Yeah, pretty much.
I personally doubt that Kim Jong Il wants a war - but I'm assuming that he knows what the balance of forces are and that he's rational - and only acts the loon because he wants SK and the US to step carefully and he confuses fear with respect.
Even if he doesn't though, he could easily mistep and start things off. For a start, he has threatened war over sanctions, and sanctions have just been imposed by SK.
A major problem with North Korea seems to be that they just don't seem to understand the rest of the world. I occansionally read the Korean Central News Agency, the official North Korean foreign news service. As propoganda, it's laughable, clearly written by people who just don't occupy the same mental headspace as the rest of the world. The thought that they might actually believe what they're saying isn't funny at all.
I personally doubt that Kim Jong Il wants a war - but I'm assuming that he knows what the balance of forces are and that he's rational - and only acts the loon because he wants SK and the US to step carefully and he confuses fear with respect.
Even if he doesn't though, he could easily mistep and start things off. For a start, he has threatened war over sanctions, and sanctions have just been imposed by SK.
A major problem with North Korea seems to be that they just don't seem to understand the rest of the world. I occansionally read the Korean Central News Agency, the official North Korean foreign news service. As propoganda, it's laughable, clearly written by people who just don't occupy the same mental headspace as the rest of the world. The thought that they might actually believe what they're saying isn't funny at all.