Useful Reading: Has the Korea crisis confused you? You're not alone. Lawrence Kaplan at the New Republic says the Bush administration has been unable to settle on a unified Foggy Bottom/Pentagon policy -- and has thus accidentally stumbled onto a surprisingly effective carrot-and-stick policy. I'm not inclined to agree entirely. Keeping open the option of talks is fine, but what is motivating North Korea is that the administration has, for the most part, yawned at the North's Rumplestiltskin tantrums. Yes, our policy is confused and confusing, but that's mostly Colin Powell's fault. (For example, we previously said we wouldn't tolerate nukes in the North; now State says our real concern is proliferation. Which is it?) If hawk line from Bolton at State and the Pentagon gives Pyongyang bursts of temper and threats, my guess is it's the policy to pursue. Frankly, what are they going to do? Kim could use a nuke on the way out. That would be tragic, and it would mean abandoning all hope of staying in power. He'd be toast about 30 seconds after the cloud appeared. Would he invade South? Again, it would be tragic . . . and tragically stupid. The only military options open to Kim are scorched-earth options. He may be nutty, but I think he likes being alive and ruling his country.