Why I'm not a diplomat (North Korea version)

See, this is why I'd never make it as a diplomat. On the heels of the United Nations Security Council condemning North Korea's (failed) ballistic missile launch earlier this month, the North Koreans announced that they would be forced to take "self-defensive measures" if the UN didn't apologize. These "self-defensive measures" translate into more tests of their missile program and perhaps even a second nuclear weapons test.

The diplomatic thing to do is to again try to talk North Korea down from their threats and back to the negotiating table. My feeling though is that the global community should tell Kim Jong-Il and the rest of the cabal running North Korea to go ahead and test away. I'd ask them which are they planning to test first - the ballistic missiles with the faulty second and third stages, or the nuclear bombs that fizzle? North Korea's first a-bomb was generally believed to the worst initial nuclear weapon test, ever. It was such a dud, there is some doubt whether the North Koreans even tested a nuke in the first place, or whether it was all an elaborate ruse concocted to scare the international community.

Then I'd tell Dear Leader Kim if he really wanted to do something to amaze the world, something the global community thinks he's incapable of doing, he'd provide a chicken dinner to every family in North Korea.

Hopefully the global community will give this latest threat all the attention it deserves - namely none - and not allow themselves to be threatened back to the negotiating table.