By Nathan Terry

We have all heard about North Korea and its leader Kim Jong-un, but what does this mean for us in our little corner of Vermont? When it comes to national and international events, some of us tend to ignore the news and stay in our campus bubble. Yet, it is impossible to ignore the impact of North Korea’s recent recent military tests on our future.

For years, there has been a tense cease-fire between North Korea and South Korea stemming from conflict in the Korean war which ended in 1953 but recent activity has led to speculation that future conflict may be inevitable. On August 29, North Korea launched a missile that sped over Japan and landed in the Pacific Ocean. In response, the U.S. flew bombers and stealth aircraft over the Korean peninsula during drills with Japan and Korean forces. On September 3, North Korea set off a nuclear hydrogen bomb in northern North Korea, resulting in a massive 6.3 magnitude earthquake. This came as a response to U.N. sanctions against the country and furthered the notion that ruler Kim Jong Un has become a loose cannon that can’t be checked by North Korea’s closest ally, China.

So what does this mean for the U.S.? North Korea has been actively testing its nuclear capabilities since 2006, and the most recent bomb’s detonation was 10 times more powerful than any previous version. Kim Jong Un has proven to be unpredictable and unstable. According to a survey poll by the Washington Post, 63 percent of Americans have no faith in President Donald Trump’s leadership abilities. Fewer than 1 in 4 Americans realize that Trump doesn’t need to consult with Congress before “pressing the button” and starting a nuclear war with North Korea. This lack of accountability and easy access to such power should startle Americans. Remember, Trump is not a career politician, and he has little to no experience in foreign policy. And while he does have people with experience around him, he is not always inclined to listen to them.

Veronica Smith ’18 studied abroad in Japan during this past spring when North Korea launched a missile into the Sea of Japan. “People were concerned, but not as excited as people here got when the missile was launched,” Smith said, adding that she thinks the difference in culture helps the Japanese deal with the ongoing conflict and aggressive actions taken by North Korea. Should North Korea initiate a war with Japan or South Korea, it is highly likely that the U.S. would become involved with the conflict. Although it seems unlikely that Kim Jong Un would attack the U.S. directly, it could happen.

What should we do to prepare? The best approach is to keep informed on these matters since they are important, even if the main events are taking place more than 10,000 miles away. We do ourselves a disservice by not being informed about what really matters, and instead prioritizing what social media stars had for breakfast. We need to be more involved in our own society and take more of an interest in our politics, because, as much as we may despise talking about politics, they play too big of a role in our lives to take it for granted. So if you don’t vote, you shouldn’t complain about who gets put in office by people who do vote. Every vote matters, and by being more involved in the process of voting, you can educate yourself about the issues that affect us on a local, national and global level. By voting in the national elections, we have the ability to choose experienced politicians who will represent us abroad, which is all the more important in today’s political climate.

While our lives are not in any immediate danger, tensions abroad are as high as they were during the Cold War. In the meantime, we need to keep an keep eye on events that can change the course of the world. Then we will be more aware and prepared for how the future will unfold.