EDITORIAL: North Korea bluffing again
"A real and present danger" to Secretary of State John Kerry and, presumably, most U.S. officials, a joke and punching bag for comedians and much of the world, North Korea is at it again.
This time, the North has entered a "state of war" against South Korea, and are threatening military action, including the use of their nuclear arsenal, cutting off lines of communication to Seoul, positioning missiles off their east coast and declaring the 1953 armistice that ended the Korean War void.
North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un sounds serious and has officials in Seoul, Washington and worldwide on edge. It's important to keep an eye on the communist nation, but, at the same time, the U.S. and its allies need to take a deep breath, back off the drums of war for now at least and realize this isn't the first time they've been up to these kinds of antics.
Kim is more likely than not trying to show his people he is a force to be reckoned with on the global scale, whether or not he actually is. Having the image of being a bold, decisive leader is key to keeping such a deprived, poor nation under control, so making threatening remarks toward the U.S. and the South is likely nothing more than a glorified PR move. It's similar to what his father, Kim Jong-il, did when he took power.
This is not to say the U.S. should completely back off. Indeed, displaying shows of military force near the DMZ and continuing to push for crippling global sanctions, as has been done, is a good way to keep Kim — not exactly one of the most rational world leaders — from getting too arrogant and thinking he can attack.
That being said, it is also important for President Barack Obama and his top military advisers to sit down and decide when enough is enough and when it's time to take action before the North strikes first.
For more than a decade, we as a nation have debated whether we should have invaded Iraq and Afghanistan. Since then, general consensus seems to have concluded we were there for too long. Going even further, a larger isolationist movement–led by former Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul–has surfaced, arguing that we should mind our own business and not interfere in other fights.
No matter where you stand, should North Korea decide to actually act this time, President Barack Obama will be pressured to take a stand and make a decision on whether to get involved. Until then, we shouldn't be wasting any additional time and resources on a country that talks a big game but never delivers.
