Who's Scared Of The Big Bad North Korea - Ctrl.Alt.Shift

Are they a nuclear THREAT? Is an intervention necessary? Geared up with my Ctrl.Alt.Shift t-shirt and photographer, I hit the streets of London to bring this issue to the public. Some of the comments were shocking - read all about it!... below:

Vox Pops: A-bomb-ination
Oh here we go again. Are we about to see another media frenzy of having 'Weapons of Mass Destruction' (WMD) plastered all over our front pages? It seems likely, except this is a far cry from Bush's subliminal messaging – the latest rumbles in the world are coming from North Korea's recent underground nuclear missile testing.

And boy, have they pissed almost everyone off. According to Yonhap news agency, UN diplomats are discussing "tough measures" with regards to a resolution to punish North Korea's actions. Bear in mind UN Resolution 1718 imposed sanctions on North Korea after their first nuclear test in October 2006 - they didn't play by the rules then, and they're certainly not playing by the rules now; with last Monday's blast having the power of a 4.5 magnitude earthquake (an explosion up to 20 kilotons according to Russian defence officials).



But with a zero death count, what's all the noise about one might ask. The US ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, said: "The US thinks that this is a grave violation of international law and a threat to regional and international peace and security" - that coming from a nation that dropped atomic bombs on Japan in 1945, killing more than 220,000 people in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. But that was then, this is now, and nations including the US, China and tell-tale neighbours South Korea, have all voiced their anger and concern at one of the world's most impoverished regimes taking yet another defiant step towards WMD status - this all coming after liar liars North Korea promising to walk away from long-running disarmament talks (agreeing in February 2007 to abandon their nuclear ambitions in return for aid and diplomatic concessions). However, throw another spanner in the nuclear works, as these plans stalled after North Korea accused its negotiating partners - the US, South Korea, Japan, China and Russia - of failing to meet agreed obligations – which brings us nicely, and sadly onto today's predicament...



After false promises to North Korea, can anything really justify their latest devastating actions? And what is to come of this small, but ever powerful and feared nation? Ctrl.Alt.Shift took this explosive subject to the streets and asked:

What is your stance on North Korea's recent nuclear bomb testing (in light of their history)?
Why do you think they carried out such tests?
Do you think it's right for powers in the UN and US to pass down judgement and punishment for North Korea's actions?
What punishment would you bestow upon the nation?
And do WMD's have any place in this world anymore?

Joel, 18:
"Given the fact that North Korea is a dictatorship, this doesn't surprise me at all. I'm not sure what the motivation for this is, however it is going to be political. I think the UN and US have a right to pass judgement because while they possess the same weapons, they are not actively testing them - I feel there's a huge difference between active nuclear testing and already having the technology. In terms of punishment, I wonder if any sanctions or military action would actually make a difference to the situation...I don't think so. There is a phrase that sums up the need for WMDs, and that is: 'If you want peace, prepare for war'"

Read the full article, along with the other comments here