North Korea Not Irrational?

Lee Harris at Tech Central Station may have figured out Kim Jong Il's thinking with respect to nuclear weapons. How We Called North Korea's Bluff. At the same time he also figured out one of the very biggest reasons for going to war in Iraq and knocking off the regime of Saddam Hussein (currently an unhappy man).

This is a piece that requires careful reading to fully grasp his point, which becomes very clear about two thirds of the way through. It is also a pleasure to read, with a reference to Dr. Strangelove at the top. It has everything to do with deterrence (a concept still not understood by liberals);

This seems to be a lesson that has not been missed by North Korea; and one must wonder whether Kim Jong Il, who is known to enjoy Western culture, might not be a fan of Kubrick’s movie. For that would explain why the North Koreans, unlike the Kubrick’s Soviets, are shouting from the rooftops: “We have nukes! We have nukes!” They want us to be in no doubt that they possess such weaponry.

To many this is an ominous sign -- and indeed, before the Iraq War, this is how I was inclined to see it. But with the fall of Saddam Hussein, the North Korean determination to let the world know that it has nukes -- while certainly not good news -- is not quite as terrifying as it would have been had Saddam Hussein been permitted to remain in power.

Let me explain.

Let him explain, read it all.