North Korea has had 60+ years to make an aggressive move (at least, a move aggressive enough to warrant a military response). Wouldn’t they have done so, by now, if they really wanted to push a final resolution? Why now, would they take on the US, when they had so much time in the past when they could have done so?
I suspect that the simplest and most obvious answer is also the correct one. They have no interest in an actual conflict with the US (or any regional power), but they do have an interest in the amount of leverage they can apply in negotiations. They know that a NK which can threaten a significant offensive nuclear move, and possibly an EMP attack as well, is in an infinitely better negotiating position than a NK which can only threaten a local attack featuring WWII-era weaponry.
I would personally be shocked if they did anything that crossed the line between things that we can let slide, and things where we have no choice but to respond militarily.
“I suspect that the simplest and most obvious answer is also the correct one. “
How about: They now believe nukes make them immune to invasion and regime change.
It’s just as plausible as your reasoning.
I agree with you... for now.
You’re overthinking this IMO.
Kim now thinks he can blackmail the U. S. into doing what he wants.
He’s wrong.
This WILL come to a head.
We simply cannot let a nation like his have the ability to disrupt our society in ways that could cost the lives of tens of millions of our citizens.
Yes, but...
Rocket Man is not his father or his grandfather and he now has much more power than they ever did.
I think what he really wants is an Obama-style airplane load of $100 bills.
If logic always prevails there would have never been a Pearl Harbor attack.
Japan never had a chance to beat us but they attacked anyway.
Kimmy is much more wacky than were the leaders of Japan in 1941.
A war there is going to be very destructive and it looks likely.
It sucks in so many ways as things could go a much better path especially for the NK people.
The real issue is the technology that the Norks are sharing. Iran is one benefactor. Under Obama we abandoned the ability to fight a two front war. As you mentioned an EMP is a possibility. That would send us back to the mid 1800’s. I don’t see any negotiating room. I’m in favor of supporting Japan beyond the current level. It’s rumored they could develop nuclear weapons in a very short time frame. That would get China’s attention. In exchange for not assisting Japan, the Chinese need to depose the Nork regime and impose a puppet that would demilitarize North Korea.
They’ve always rattled sabres to get some key concession and it’s worked in the past. Problem is, they’re getting too big for their britches as far as the capabilities they’re claiming and are now perceived as a far greater threat, possibly an existential threat. So, it’s not working this time around because they’ve overshot the mark and they’re going to get taken down instead, one way or the other.