Disastrous Week in America

It's been a disastrous week in the United States.  North Korea and its saber rattling grabbed headlines in recent weeks.

Suddenly the nation's attention turned to Boston Marathon bombings.  Tragically three people died and over a hundred injured. 

As the law enforcement began its investigation in Boston, more tragedy struck in West, Texas.  An explosion killed twelve people, possibly more, and leveled a good portion of the small Texas town.

While it didn't make headline news, an explosion at the ExxonMobil Beaumont refinery occurred on Wednesday.

I don't really have anything profound to say about these events.  This is more an acknowledgement of events that happened this week in our history and lifetime. 

It's also to remember those who lost lives and loved ones, to remember first responders and ordinary citizens who help those injured, to remember doctors and nurses who attended the victims in the aftermath and to pray for all those affected in anyway by these events.

North Korean Tensions

North Korea again raises the stakes in the constant US-South Korea war of words.  Kim Jong-un continues to threatening rhetoric and saber rattling against the United States.  He falls back on the tried and tired argument of American imperialism and the threat posed to North Korea.

Kim's aims are obvious to the world but at home it is a different story.  The Kim dynasty maintains power through tight control of all aspects of society and despotic rule.  The message put out concerns the evil Americans and their puppet states of South Korea and Japan. 

Deception and distraction of the home crowd is the true name of the game.  The ordinary North Korean citizen is starving, tired and oppressed.  If Kim keeps the natives distracted with the bogey man of America, his chances of the masses overthrowing him are kept low.  Likewise, Kim must prove his prowess in dealing with the West to the military elite.  The military elite lose just as much as Kim if the masses overthrow the government.  Kim plays a balancing game in keeping the top and bottom of North Korean society.

The United States too must play the game.  The must show a military commitment to its allies of Japan and South Korea.  Japan does not want to rearm.  Nor do they want to build nukes.  However both are options should North Korea continue to threaten Japan.  South Korea too has considered nuclear weapons should the U.S. falter in living up to military deals.  Things are tense enough without adding nuclear armed states to the area.

I've said it before, the U.S. needs to stop paying attention to Kim when North Korea throws tantrums.  In the past the U.S. rewarded bad behavior with food and fuel to the isolated country.  It needs to stop.  Starve the country into submission.  President Barrack Obama needs to do something other presidents after have failed to do...stop giving in.  Deliver a firm message that no attack by North Korean forces on any American interest will be tolerated.  Also state that an attack on any American ally will be considered an attack on America itself and to expect a full retaliation.

It's time to stop rewarding temper tantrums and slap the North Korean child around like the little brat it is.