North Korea, my view amongst others

I think Julie has an interesting point that nations such as N. Korea are directing funding away from social programs in order to develop nuclear weapons. We happen to spend more on defense then any other item in our budget. Despite the rationale of Julie's statement, I think more emphasis should be put upon the fact that the US, UN, and others have failed to find a way to solve the problem. It may very well be that nuclear weapons are the best way for N. Korea to achieve security for itself when it is labeled as an axis of evil. A better way might be for the US to clarify that it has no intentions of removing the current government, but would rather find a solution that promotes security and prosperity for all; even if it means dealing with someone we do not like.
It is also interesting that the US is now a team player, using diplomacy to achieve a peaceful end to the conflict. If America is an empire, it is troubling that it cannot find a quick solution to a problem that has gone on for over a decade. It may very well be that the American Empire cannot sustain itself in the traditional military sense because the country does not have the will to make the human and monetary sacrifice necessary for a Roman type legionaire. Instead the US needs to understand how to use its collateral in the world arena to deal with problems logically instead waiting until they explode and require crisis (which may be what the world order needs to survive). Have a nice day.