Deterrence 101

OK, the North Koreans now possess the two necessary ingredients for nuclear deterrence: bombs and delivery vehicles. The downside of this is that it may push the South Koreans and Japanese to develop their own bombs—the latter prospect a serious worry to China. On the other hand, the North Koreans may well now calm down appreciably and the Tyrant's cabal (big tail, no tooth) may actually give the gutless wonders at Foggy Bottom a chance to engage again in diplomacy. And I doubt sanctions talk will go anywhere because if the North were really cut off they'd have some incentives to put a bomb on the black market. No, it's deal-making time in a new, junior balance of terror. All things considered, this is a very positive development. (Many thanks to an alert editor for correcting an earlier mistake regarding dates here.)