So yesterday we got to find out that North Korea has functional nuclear weapons. Relatively small compared to ours, but we saw what a bomb the same size did to Hiroshima. Hard not to get a little worried over this one.
They also test-fired two missiles, and then two more this morning. Obama’s reaction so far has been strong language and veiled, weak threats. It’s hard to see how this will do anything; after all, Bush tried this for quite some time and we ended up with a nuclear-armed North Korea. I think what will be more interesting are the more local reactions from China, Japan, and possibly Russia or India. They are certainly more imminently threatened by the weapons, and with Kim Jong-Il in questionable health, these weapons could ultimately come into play in a grasp for power by his potential successors. While I doubt that we’ll see much in the way of serious response from Obama, at least anytime soon, it’s possible we might see something from the other regional governments – although it’s just as likely it will be in support of the Norks as against.