Join the Club

Well, whether the North Korean nuke was bigger than some say (Russians suggest 15 kilotons) or an embarrassing dud (Jane's Defense suggests perhaps a "pre-or-post-detonation event"), Kim's boys did something underground that rocked the world and a few earthquake detectors.

Regardless, if this one wasn't the big pop we were all expecting the next one certainly will be.

And George Bush will have seen another country enter the Nuclear Club on his watch. He has utterly failed to prevent North Korea from going 'nuculer.'

It wasn't Saddam who had WMDs, it has been North Korea -- with the means, intent, technology and support facilities. This White House has refused direct talks with the crazies in North Korea. Thus, a voice of rationality and moderation has been especially absent from dealing with the Pyongyang megalomaniacs.

Has Bush made the world a safer place? No. The best he can do now is wag a finger at Mr. Kim, as he did in this excerpt from his statement today:

The transfer of nuclear weapons or material by North Korea to states or non-state entities would be considered a grave threat to the United States, and we would hold North Korea fully accountable of the consequences of such action.

Yeah, yeah. And this sort of 'will not stand' talk got us this nuke or almost-nuke blast. What does 'fully accountable' mean? We aren't going to attack North Korea because that would result in Seoul being leveled in about 30 seconds. Sanctions, along the lines of the pressure we are pushing for at the UN, have one result..as the president noted:

...Threats will not lead to a brighter future for the North Korean people.

Axis of Evil. Sounds good until you have to do something about it.

Now what?