Taepodong Fnord

There recently was a big fuss about North Korea's missile test.

Realistically, the insiders who control North Korea would be idiots to actually put a nuclear warhead on such a missile and launch it. They probably only want it as a deterrent against invasion. Those insiders are content to preserve the status quo, looting and pillaging the people who live in North Korea.

This story has buried practically all discussion of economic problems. The headlines have changed from "OMFG!! The economy sucks!!" to "OMFG!! North Korea conducted a missile test!!" Obama will have some stern words for North Korea's leaders, there might be some meaningless economic sanctions, and Obama looks like the good guy. An invasion of North Korea isn't feasible right now.

If I were one of the bad guys, I'd encourage North Korea to conduct their missile test! It's been an excellent distraction from more important issues! I'm cynical enough to suggest that it could be deliberately timed. It's merely an interesting idea and ultimately irrelevant.

War is only profitable when you can force people to pay the cost via taxes. "North Korea's leaders are insane! Therefore, a State is needed!" is pro-State trolling. Private vendors could always provide cheaper and more effective defense than a monopolistic State.

State insiders and the mainstream media have an incentive to overhype small incidents. A pro-State troll says "Without the State, small disputes would escalate to war!" The reality is that the State actively encourages small disputes to escalate to war. Insiders on both sides benefit from war hype. In times of war, State power is usually dramatically increased.

I'm just saying "North Korea's missile test is a distraction from more important economic issues." I have no idea if it was deliberately timed, or that the mainstream media was looking for another story to cover. I'm cynical enough to suggest it as a possibility, but it's impossible to be sure either way.

Now that Iraq and Afghanistan are no longer officially threats, another evil enemy must be invented.