Opinion: North Korea poses real threat for U.S.

Within the past few weeks, North Korea has threatened South Korea, Japan and the United States, with nuclear missile attacks and total destruction. Days after basketball star Dennis Rodman visited North Korea’s leader, Kim Jung Un, he stated, “I love the guy. He's awesome. He's so honest,” which is odd, considering the human rights issues that typically revolve around discussions about the country. But what bearing do the threats have on United States’?With the president’s obvious failure to do much with Iran, North Korea is now prime real estate to fight the battle against human rights, and nuclear weapons in unstable countries. But one possible effect of these threats is United States-Chinese relations. China has long been an ally of North Korea, providing many necessary products to the country, but in light of North Korea’s threats over the past years, the United States might be thinking strategically about the Korean Peninsula. The Chinese have realized that North Korea is willing to disobey orders from Beijing, and are now worried about possible conflict in the region. Conflict in East Asia, especially involving North Korea, could lead to more conflict, as the United States and China will both be inclined to react, and very possibly, in different ways. This type of conflict would be much worse, and could lead to an all out Chinese-American war, most likely fought in Asia over the direction of the region.With this in mind, the Chinese also realize that they cannot directly ally themselves with Washington, as it would only make the situation worse. Former Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, said in an interview with the New York Times that we should propose serious strategic talks” with the Chinese government, in order to get the best likely outcome. This scenario would likely allow the region to stay relatively stable without major war, or outbreaks of conflict. Kissinger mentioned, “[His] instinct is that the Chinese are ready to have this conversation.” These types of talks are often looked upon badly by the American people, but it is in the United States best interest. War is not a viable option for the US, as the debt is out of control, the economy is still recovering, and there is still no real end in sight to problems in the Middle East.North Korean threats, which could easily manifest into real attacks, could drag the United States into another unpopular conflict abroad. If strategic talks with Chinese officials are what could keep the region stable, then it’s time to try. For too long the United States has not heeded North Korean threats. It is now in the best interest of the country for those threats to be noted, and solutions be explored. If not, the government could have a problem bigger than anyone predicted on its hands, and it could get ugly.