We can't. We shot our wad in Iraq and Afghanistan and we're broke, but more importantly even though we could put the hurt on NK, SK would be in shambles as fast as you could say launch 1, 2, 3. And we'd have to reinstate the draft which wouldn't bother me but the whining from politicians and those that wouldn't want to be drafted would be deafening. Thousands of Dick Cheneys with connections probably would have to go either.
Our hands are tied with NK just as they are with Iran.
The problem with North Korea is Kim Jong Il is he's still breathing, and the problem with China is there are too damn many of them to fight a war of attrition with.
Nuclear options are not part of any sane strategy by us the Russians or the Chinese because everyone knows if that balloon ever goes up everyone on earth can be caught in the cross fire that would occur. Russia suffers from modern technology envy because their infrastructure is so badly decayed and in serious need of repair.
China has been playing catchup like mad and we have been helping them by providing the funding they have used to build up and modernize their military and they have been using that same money to loan to us because we are too stupid to run the Country like a business.
North Korea needs to be dealt with covertly and in such a way that it looks like it was from within, leaving us with plenty of room for plausible deniability should those carrying out the plan be caught.
Some stupid President in the past created an order about not taking out the bad guys. But we do it with the Predator strikes. If I were in charge that would be quietly covertly rescinded and only a hand full of trusted people know about it.
When National security is at stake or as in the case of a nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction proliferation needs to be dealt with, it need to be done quickly and with not fan fair.
I said long before North Korea set off their first A-bomb they should have had an accidental detonation that would have taken out most of the radical leadership and all of their scientists. We could have shown so much sympathy it would bring a tear to ones eye.
I can see the headlines. "U.S. morns along with the entire Nation of North Korea over the lose of so many in this tragic accident" boo hoo.
Now we need some accidents for a number of people who threaten us and world peace. Planes go down mysteriously over the ocean all the time, and we recently missed chances at Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Moammar Kadafi, and Hugo Chavez.
These guys would have made great real world test subjects for that 747 with the killer Lazarm in the nose and would leave no trace other than burn marks and that could be chalked up to a fuel tank explosion like we've all been told brought down another plane a few years ago. That worked even in the face of eye witnesses who claimed they saw a missile.
Oh but I'm just dreaming that we had leadership with imagination and balls to do something.