'The sun will still come up tomorrow'. Given the nuclear test by North Korea I'm not sure this is an assumption anybody should be making. A catastrophe such as this is the very event that should put the United Nations on notice that now is the time to act without flexibility, ambiguity or half-heartedness.

The slaughter in Darfur and Rwanda wasnt enough for the United Nations to authorise military action. To date the famine, mass murder and gross abuses in North Korea have been out of 'sight and out of mind'. However when is enough really enough? When is 'talking' just prolonging the inevitable? Perhaps it will take another explosion and the dispersal of radioactivity all over China and Russia for those states to be stung into action.

However in my view immediate naval blockades of all North korean ports should be put in place- thus ensuring the lunatic that has ruined that country does not take receipt of further weapons. Gas, oil and food sanctions of the strongest variety must be imposed to jolt the repressed peoples of North korea into action. And, when that action comes, the United Nations should be waiting on the borders to enter North Korea and unify the two koreas.

China will never be hostile to North Korea.

The notion is ridiculous, and i wont even bother to explain why, we all know.

That's America's answer to everything. Sanctions or invasion. Sanctions have never worked. It is hypocritical to dictate nuclear policies to other nations when you own over 5000 nukes yourself. Why kill thousands of innocent civilians by depriving them of much needed resources just to try and teach their Government a lesson? It only makes their leader more determined anyway.

Nobody wants to live under American control and your own nuclear arsenal really is the only defensive option against a bullying nation like America. Not that America would really invade. Last time they tried the N.Korean army kicked their butts. Bringing the UN into the conflict and advancing on the Yellow River brought the Chinese into the fray and once against the Americans were sent packing.

In WW2 sanctions against Japan forced that country to bomb Pearl Harbour as a warning to back off. When will America learn to stop interfering in the affairs of other countries?

Wayne- you have got to be joking.

What 'government' are you referring to? Is that the one that starves, tortures and ignores the plight of its populace while ploughing billions into weapons? If this is the 'government' of North Korea you refer to, it certainly isnt the people's government. In addition how did the 'North Korean' army kick anybody's 'butt'? It was Chinese resorces and support for North Korea that stopped General Doug from marching into China and nothing else.

But, without getting side tracked, it astonishes me that not even a nuclear explosion (no matter how small) is enough to persuade the lefties out there that military action should at least be considered. Does this mean that even if the US had marched into Iraq and found a nuclear bomb, the Iraq conflict still wouldnt have been justified? Putting aside 'the smoking gun' issue for a second, what use is there for the UN if it refuses to, or is stymied from taking action? After Rwanda, Kofi Annan said never again. Well Darfur is 'again'. North Korea has been 'again' for decades.

All the previous diplomacy with North Korea has done is allowed its regime to develop weaponry and become accustomed to the high life while prolonging the misery of its desperate population. North Korea cannot be compared with Iraq under Sadam in any case. The South Koreans have been trying for years to reunify the two countries and would be more than willing to enter the north with the support of the security council. The population of the north would almost undoubtedly welcome the south and Kim Jong Il could be removed. How could this possibly be a bad development?

Wayne,
That's enough outdated philosophy, that is 20th century thinking mate, your still working on logic and common sense. Get with it man, this is the 21st century. The U.S.A. IS THE BOSS, they have a born again Christian as leader, "thou shalt not kill" is meaningless, the world has been turned upside down, inside out, and back to front.

I hope I have enlightened you mate, so you will cease and desist with the logic and common sense, although I must say I agree with you100%.

You are right Realist, China is playing its own game, and who can blame them, seeing the way they were treated so unjustly by our Western capitalisic racketeers over the Boxer Rebellion as well as trying to deaden their minds with Western grown opium.

They are in such a good bargaining position right now, especially with us Aussies so delighted with them paying top dollars for our ore pit outputs.

Indeed, it could be a real test on Johnny Howard's neo-19th century statemanship style he's been getting away with. But the Chinese have their 19th century memories too.