We may not like these bully nations, but they're here to stay until they implode or their own people rise up and make some changes. Meanwhile, we need to strengthen our defenses and make it known that we'll defend ourselves and stand by our friends.
Walking softly and carrying a BIG stick implies that we'll have the good judgement to “ask permission to board” before stepping on the deck of another nation's vessels.
I can see where you are coming from. With that said, I simply cannot agree. Mere possession of authority does not make that authority legitimate, and a government without legitimate authority cannot be said to be legitimate and thus possesses no sovereignty. I don’t necessarily consider “democracy” as a prerequisite of the legitimacy of which I am speaking - European monarchies were legitimate yet clearly were not democratic. The difference is that they governed by implicit consent.
The American Revolution was fought in recognition of this principle. The British government had the requirements of authority, boundaries, etc. vis-a-vis the colonists but lacked legitimacy in those areas by virtue of abuses and lack of consent. Our founding fathers had a right to overthrow them by virtue of that lack of legitimacy in ruling over us, hence the Declaration of Independence. The British presence in the Americas had far more legitimacy than the North Korean government’s rule over its people.
Governments which do not recognize rights have no rights. I would like to see a peaceful resolution to this affair but I cannot in good conscience recognize or respect the sovereignty and privacy of a nation which refuses to recognize or respect the sovereignty and privacy of the people it rules over.
Were the roles reversed, North Korea would not hesitate for a moment to board our ship. They do not deserve dignity they are not willing themselves to extend. All they care about is power.