Suppose hypothetically that our plan was for 2026 to "free" North Korea.
Let's not think too deeply. Let's just make a few common sense assumptions.
*In "freeing" we couldn't possibly mean ethically "make them live like us."
*The goal would need to be quite simple. For example: a strong mechanism that effectively allows every North Korean to legally immigrate out, and ensure a clear understanding of what immigration means. Each time we add more clauses to this, we muddy the waters, undermine the purity of our goal.
*Our technological superiority would always be debatable. Who knows what kind of tactics they developed even in a tight ramshackle corner. Who knows what funding they receive in what form, with all the varying motivations across politics.
*One thing we know pretty well: zero casualties? That's a joke. There would be casualties. Very unhappy ones.
*Another thing we know for sure is we sacrifice and risk resources that we potentially need for other wars.
*As much as we may want to free the North Koreans, it's still a numbers game and a motivation factor. What do we stand to gain, how do we implicate ourselves, what will they be used for if we don't?
*Our messages to them are skewed ridiculously. What is the closest thing they seem to get to the outside? Smuggled North Korean drama. Probably not a glimpse into full reality there.
*And lastly. We always to some degree call the kettle black. We may criticize their nation. Well we probably have a few corruptions of our own.