Morning Joe: May 26, 2009

North Korea's Nuclear Test

Stories we're following today:

North Korea Will Not Be Ignored - Joe Cirincione in Huffington Post [link]

• Like Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction, North Korea is a little unbalanced and relentless. Obama's strategy of ignoring the country has failed.
• The first thing to know about the apparently successful nuclear test is this: Don't Panic.
• Still, the test is a dangerous development. It is likely the result of three factors...

North Korean Nuclear Blast Draws Global Condemnation - Washington Post [link]

• Although Monday's detonation did not appear to be a significant technical advance over Pyongyang's first underground test three years ago, it has triggered a faster and more negative response from other countries, including China and Russia, North Korea's historical allies. The missile firings are adding to the tension.

Here We Go Again - The Economist [link]

• North Korea’s bellicose nature is also part of efforts by Kim Jong Il to shore up his rule by appealing to nationalist sentiment.

The best possible response to the North Korean nuclear test - Daniel Drezner in Foreign Policy [link]

• I think the Obama administration has come up with a novel way of dealing with the North Koreans -- get everyone to talk about something else.

What to Do About North Korea - Dan Blumenthal and Robert Kagan in the Washington Post [link]

• Given these realities, the United States probably has little choice but to wait out Kim until the emergence of a leader who can make the strategic decision to abandon the nuclear weapons program.
• If we decide to talk again, American diplomacy should expand beyond nuclear talks to begin preparing for the outcome it wants: a democratic, unified and eventually nonnuclear Korea.

The Test Ban Treaty - New York Times Editorial [link]

• A formal ban on testing would make it harder for nuclear-armed states to build new weapons, and place another hurdle in the way of any country — Iran comes immediately to mind — thinking of starting an arsenal. North Korea’s announcement that it had tested a nuclear device on Monday is a stark reminder of the many dangers out there.

A View from the Dark Side

A Fast Way to Lose the Arms Race - John Bolton in the New York Times [link]

• Today’s real proliferation threat, however, is not Israel, but states like Iran and North Korea that become parties to the alphabet soup of arms control treaties and then violate them with abandon.

Korea's Obama Test - Wall Street Journal Editorial [link]

• Monday's test brought more global tut-tutting, with the White House saying that "such provocations will only serve to deepen North Korea's isolation." But Kim Jong Il can be forgiven for concluding that his multiple violations will sooner be rewarded than punished.

The Lighter Side

How Tweet It Is - Molly Murray-Threipland in the New York Times [link]

• E-mail is a local train now. Twitter is the express, unless, of course, there’s an obstruction on the line.
• More Republicans use Twitter than Democrats and short, sharp exchanges can take place.
• It isn’t teenagers who are using Twitter. They’re in the minority. It’s the 45 to 54’s who are the largest group and the over 65’s outnumber the teens by miles.