That's a philosophy that allows money to literally control our lives. You won't know what a "tanked economy" is until Kim jong Ill lobs a nuke into Los Angeles. As for NK having nothing to lose, that's just plain wrong. They have their lives and their peace to lose, the two most precious things. Remember, they are not islamo-barbarians who think they will go to virgin paradise if killed by an "infidel"...... they want to live. Anyway, it's too late now; all we can do is hope they don't fire a nuke at the U.S. or our interests, or sell a nuke to the terrorists.
You are right about that, and it's probably an extreme position. But the economy (money) controls our politics...and our politics controls our response to this action.
While other factors may play a role, Bush doesn't have the political capital left (the Democrats have seen to that) to engage NK in a military conflict - nor does he have the political capital left to endanger the U.S. economy through such military action.
None of those things need enter Kim Jong Il's calculations. He knows our motivations, and knows we cannot risk losing what he doesn't have anyway (a wealthy society). So he can jerk us around till the cows come home, knowing he's relatively secure in his hell-hole.