| Hawaii is the most likely target for a nuclear show of | | | | day to day existence will not be effected. Gas prices |
| strength by the North Korean's whenever they | | | | will not go up, Americans will still be able to fly or |
| actually manage to get their long range missile | | | | drive anywhere in the 48 contiguous states for |
| program up and running - I estimate somewhere | | | | holidays or to visit relatives, and people can focus on |
| between 12 and 24 months from now. If they | | | | what really counts - the terrorist threat eminating |
| choose to destroy a strategic urban or industrial | | | | from the Middle East. In fact, Bush will probably call |
| target in either China, Japan, South Korea, or say | | | | for the immediate withdrawal of troops from the |
| Alaska, they will be provoking not only possible | | | | demilitarized zone, leaving China and Japan to worry |
| nuclear retaliation, but most likely prolonged | | | | about North Korea's intentions towards the South. US |
| conventional warfare on their borders. Not even the | | | | relations with China and Japan will probably |
| North Koreans want anything quite as messy as a | | | | improve.Of course, all of this is predicated on the |
| real war. They are more interested in asserting their | | | | assumption that North Korea will actually use its |
| autonomy, primarily with respect to the United | | | | nuclear missile capabilities once they have been |
| States, and in maybe reclaiming South Korea.By | | | | established. For a long time North Korea has had an |
| hitting Hawaii, they leave everyone, including the | | | | axe to grind with the United States and Japan. More |
| Americans, with no firm basis for retaliation. Certainly, | | | | recently, the North Koreans have observed, along |
| everyone will step up to the plate to express moral | | | | with the rest of the world, the rapid internal |
| outrage, but all of these governments will be spared | | | | deterioration of Russia, and the exponential growth |
| the myriad problems associated with the direct | | | | of the Chinese economy. It is likely that the Chinese |
| effects of the explosion or the fallout. Instead, a | | | | will take over Siberia, and the North Koreans are |
| small island in the middle of the biggest puddle on the | | | | more than a little upset with the idea of being |
| planet will be wiped off the map, and for the most | | | | absorbed into the new China. More than anything else |
| part the business of life can return to normal. Global | | | | they want to be left alone, and so by taking out |
| trade issues will not be impacted, precious oil | | | | Hawaii they send a message to all of their enemies, |
| reserves will not be threatened, and no one will have | | | | real and imagined, that is crystal clear but for the |
| to do any cleaning up. Of course Greenpeace will be | | | | most inoffensive at a practical level. It is a moral |
| outraged, but there will not be much they can do | | | | message from a source that attaches no moral |
| from a zodiac.The Republicans will complain about the | | | | weight to its actions.Arthur Campbell (Ph.D. - |
| loss of prime vacation property, and a few good | | | | sociology) writes about world affairs, particularly on |
| souls with a sense of history will raise the issue of | | | | matters pertaining to religion, science, and global |
| Pearl Harbor, but the average continental American's | | | | ethics. |