and certain terrorist organizations, and what they are capable of doing. They will be the first to take advantage of the turmoil.
There is much to think about and you must think about how to prepare and again, just the possibility in and of itself will create problems here.
Associated Press. (2016, October 19). Retrieved 2016, from http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/10/19/us-warns-overwhelming-response-to-north-korean-nuke-use.html
Ben Farmer, B. H. (2016, October 19). Retrieved 2016, from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/10/19/russia-taunts-us-with-biggest-military-offensive-since-the-cold/