Now, I will say that I'm a little more worried about North Korea this year. I have a feeling Trump is going to try to egg him on and I think it might just work. Guess we will have to wait and see what happens.
Let me put your mind at ease. What is the worst thing he could do? Launch a nuke at the US? (no, actually, it's not the worst thing, but we'll get into that in a bit)... Say he launches a dozen nuclear ICBMs (most intel would say he has 0, but let's just worst case this...). First, these missiles need to defeat PAC3 intercepts from SK. Then, they need to defeat Aegis systems from ships in the Pacific. Then, they need to defeat space-based systems (that are classified, but assume they are HELs (high energy lasers))...then, on the way to target, assuming any got through all of that, they now encounter more Aegis as they approach their target, and more PAC3's, and this is just assuming the "public" stated components of the BMDS (Ballistic Missile Defense System).
Now, the other problem with this, is that Un has at best, a severely FINITE amount of missiles. He also has ZERO capability to muster troops, bombers, sea power, etc. to the US. Attacking us is a complete suicide move for NK, because they cannot sustain warfare. Un is crazy, but he isn't stupid. To actually USE his weapons, he'd lose the only bargaining chip he's ever had (and lose any forces, just on the way to get here!). He simply won't (and can't) do it.
Now, the ACTUAL threat posed by NK is if they smuggled in a dirty bomb, and exploded it in a US harbor. Again though, this has the same problem as above...it's a suicide move, and would simply end not only his reign, but most assuredly, his power base, and likely his life.
So, when you see some of us laugh off the threat posed by Un, it isn't bravado, it's a simple matter of logistics and capability to wage war. Simply put, attacking the US is a losing scenario for Un, and he knows it, and we know he knows it.
In the past, our leadership has simply paid him hush money to quit making noise. However, this has enabled him, because now every time he needs something, he ramps up the rhetoric. And why shouldn't he? It's worked for decades. About time an administration cut him off. I don't agree with the childish responses Trump makes, but ignoring NK's closed door demands is really the best tactic for ending this nonsense.
If we play this right, eventually, he'll get to a point where he can no longer pay or feed his military reliably, and then he'll BEG to come to the bargaining table, where he'll simply have almost nothing to barter with. Then, and only then, will we truly start to put him back in his place on the world stage...king in his own realm, but a nobody on the global stage.
