The two Koreas need to be given the opportunity to unite like Viet Nam did.

Both have economic issues in the worlds trademarkets. I'm sure someone will notice the chains and shackles around their throats soon enough.

A thought may be to step back from the immediate scene for an evaluation of the total situation. This seems to be a" box canyon type" situation for most of the actual participants The United States is going to have to spend more money it does not have for simply displaying; keeping an image. South Korea has been attached taking breast milk for many years resulting in growth that may be unrealistic in a real world situation. North Korea may seem to some to be a bit like a man behind bars rattling his metal cup on the bars to be noticed. The “ally” of the United States as reported being Japan wants all United States Bases off "their" land, and seem to be in a “ready mode” for this Korea situation. The Chinese must always keep in mind what happened in the 1930s and have to act accordingly. Russia must keep in mind what happened in 1905 and always be prepared. – Now we look to the happenings of this incident. First though why don’t Japan and South Korea repay the United States all the “aid” given to them? Then, is there really a need for the demilitarization zone in Korea, look at the Mexican Border in the United States? All this continued posturing because of insecurities at some point will result in a happening we have just seen. I have to ask could this have been a Viet Nam era magnetic mine that simply floated to this scene and sunk this boat, or could an entity have placed a similar device in this area knowing at some point it would bring results? What has History taught us all?

Who has assessed the findings of this "international investigation?" What is the evidence that North Korea torpedoed the South Korean warship. With what motivation? Please, name it! Can anybody prove that "Kim Jong-il, the North Korean leader, is very erratic and also he is very paranoid" as a commentator says in this article and as repeated ad nauseum by the single-minded Western press? Paranoid of what? Of any US attack? Or the US army sitting at his doorstep? Which country would not be "paranoid" if subjected to such treatment by the most aggressive state in the world? Now the United States uses the incident to recruit China and other countries in its futile crusade against North Korea. Unless an impartial investigation finds the real explanation for this seeming accident, I would not trust any cheap accusations coming from Washington.

Once again, North Korea is bullying the south because they want something. Previous events have also been conflicts over disputed maritime boundaries, others have seen NK saboteurs sent into the south by submarines. The outcome is always that the north subsequently threatens the south with invasion or missile attacks unless they get some more concessions - typically, food, money, etc. Perhaps the best solution would be that the south stops sending any aid to the north and let the Chinese have the pleasure of propping up one of the world's most oppressive and tyrannical dictators. If the Chinese (and perhaps, the Russians) want to help, maybe they could offer to help patrol the maritime boundaries between north and south that always seem to be the flashpoint for these disputes.