I do have to chuckle a bit at some of the stories about the North Korean nuclear threat, because they talk about the difficult choices the US must make on Pyongyang's latest nuke test.
There aren't many options for President Obama.
And there weren't many for George W. Bush or Bill Clinton before him.
The North Koreans have gone back and forth on the U.S. for years as we try to get Pyongyang to quit developing nuclear weapons.
And in the end, none of the approaches have worked.
"Once again North Korea has defied the will of the international community, and the international community will respond," said the President.
"Now, the United States and the international community must take action in response," said the President.
The first quote is from President Bush in October of 2006, after the North Koreans tested a nuke.
The second quote is from President Obama on Memorial Day.
It's not that the United States has stood idly by in the last 12 years or so on North Korea. The Clinton Administration tried its own plan that was given the thumbs down by the Bush Administration, which had its work scoffed at by Team Obama.
Basically, we've tried to pull a lot of levers to get the North to stop, and they keep thumbing their nose at the world and developing more nukes.
Will the next one be on the tip of a missile? That's obviously the big worry, not only about Pyongyang, but about Teheran as well.
And in a sense, what we are watching play out right here is what we could well watch play out with the Iranian government and their nukes.
So how do you break this cycle and stop the work forever?
The Israelis would tell you that it should be done with military force (see Baghdad, 1980.)
What's your answer?
About the Author