Park Life

The state of play is that America has been outflanked by Russia in Syria and totally out thunk by China in the Asia Pacific. With these new Russia sanctions it might be that half of Europe is going to step off the train as well.

Because they will never be targeted. In the long game China wants America to have multiple threats in the arena.

Couldn't find the article at first...China's game has been to destabilize American spheres of influence all over the place by arming and tech transfer to countries they knew were candidates for regime change inc Libya. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/peter-navarro-and-greg-autry/how-north-korea-got-its-m_b_9676424.html The China-Pakistan-NK axis of tech transfers. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/oct/19/pakistan.northkorea

Bush had the chance to change the game but he was obsessed with Iraq. The Pentagon at the time were also told not to mess by China. NK is a bulwark for China and causes confusion for the American war doctrine in the region. Bush ignored China's proliferation or was scared to tell them off back in the day.

It was Bush who fucked up. There was a chance back in the day.

True mate. NK is a Chinese pawn always has been. The missile tech is all Chinese.

It has to be trade and lifting of sanctions now and a slow creeping deconstruction of the regime. Something which the West are very good at. Once the NK get a taste of the good life they won't want to go back.

NK nuclear programe came directly from China who also helped Pakistan and some say Iran.

They've got a big nuke buried under the border. Fail safe. It's come to this because we ignored it for so long. I still don't believe NK would ever attack anyone without provocation because that would be the end of the regime.

NK only want sanctions lifted and greater opp to enter trade and the financial architecture they are frozen out of. There are a million ways to shit to unseat the regime without a nuclear exchange and most of that will be carrot and not stick. China would relish the degradation of the American bases in the region without lifting a finger.

NK is China's trump card. Good chance a nuclear exchange will wipe out much of the American bases in SK, Jpn, Guam etc...SK will never forgive America when it ceases to exist as a viable state. A war isn't feasible without catastrophic casualties. Something could have been done 10-15 years ago but not now. The best thing now would be allowing a limited nuclear capability (with inspectors) and lifting some sanctions and slowly bringing NK back into the fold with a view to over throwing the regime from inside over time. It's deeply unpopular.

The boat has sailed mate. If America attacks SK will be nuked and possibly Jpn. The casualties are unacceptable.

Yup they are only upping the ante to increase their bargaining position with reg to sovereignty and reduction of sanctions.

There will be no 'war'. They are just jostling for positions before talks start on the future of the NK nuclear program. Kim will agree to limit it so is trying to advance it as much as possible first. NK want some sanctions lifted and other stuff. Only China is stopping the country from starving.

I doubt very much NK has a proper ICBM. They certainly have mid range missiles that can hit Japan. Last time I looked they were still having problems with getting a nuclear tipped re-entry vehicle on those even. I reckon they have 3/4 nukes which they still have to drop from planes. The last launch was a modified KN17 which is a mid range missile. There also hasn't been proper testing of a re-entry vehicle. I'd guess they are still a decade away from an ICBM that works with a re-entry vehicle. It took Russia and America ages to perfect these kinds of systems and they had limitless money and no restrictions. The most worrying thing about all this is the hype coming from both sides.

@wolfyThere's quite a good stand up routine in all this.

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The only problem being obviously that the Gurardiana know next to nothing about football.

Just got back from some Greek Island hopping. Quite honestly the best value holiday I've had in ages. Friendly people, good seafood and pristine waters. Plus the Greeks love a chat about the EU innit. Athens-Hydra-Santorini (just for a laugh)-Paros-Milos. Apartments/Small Villas are better than getting trapped with the hordes. Hydra came with a collection of wild cats that I mistakenly fed. Literally on the second morning there was 6 cats outside which angered Mrs P. Cheap boat rides to isolated beaches is better than going down to the local beach which are full of French. Menu in French in one restaurant which I nearly walked out of immediately in protest.

Not optimistic at all unless we sign 2/3 first team ready players. Maybe some early batterings will loosen the purse strings.

I feel uncomfortable if peoples houses are too neat and tidy.

Jesus! Athens is fuking miles away.

Parky Jnr asked me when we were in the UK last what this thing was we were getting on....I said it's a diesel pollution machine disguised as a train.

Train we got on a few weeks ago to go to the countryside via Berlin was a Polish train. They had refurbished the ext to look almost like German trains but the interior was 20years out of date. Everybody in Germany knows these Ost Europa are just vassal states.