What Is to Be Done About North Korea, the ‘Worst Problem in the World'?

Before President Obama left office, he reportedly told his successor that North Korea would be the most dangerous problem faced by the United States over the ensuing years. The last several months have done nothing to dispel that judgment. And on Monday, the family of Otto Warmbier, who had been held in North Korea for over a year before being released last week, announced his death. In a new cover story for the Atlantic, the veteran journalist Mark Bowden makes the case that while the United States has several options for how to confront North Korea, the only truly feasible one is acceptance of the country's missile and nuclear programs.I recently spoke by phone with Bowden, who is also the author of Huế 1968: A Turning Point of the American War in Vietnam, which is out this month. We discussed what the military thinks of President Donald Trump, why Americans see force as a cure-all, and the problem of overstating Kim Jong-un's irrationality.What is the appropriate response to Warmbier's death?I think that you would have to ask someone more familiar with what specific levers exist to apply pressure to North Korea. I presume that means China in some capacity. Clearly this is an outrage, and the United States should register its anger over what happened. But since there are no diplomatic ties, the usual avenues to do that aren't there. I don't think any kind of military response is called for, but to whatever extent we can express our umbrage, we ought to.  Continue reading...