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So … people are at least talking UN Chapter 7, but why not just “pressure” North Korea with economic sanctions and strongly worded resolutions? That worked before, didn’t it? It worked in Iraq, right? Reality check, please.

Let’s assume we don’t take military action to depose the mad man. Let’s assume North Korea never launches a strike anytime in the future. Let’s even assume he doesn’t sell a weapon to Al-Quaida or a whole bunch of politically unstable nations. This is best case scenario, right?

This “best case” means if North Korea can get a way with it, then so can Iran and anyone else. There’s already concern Japan and Taiwan will feel the need for the bomb, and both South Korea and China don’t like that idea too much. Pakistan and India got their Uranium in a twist at almost the same time in response to one another. So what do we end up with in the far East? Another arms race, with even more children playing with matches in a world of volitility. And at least one of them is quite raving mad.

I used to think it wasn’t fair that only certain countries had nukes, and it seemed reasonable that everyone having them would even the playing field, creating a universal deterrant. What a simpleton I was! There are non-proliferation treaties for a reason. We peeked in Pandora’s box, and don’t want to open it any more if we can help it. I don’t want my daughter living under the bomb like we did.

Fear of nuclear proliferation, even if not attack — A prtetense for war, or protecting the children of mankind, or both? We invaded Iraq for less.

So do we set the new precedent that America and the world will no longer fight the good fight against militaristic dictators, even as their capabilities near the point of no return? Or do we continue the precedent of attacking first, asking questions later — an option that isn’t very pleasant and has it’s own set of ramifications? One could say there are only so many evil governemtns that need to go. One could also say that the bad guys are just biding their time — preying on the pacifism and misplaced tolerance of civilized countries — until one day the problem will be too big for the rest of the world to handle.

I’m becoming convinced miltary action is the lesser of two evils. I wish we could have put off Hussein and handled Jong first. And in the near future, we may ALL wish we had.