Now they'll probably launch a missile against South Korea or Japan, but apparently they're getting close to a missile that can reach either Alaska or Hawaii (which is AMERICAN SOIL and thus a declaration of war right then and there).

I still think we WON'T nuke them but hit them really hard with conventional weapons.

1) North Korea is about the same size as Pennsylvania. We have too many FRIENDS that are too close, including our own military bases. That would be like nuking Pennsylvania and not worrying about fallout hitting Virginia, or Maryland. Even if THEY nuked someone, I know we won't just willy nilly start dropping nukes, especially when we'd be radiating our friends and allies at the same time. It would be stupid.

2) The North koreans are insane enough to PICK a fight. China, despite its' tough talk, is starting to slip in it's control over the Idiot leader.

3) If we HAD to appease China, we could just meet with them secretly and say "hey we'll let you have your own puppet regime, but you just can't have THIS Crazy fucked up one that's there now". That way they'll still have a buffer between them and South Korea.

We're in unusual territory in that EVERY Other Asian nation of note, Is concerned about North Korea and thinks they're crazy. It would be totally weird but not implausible to see the combined forces of Vietnam, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines go up against the Norks, with the Chinese trying to make sure they don't lose face.

Just some post 4th of July musings.....