Here's how I know why we shouldn't be too worried about the rocket North Korea just shot. I get these little news alerts on my iPhone. This morning I had two: One telling me that North Korea had sent up a rocket. The second one saying that the rocket fell apart on its way up.
Oh North Korea. You try so hard.
Did you notice how I didn't call it a missile launch? This was more of a pre-ejaculation. And if new dear leader Kim Jong-un had hoped to show his country that he has it going on just like his father, um, well done there, young lad. Mission accomplished.
"Kwangmyongsong," or "Bright Shining Star," is a satellite that cost North Korea an estimated $450 million. They spent another $400 million or so on the launch site. The rocket made it about 94 miles into the air before breaking apart. Totes embarrassing.
But we shouldn't laugh too hard. North Korea could follow up this humiliation with nuclear testing. And even if it's clear that they lack the technical expertise to actually hit a target more than 100 miles away, playing around with nuclear weapons can still be dangerous to its neighbors.
Plus, thanks to this little stunt, North Korea is being denied 240,000 tons of food aid (estimated to be worth $200 million) from the international community. This is a nation that's already struggling with mass starvation. I don't know what to say about that -- it's just punishing innocent people.
So combine global humiliation, the scorn of nations, hunger at home -- and that's a toxic brew. Think about what happens when angry, insecure people lash out. Today we laugh. But tomorrow? I can only hope North Korea's incompetence doesn't spill past its own borders.
See this video on The Stir by CafeMom.
Do you think North Korea really is dangerous, or is it all just bluffing?