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by devoply 3338 days ago
It was no treat for anyone involved:

Number of Americans killed in the Korean War: 36,000

Number of Americans wounded in the Korean War: 105,000

Number of South Koreans killed in the Korean War: 415,000

Number of South Koreans wounded in the Korean War: 429,000

Estimated number of Chinese and North Koreans killed in the Korean War: 1,500,00013

I would like to hear more from historians as to what would have happened had the war never occurred. My guess is a united Korea would be in line as a periphery of China with their level of technology... with Kim Il Sung and his family long gone and irrelevant.

I would also like to add that Americans know nothing of modern war never actually having had to live through it or having to deal with its consequences on their livelihoods, economy, or psychology. War for Americans is stuff that happens to other people... where they send oblivious young men to fight who are usually forgotten as soon as they are sent off to protect "freedom".
1 comments
dmos62 3338 days ago
In a recent talk by Chomsky, he described US Air Force literature or rather documentation of the Korean conflict. Apparently the bombing was so thorough, they ran out of targets in North Korea. Not only military, but infrastructure and cities as well, as I recall. One of the impressive things about post '53 North Korea is that they did a complete rebuild.
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dingaling 3338 days ago
There was a lot of pressure from the operations level to expand bombing into China, which tactically made a lot of sense; NK and Chinese MiGs retreated across the Yalu River each night and there were plenty of worthwhile targets such as supply dumps and routes.

However the JCS denied all such requests and remarkably there were only two or three violations during the entire war, such as the August 1950 strafing-attack on Antung airfield. The USA offered compensation afterwards despite that being the home of over 100 MiG-15s engaged in the war.

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devoply 3338 days ago
Imagine what the world would be like today had they bombed the shit out of China. No way in hell you repair a relationship like that.
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