North Korea just tested another nuke.

[Nitrogen]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8066615.stm

North Korea conducts nuclear test


North Korea has staged a "successful" underground nuclear test, the state-run KCNA agency reports.

Here's hoping Obama can handle this as well as Kennedy did.  (I'm trying not to laugh at the thought.) Though, any outcome that doesn't end with North Korea nuking anyone successfully. 
Certainly even China must see that they are off the hobby horse of sanity by now, right?
Does this scare the hell out of anyone nearly as much as it does me?

[vaskidmark]

Given that Barak and his administration lack the talent and intellect of JFK, not to mention the patriotism and commitment to "the American Way" (yes, in spite of everything else about him and his brothers, and being a wealthy overlord Democrat looking to control the serfs), I see no possibility of the current government being able to do much more than whine and whinge.

My estimate of Barak is that by Monday night he will still be doing the wide-eyed "what the heck just happened" blink, while Hillary will be advising him to look to the French to take the lead on multi-national discussions with NK.

The UN Security Council is going to meet on Monday.  Will our ambassador even have the guts to use the USA's veto power to prevent a resolution that is less than outright condemnation with sanctions?  Hah!  Even I can't delude myself into that dream.

And as for Japan's promise to "respond responsibly" at the UN meeting - the only responsible response I can imagine is asking to be released from the post-WWII self-defense-only military.  I'm pretty comfortable that their empire seeking days are over.

North Korea has in fact entered the nuclear family.  They are poised, as soon as they do some tweaking of ther delivery system, to replace India/Pakistan as the major worry in the world for setting off one or more of the things, as well as being a source for smaller devices that can be supplied to the freedom-loving peoples' revolutionaries around the world in their quest to throw off the yoke of western domination.

There was a really cheesy movie about 15-20 years ago about some US high-drag/low-speed warrior who infiltrated NK and blew up their nuclear bomb plant.  Maybe we ought to dust it off and start training up our troops on how it could be done in real life.

stay safe.  And this time I really mean it.

skidmark

[Jamisjockey]

NK doesn't want to set one off.  They want to use them as international currency, to be players on the world stage.  Short man's complex.  That, and to sell them to third world despots for oil and cash.

[Monkeyleg]

That, and to sell them to third world despots for oil and cash.

That's the most troubling aspect of this. We don't know who they might sell to. They may have already been in negotiations and have delivery agreements.

I read in the last few days that Obama is in fairly regular contact with GW. I hope that Bush can give Obama some sound advice.

[HankB]

I hope that Bush can give Obama some sound advice.

I'd rather he sought advice from Cheney.

[MillCreek]

Hmm, I seem to recall that President Bush was in office when NK tested their first nuke.  Remind me again of how he definitively handled the situation in a Kennedy-like fashion?  Such that NK gave up their nuclear ambitions? 

I think Jamis is spot on.  NK will probably use this to secure foreign aid again. 

[MechAg94]

Don't you really need to go back to the Clinton days to get a little deeper?  It was the Clinton Administration that made a deal with NK to give them oil and food in return for abandoning their nuke program.  Bush was the one who cut off the oil and food since they hadn't stopped their nuke program.  Short of invading or bombing, I'm not sure if Bush could have gotten them to stop.  He was trying to get China involved in discussions with them a while back and Kerry and the Democrats were dumping on him for it. 

Honestly, I have to wonder if China wants them to have nukes as it gives them a patsy to play the crazy guy while they stand back and play straight man. 

[Standing Wolf]

I'd rather he sought advice from Cheney.

Amen.

[Jocassee]

I'd rather he sought advice from Cheney.

Who was, as Ann Coulter put it, "the man conservatives secretly wish were president."

http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=19231

[Standing Wolf]

On the famous "bright side," I'm sure what's his name can do an adequate job of tut-tutting. Hey, it worked miracles during the Carter years, didn't it?

[Monkeyleg]

...handled the situation in a Kennedy-like fashion...

I don't want anybody to handle the situation in a Kennedy-like fashion. If Kruschev hadn't gotten the impression that Kennedy was an inexperienced lightweight (much like our current president), the missiles wouldn't have been sent to Cuba.

[roo_ster]

Barack Obama: Makes Jimmy Carter look like a foreign policy whiz.

(Hey, that is no mean feat!)

[wacki]

That's the most troubling aspect of this. We don't know who they might sell to. They may have already been in negotiations and have delivery agreements.

I read in the last few days that Obama is in fairly regular contact with GW. I hope that Bush can give Obama some sound advice.

Source?  I'd love to see proof that Obama's #1 enemy-of-the-world is being used as a trusted adviser.

[Monkeyleg]

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/05/23/obama-says-hes-kept-in-touch-with-bush/

[Hutch]

Stealing a line P. J. O'Rourke used to describe Pakistan, the PDRK is "producing more history than they can consume locally".

I got the stink-eye from a few of the elders here for not giving a damn about the Nork's missile test of a month or two ago.  Well, this bit bothers me rather more.  My own nightmare scenario is a high-altitude burst/EMP attack.  Have any of there missile tests suggested they could get a warhead up and over the CONUS?

[longeyes]

I'm waiting to see a program of massive Federal aid offered to NK by Obama, followed by a generous "refugee" program that implants large numbers in the U.S.  No doubt U.S. universities can use still more foreign students at taxpayer expense.

[KD5NRH]

My own nightmare scenario is a high-altitude burst/EMP attack.  Have any of there missile tests suggested they could get a warhead up and over the CONUS?

The way relations tend to be handled, they could strap one to a surplus L-19, paddle it to the coast on a log raft, demand takeoff clearance at LAX, and carry it wherever they want before anyone would be permitted to do anything about it.

[longeyes]

Who cares about a little thing like North Korea when we now have a Latina up for SCOTUS?  Let's get our priorities straight. :|

[AJ Dual]

I'm waiting to see a program of massive Federal aid offered to NK by Obama, followed by a generous "refugee" program that implants large numbers in the U.S.  No doubt U.S. universities can use still more foreign students at taxpayer expense.

If it was in trade for an equal number of deported illegal Mexicans, done deal.

[MicroBalrog]

A wave of anti-Communist North Koreans who've actually seen Communism first-hand would be a great thing, actually. The children of Russian expats are mostly conservatives - do the names Eugene and Alexander Volokh ring any bells?

[K Frame]

Not politics. Closed.