POTUS UN Speech

[Dill]

(09-22-2017, 01:48 PM)BmorePat87 Wrote: Global alliances engaged in a way is what made the first two World Wars "world wars". Without China rushing to their aid, which they won't, it would be North Korea against an American-Korean-Japanese alliance (likely others too). 

Even if China joined them, it's still a regional conflict, not a global conflict, unless there are multiple global fronts. World War I and II saw fighting in Europe, Africa, and Asia.

Can we be sure that China, and Russia, won't somehow "rush" to their aid?

What makes the current stand off different from previous is that now there are two unstable leaders and both sides have nukes.

A nuclear strike to NK is a direct threat to both China and Russia. Also, if the US is attacked, that triggers NATO.

We should expect China and Russia to work actively to prevent such a conflict. 

If they think the US won't strike first, they will likely pressure Kim to avoid conflict, perhaps be willing to make sanctions fully effective. If they think the US might strike first, a better option might be to back NK, to warn the US a nuclear strike on NK would not be tolerated.

My point is, we cannot for sure say what China and Russia will do. That is one consequence of "brinksmanship."