Then again, not everyone’s had the time to read the great North Korean Play Book, compiled by the Great Leader in the mid-1960s, now in its twelfth edition and available for free on the Internet in 300 different languages, which goes like this:

1. Strike the imperialists when they are weak (as in Vietnam after the 1968 Tet
offensive). eg, the Pueblo, Jan 1968, or missile tests in July 2007 when the US was
bogged down in Iraq.

2. Against “angry letters” and other forms of protest, ratchet it up once more. eg, the
shooting down of the US spy plane on April 15, 1969, or the nuclear test in October 2006.

3. Blame others for the escalation (US hostile policy, Bush the ideologue, Obama who’s just the same ,
South Korean lackeys ["political scum Lee MB"], Japanese imperialists [abduction freaks]).

4. Insist we are sincere in negotiations. Imply return to talks for the right price
and/or widening the agenda; ie, mutual disarmament talks, peace treaty, etc. eg, allow
IAEA folks to return, come up with a laundry list of nuclear activities sans samples in
return for defreezing illicit funds and removal from State’s list of state-sponsors of
terrorism.

5. Continue to proliferate and obliterate other would-be red lines with impunity.

6. Make a meaningless concession like blowing up a cooling tower or letting the NY Phil
be played in Pyongyang, while building up the bigger 50MW reactor next door to the 5MW
reactor in Yongbyon.

7. When others complain, start over again (see no. 2).

Conclusion: time for a second nuke test accompanied by an assortment of short and long missile.