Come on, conduct the tests!

When the missile test was softly condemned by the international community, North Korea, once again, threatened to conduct fresh nuclear tests. (BBC)

That's hardly a news, let alone being shocking as Mr. Kim may have wished. It only strengthens our belief that this regime is totally crazy. Their behavior is simply naive.

We all know North Korea's new tests are far from a threat considering the fact that it has failed all the long-range missile tests and the nuclear test. It is just a farce, which everybody is trying to act as they are supposed to do. As the Economist pointed out, if North Korea conducts more tests, it will only be good news for the world because it drains their already-small stock of missiles and, especially, plutonium.

However, if North Korea finally resorted to a war, that's totally a different question, and the result will be so disastrous that no one wishes to see. That, probably, is its remaining bargaining chip. Actually, North Korea is fooling no one but its own people, who are truly miserable. It's still hard to imagine in the 21st century, so many people are under this kind of oppression. I still don't know whether a quick solution is the necessary pain we have to bear. But even the two Koreas can reunify peacefully, which is extremely unlikely, there will still be tons of issues to deal with. The South Korean economy will simply be ruined and the brainwashed North Koreans will have difficult time to adapt to the normal lives.

From the perspective of Chinese government, North Korea issue is even more paradoxical. Its stupid acts only hurt China, but abandoning it is not an option because it will strengthening American influence in the region, and (whispering) a strong Korea is not what China wants to see. I can still see no solution right now. But for me, the status quo is satisfying for no one, probably with the exception of, Kim Jung-Il.