Missile diplomacy

The test-firing of a North Korean ICBM is an interesting (albeit trivial when concerning Kim Jong-il), example of coercive diplomacy.

A show of force can very well be used by the underdog, as N. Korea has apparently made it its mission to prove. And, just as in the case of the 2003 launching of a anti-ship cruise missile shows, it is not the size or the range that matters, merely that a missile is fueled and fired.

This is a reminder at a time where Washington has more than enough on its mind in Iraq and Afghanistan and Iran, a reminder that the North Korean problem can't be starved away. I predict that some kind of indirect diplomatic appeasement will be the solution.