North and South: The Breaking News in Korea …

Hmmm …

That’s …

Hmmm …

Well …

News, for starters …

I’ve got to admit, I’ve been happily using my day off to get a few teasers written.

But had — in the background — the BBC News channel on.

And one bit of international news that’s been getting a frequent mention … ?

Is the obvious one.

That North Korea has fired off missiles at the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong.

Now, I’m no expert.

I’d be the first to point that out, in my more modest moments.

AHEM !

But to get to my point …

You see, I grew up being taught at school, that World War 1 boiled down to an Austrian Duke being shot. With the war, itself, being the result of diplomatic and military ties escalating would should have been a nasty diplomatic incident.

Into complete lunacy.

Something else I grew up with … ?

Was various family members, teachers and assorted others saying assorted variations on “Oh, I can remember the Cuban Missile Crisis, that was scary/worrying/frightening/peanut flavoured,” what-have-you.

But, of course, in my early teens … ?

It boiled down to wrinkly old people telling me stuff that I could take with a certain amount of salt.

And maybe pepper, ketchup, soy sauce and optionally washed down with a cuppa …

Something I do know, though … ?

Did you ever get an older relative telling you “I can remember exactly where I was when so-and-so died”.

Kennedy, Princess Diana, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Elvis, Lennon, Jimi Hendrix, Alan Turing …

Pick a figure …

But something like that never really makes sense, does it, until someone iconic you know of dies.

Princess Diana, in my case: possibly Freddie Mercury.

But that’s when the ol’ phrase starts making sense …

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It’s kind of similar with the Cuban Missile Crisis …

Let’s face it, I’ve heard so many people saying pretty much the same sort of phrase.

And, again … ?

They got the same sort of reaction, from me, at least.

Put gently into my mental filing cabinet, and marked ‘Take Note, but Don’t Worry’ …

Until a certain Far Eastern nation decides one of it’s nearest neighbours has ticked it off.

«•»

You see why I started this post with ‘Hmmm … ’?

OK, now granted that — in these modern times — that governments are responsible enough to behave themselves.

And not start anything.

We can always assume that, though, but as we’ve seen today, not every government will.

Personally … ?

I can only hope that this doesn’t escalate.

And that somebody in an office in China is phoning their opposite number in North Korea. To let them know exactly how much aid China is prepared to cut, if North Korea keeps acting the way it is.

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Oh, just as a final thought, the BBC has now switched to the really important news.

Kate and William have finally announced the date for the wedding.

Just remember to put your name to the sarcastic comments, folks …