Missile Envy

North Korea wants to play in the nuclear sandbox of the world with its own brand of missiles. And so this past week they "tested" them. Alas, that has made the regular kids a bit "testy". According to Condeleeza Rice, [the] "missile tests were a provocation that has raised concerns around the world." [I hate it when the US government speaks for the rest of us] Well, what exactly are we concerned about? The fact that North Korea is testing? or that the United States is trying to control the rules of play? I think it's more the latter than the former.
 
When it comes to the position of the United States, the world's Imperial power, they are steadfastly against any country playing with missiles, or in the case of Iran, nuclear technology. [Particularly if Spar Aerospace or Boeing doesn't get a piece of the action] It's America reminding the "world" who's boss. As George Bush has said, "you're either with us or you're with the terrorists" and that message has been the foundation of the US foreign policy for the past 5 years. The Bush administration soiled relations with North Korea back in 2000 after Clinton left office; [just ask Madeline Albright.] The State Department was ambivalent to North Korea under Colin Powell, and now, under Rice, they're grandstanding at this missile testing.
 
If North Korea is looking for a fight in the playground at recess, they better watch out for the school monitor, namely the Pentagon. They have more weapons of mass destruction at their disposal than the Koreans do, and to me, that is the greater threat. But the politics of muscle, especially military muscle, is an old game that continues to be played, albeit slowly. The grand chessboard, currently controlled by the United States, makes its moves carefully and strategically, for better or worse. When it comes to the match with North Korea let's hope their next move is for the better.
 
That's just my opinion. I could be wrong.