It would appear that North Korea has a hydrogen bomb.

And this is not to be taken lightly.

A hydrogen bomb is massively more powerful than a conventional atomic bomb, which is bad enough.

And that means that its much easier to place such a devastating weapon on a missile.  In short order, they will do just that, and be a nuclear power.  Not one like the United States, to be sure, but one completely capable of killings millions of people in a single blow.

And they can't be trusted now.

They didn't get there on their own, or at least its not likely they did.

The question now is, is the United States, and indeed the rest of the sane world, willing to accommodate a nation lead by a truculent toddler with a weapon that can kill millions, and which he'll arm to the teeth with. And what can we do about it?  And what should we do about it?

Why, a person might ask, does North Korea wish to have the bomb.  The use of it would be insane. That assumes, of course, an element of rationality that North Korea appears to be shy of.  But assuming that is their logic it makes them safe from conventional attack, they likely reason, as their situation deteriorates. 

The country already assassinates abroad and has engaged in any manner of weird and creepy behavior throughout its' long pathetic existence.  Always, in the back of its mind, the threat of action from the United States has been there, with their principle defense being an alliance with China. But China isn't as reliable as it might be here, and this secures it to a greater degree.

But at the same time was can somewhat assume that if China, and perhaps Russia, didn't wish to have a nuclear armed North Korea, there wouldn't be one. Why would they tolerate one.  It's difficult to say, but they likely regard the rogue communist state as principally an enemy of the west, and not their enemy.

Time will tell how that will develop, and that assumption is not really a safe one. But for the time being this appears mostly to be a problem for the United States and, accordingly, the completion of a test that commenced with the peace in 1954 and which has grown more dicey over the last couple of decades.

As recently as a few weeks ago, I felt that the threat of nuclear tipped North Korean missiles made war with the United States inevitable.  Interestingly, as this threat became real elements in the American political world that up until recently regarded a nuclear North Korea as a bright line that could not be crossed starting urging acclimation to the situation, showing that the lesson of Neville Chamberlin's blunder never really does become fully learned.

Peace in our time.

Which isn't to say that I'm urging an invasion of North Korea, which it seems apparent would be come a second war on the Korean peninsula with China.

But this is a very serious matter.  And regarding it as a non threat is not an option.  Some serious consideration of what must and should be done is in order.