[yankeedame]

(If I may be permitted....)

July 5, 2006: While everyone's attention was focused on North Korean missiles, the real story is the North Korean economy. It continues to fall apart, and more North Koreans are unhappy about that. Worse yet, more North Koreans are finding out how badly they have been screwed by their leaders.

Meanwhile, North Korean officials engage in even more bizarre behavior. For example, food and fuel supplies sent to North Korea have been halted, not to force North Korea to stop missile tests or participate in peace talks, but to return the Chinese trains the aid was carried in on.

In the last few weeks, the North Koreans have just kept the trains, sending the Chinese crews back across the border. North Korea just ignores Chinese demands that the trains be returned, and insists that the trains are part of the aid program.It's no secret that North Korean railroad stock is falling apart, after decades of poor maintenance and not much new equipment. Stealing Chinese trains is a typical loony-tune North Korean solution to the problem.

If the North Koreans appear to make no sense, that's because they don't.

Put simply, when their unworkable economic policies don't work, the North Koreans just conjure up new, and equally unworkable, plans.

The Chinese have tried to talk the North Koreans out of these pointless fantasies, and for their trouble they have their trains stolen. How do you negotiate under these conditions? No one knows.

The South Koreans believe that if they just keep the North Korean leaders from doing anything too destructive (especially to South Korea), eventually the tragicomic house of cards up north will just collapse. Not much of a plan, but so far, no one's come up with anything better.

[Dallas59]

LOL!

[Izzy Dunne]

Here's a link to some pictures of North Korea, some of forbidden subjects.

Look for more on Page 2.

[bill1952]

The South Koreans believe that if they just keep the North Korean leaders from doing anything too destructive (especially to South Korea), eventually the tragicomic house of cards up north will just collapse. Not much of a plan, but so far, no one's come up with anything better.

What SK leaders have ever said that?

[dirtbiker]

I heard one of the talking heads on the evening news stating Kim was a "shrewd, intelligent man, not crazy but more like crazy like a fox."

Naw, Kim's just plain NUTS!!!

[camle]

no good deed goes unpuinished. why not let the chinese take them out?

[Allegra]

More proof that Kim is an absolute nutjob ping.

[MinorityRepublican]

South Korea does not want North Korea to fall apart or it will become unmeasurable burden on their economy.

Look at how West Germany is still having a hard time with East Germany and they were the most developed (supposedly) socialist economy in the world.

So status quo favors the crazy North Korean dogs.

[StoneColdTaxHater]

I heard a story recently that the NK news reports that Kim Jong Il is the world's greatest golfer. He in fact scores at least 2 holes in 1 every round! He once carded 5 in a row! You can't negotiate with the mentally deranged

[nikos1121]

Let's keep the hell out of it unless they launch a missile in our direction... then we level them...or at least the presidential palace...

[caver]

I sure can't figure out why the world is so scared of what North Korea is going to do. They can't even feed their people or provide simple things like water, sanitation or electricity. The first sign of battle and their huge army will desert.

[Aquinasfan]

I imagine that most of the engineers working on the missile project are doing their best to sabotage it, while they risk horrible punishments for failure. God help them.

[RouxStir]

"eventually the tragicomic house of cards up north will just collapse"

Haven't we been hearing that...for 50+ years.

[Puddleglum]

I often wonder why we don't have assassins on the ground near lunatics like N. Korea's dictator (plus Iran's, plus Osama). I am frequently reminded that our human intelligence on the ground is either bad or hog-tied. It is discouraging -- or else I've been mislead by spy novels, etc - ok, let's admit it - spy movies.

[cavador]

"eventually the tragicomic house of cards up north will just collapse."
Thus bringing China down with it.This must not be allowed to happen.If it does It will create a power vacuum in north eastern Asia which could lead to widespread civil war.If anything ,when Nrth. Korea goes down we must be prepared to prop up the other Asian states.(Or it may end up like a gigantic Iraq.)

[Boston Blackie]

[Trust but Verify]

Hey, but I heard their leader wrote 1500 books while he was in college. You have to admit that's pretty impressive.

[jiggyboy]

In the last few weeks, the North Koreans have just kept the trains, sending the Chinese crews back across the border. North Korea just ignores Chinese demands that the trains be returned, and insists that the trains are part of the aid program. It's no secret that North Korean railroad stock is falling apart, after decades of poor maintenance and not much new equipment.

Absolutely amazing -- this is literally right out of Atlas Shrugged.

[MD_Willington_1976]

Air drop AK-47's and ammo into N-Korea, let the peasants get the party started themselves...

[Windsong]

The Chinese have tried to talk the North Koreans

And therein is the problem.

Talk.

You cannot "talk" with vermin.