Kiprobalhato wrote:
i’d be flabbergasted if even one missile makes it without being intercepted.
I wouldn't. The U.S. government has continued to commit the cardinal mistake of underestimating the enemy, and failure to confront the truth of the enemy's capabilities. Just a few years ago "analysts" claimed that North Korea was decades away from developing nuclear weapons, when North Korea was well into developing them. Just a few months ago they were telling us how far North Korea was from ICBMs. And they have been consistently wrong on every step in between.
If North Korea attacks, they will probably pull a Greek approach. The Greek shot arrows in two fashions. Straight, and at a steep angle. The idea was, the enemies on the front lines would get shot straight on, and the enemies behind them would have arrows rained on them. North Korea will fire ICBMs for the glory of it but their sure fires likely will be launched from submarines near the coast.
They will likely have evacuated Pyongyang and strategically scattered their population throughout the countryside and in underground networks. I would not doubt that they have underground cities and massive food stores. Remember, the one advantage of totalitarian communism is extreme order, and North Koreans prepare for war much as the Nazis did. Covertly. Those "mass games" they have are not just pretty shows, they are military exercises in cohesion, order and strategy.
We are the Goliath to a North Korean David and there are too many people in this country who sit overweight in their armchairs with beer in hand and think U.S. can solve everything by dropping bombs on it.
That's one argument for bringing back the draft or mandatory military service for all able bodied individuals under 50. People favor diplomacy a lot more when they are the one's who have to fight the wars.
I don't think they would use a submarine; they probably can't make one quiet enough to avoid detection by the US Navy. What I think is more likely that they simply use a ICBM: a interception is very unlikely and it could be used to knock down electric power in North America using EMP.
As for a eventual war with North Korea the principal danger, beside nuclear strikes, is that their deep bunkers would allow them to bombard Seoul with biological and chemical weapons making hundred thousands of death. Once the North Korean canons destroyed, they would become powerless, as NATO can prolong a siege for years without difficulty while waiting for North Koreans unconditional surrender.