If we don't take a military action option, then we are going to continue to play the game with NK. They will bluster and threaten and continue their nuclear weapons and long range missile programs. We will continue to develop, refine, and deploy our missile defenses. We have a pretty good lead over them in that area and are pulling away. When NK finally recognizes that their threats are losing effectiveness, they will begin looking into arming terrorist groups, or sneaking warheads into the US via other means (not ICBMs). Before that happens gee, we might have to get serious about border security, imagine that.
If we take any kind of direct military action SK almost certainly suffers. It is just a question of how much. There are multiple options and scenarios, with different potential outcomes, but in all of them SK takes a pretty good hit.
The real problem here isn't NK with nuclear weapons or missiles etc. There are nine countries acknowledged to have nuclear weapons. That means 7 that aren't the US or NK. Funny thing, we're not terribly concerned with those other 7. Sure, Pakistan is a little troubling as their weapons could fall into the hands of violent religious extremists/terrorists... But you really don't hear too many people fretting over these other 7 nuclear-armed countries.
The problem is NK's leader. Most of the technologically advanced countries have a reasonable means of selecting leadership. Leaders rise to power through some demonstrable level of intelligence and capability. But in some cases, such as NK, that's not how it works. Their current leader has virtually no resume for being the leader of a nuclear-armed country. His only real accomplishment is that his father was the dictator. That's it, he just happens to be the right guy's kid. The frightening thing is, some kids are a**holes. Especially those who grow up relatively privileged in their society. They tend to develop some very warped priorities and values. That's who is running NK with his finger on the button. Some jerk-off who may or may not have any kind of moral compass, compassion, rationality, etc. He could be the kid who went and read to seniors at the local assisted living home...or he could be that one who pulls the wings off butterflies and enjoys taking smaller kids' lunch money. And now he wants nuclear weapons and more power, more prestige.
That's why he's a problem. Perhaps the best option may be a limited strike - a single US nuclear weapon aimed squarely at him. Then we take our chances with the surviving generals - tell them put a rational actor in charge, or else. If you attack SK, we have nuclear weapons aimed at you too, we can have this same conversation with one of your Colonels...
“Most of the technologically advanced countries have a reasonable means of selecting leadership. Leaders rise to power through some demonstrable level of intelligence and capability.”
Boy, oh boy; you sure take a lot for granted, don’t you?
T&M gonna work all this out and report back to us!
There is no problem...sit back and watch....
Semper ~ ;)
*********************