ndmckinney|net

Today, the North Korean’s claims to have tested a nuclear weapon in defiance of the international community. If true, this action will only further entrench Kim Jong Il as leader of the North and only cause disruption in the region. There is, however, a silver lining to this mushroom cloud: the United States can bring some sense back to its military policy.

What this test will reveal is that the United States military was most powerful when it wasn’t being used at all. Now that our troops have been deployed in both Afghanistan and Iraq, our reserve of “combat-ready” troops is nearly depleted, with almost no combat brigades ready to fight, the United States is in no position to exert its military influence anywhere in the world. The North Koreans are aware of this, as are the Iranians. Instead of imagining what sort of threat the United States might be able to bring, these states can simply ignore the consequences because the United States is in no position to act on its threats. The North Koreans knew they could get away with testing a nuclear weapon despite warnings from Washington because there is no consequence. Iran will try the same thing if and when it gets close to testing a nuclear weapon.

The nuclear test in North Korea does also have a major policy implication for the United States that it would rather not see. Because of our inability to exert any degree of control over the North Koreans, China is perhaps the only military and political power that can stabilize the region. By doing so, China will raise its overall status and importance in the international community, not just as a growing economic power but as a military and political force. Washington knows that this puts it at a major disadvantage, especially with regards to other regional policies, such as U.S. policy towards Taiwan.

The recent action by Pyongyang should serve as a wake-up call to both military and civilian planers, as well as to the American public. The role of the United States as global stabilizer is now long-gone. The threat of U.S. Military action is no longer a deterrent to states that threaten the peace, and no where is the threat felt more than by the U.S. For our own safety and security, we need to reevaluate our current military deployment so that we can better handle any threat from abroad.