planet earth looks blue

North Korea launched its missile, Taepodong-2.  Compared to the July 2006 attempt, when the rocket fell apart less than a minute after taking off, this was a success for the waning North Korean dictator.  Kim Jong-il suffered a stroke last summer.  Some believe that this was an attempt to show his people, and the world that he remains a force to be reckoned with.  Pyongyang is saying that the satellite was successfully put into orbit, where it is circling the earth, broadcasting revolutionary songs.  Japan and the US have said that the satellite never actually made it into orbit.

So what does this mean?  Well, first of all, whether the satellite is circling around us or not, Pyongyang is officially capable of shooting a missile as far as Alaska, forcing Obama’s hand.  He now has to make missile defense a priority, and is planning on setting up rockets in Poland, making Russia unsettled, as this encroaches onto former Soviet territory.  Other than that, North Korea may face nothing more than reprimands.  South Korea, Japan, and the EU have all commented on the act, as regrettable, provocative, reckless, and the Security Council is expected to have an emergency meeting to discuss possible repercussions.  But with both China and Russia saying that they will veto any sanctions on the rogue nation, it is unlikely that much action will be taken, at least for now.  Japan was worried that debris from the launch would fall on their territory, and some did in the Sea of Japan, as well as the Pacific Ocean.  Other than the obvious environmental concern, this illicited no action other than strong words from Tokyo.  This may in the end be a significant marker in the evolution of our new world order.  Russia and China have enough influence to assure that the West cannot isolate North Korea even further, and North Korea is able to emerge out of this relatively unscathed, and slightly more advanced.  Washington really doesn’t have much in terms of energy or resources, or sway to impose more sanctions, and certainly can’t take any military action.  The other question is, will Kim Jong-il feel satisfied with the missile launch, or more emboldened?