The same thing will stop them that stopped the Soviets for 50 years- Mutually Assured Destruvtion (MAD). This is much ado about nothing. They don't dare launch. It's just so much saber rattling. They are a paper tiger. As brother MarAzul would say ( and I can't believe I am quoting him), carry on!
What's going to hit the fan first? The impending 7.7 from the Juan de Fuca slow slip which has been going on for almost 3 months now? Or a war vs the DPRK?
Really? Care to say why? I would take the following step to nudge them on their way. 1. Have the State department inform all business it stock up on strategic material needed from China. Like Rare Earth. Two Months later 2. Have the State department inform WalMart, Amazon , Grizzly tools, and Harbor Freight they will need to insure their merchandise from Asia comes to the US on US Flagged vessels or another source. As the Duty on all other merchandise from Asia will be extremely high before Christmas. 3. Re-institute the concept of the Asiatic Fleet and immediately negotiate a treaty with Japan, Philippines, S. Korea, Taiwan, and Australia to participate in the Fleet for the stability of the Western Pacific and the South China Sea. Two Months Later 4. Ask Congress to authorize the imposition of import duties and all imports from Asia arriving by any other method outside US Flagged vessels. One Week later 5, Ask China to negotiate a treaty with North Korea where bye they put any Nuclear weapons in safe keeping in China. 6. Execute the imposition of Duties at the discretion of the President by Tweet.
Not if China has alienated them and they feel their existence is terminal. Crazy, irrational behavior isn't hard to fathom by the dictator. If China is still playing a part and has vested interest then they prob would use this as some form of leverage against the US to get something they want. Whether they are paying them, I'm skeptical.
This is not reassuring when you know how many times we were thisclose to Armageddon. Thank you Stanislav Petrov!
