If there's going to be a first strike . . .

. . . it makes a lot more sense for NK to be on the receiving end.

Item:

North Korea on Thursday threatened a preemptive nuclear strike against the United States and other purported aggressors, describing Washington as a “criminal threatening global peace.”

Though Pyongyang routinely vows to demolish the United States in a sacred war, the threat issued Thursday marked a major escalation of rhetoric just hours before the United Nations Security Council is to discuss new sanctions aiming at reining in the North’s weapons program and restricting illicit overseas trade.

Washington Post story.

The question is this: At what point should North Korea's threats be taken seriously? Because if they are taken seriously, then an American raid against their missile and nuke facilities would not only remove their threat but clearly endanger many less civilians (including North Korea's own) than any other war scenario. And it would be relatively easy to accomplish.

At some point, the logic of such an attack becomes irrefutable, even if North Korea's new leader can't work it out. In fact, the only argument against doing it is that South Korea and China would then have a basket case on their hands. But how far from that are we anyway?