My hope is that the United States, with the help of the United Nations, uses diplomacy and economic aid to persuade the North Koreans to give up their nuclear program.Like most small countries in the world, North Korea has to rely on the larger nations for its food and fuel. This leaves them very vulnerable. If they feel threatened and decide to continue with the nuclear program, the domino effect throughout the region would be devastating. Besides, how many countries can we be at war with at one time?

Get rid of Bush. Elect someone who behaves like a mature adult, not a truculent bully. Unilaterally offer a generous nonaggression pact. Withdraw all troops from Korea immediately. Call off the threatened butchery of innocent Iraqi and American kids. Take subsequent savings of billions and offer food and friendship to the North Koreans. Take other savings and coax the Chinese to assist in civilizing efforts toward the “Great Leader.” Initiate a serious chat with the North Koreans. Find out what their fears and aspirations are. Help them out. Behave like a leader, not a tormentor.

Big bouffant hair, goofy jumpsuit, afraid to fly. While Kim Jong Il pursues his weird penchants for plutonium and cognac and American movies, his people are eating grass. He is a nut.But this is not our fight. It would be stupid to fly in on a guy who has Scud nuclear missiles capable of hitting Tokyo, Seoul, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. A weapon of mass destruction doesn’t have to be laser-guided to cause major chaos.Russia and China and South Korea all have his ear – let’s allow our “friends” to work this one out.

Using diplomacy and sanctions against North Korea has yet to prove successful. The long view must be of ultimately undermining the regime in the North. Convincing the Chinese to end their support of the Stalinist government, removing U.S. troops and opening the DMZ would prompt a mass exodus from the North, weakening its sovereignty. The United States, no longer paying for an occupying force, could lessen the cost of reunification to the South Korean economy. China’s overwhelming forces in partnership with the international community would serve a deterrent to possible retaliation by North Korea.

The United States needs to use the utmost care, concern, and intelligence to understand the North Korean nuclear question. With worldwide threats of war and terrorism, the United States must proceed with extreme caution. We, as individuals, don’t know all of the answers, but I don’t believe that our politicians do either. I would ask our government to gather intelligence, analyze it, and then look again. It is possible to lose both the battle and the war. I want neither.