STRATEGYPAGE ON KOREA:

Negotiations over North Korea’s nuclear weapons program are, once more, stalled. The north refuses to allow inspections and disarm before it gets a nuclear power reactor (which would take several years to build). Meanwhile, signs of rot in the North Korean police state continue to appear. These include more crime, especially burglary and robbery. There’s more corruption, with even some secret police (the core force in keeping the communists in power) taking bribes. Discipline continues to decline in the army, as does readiness (because of little training with heavy equipment, and lack of spare parts for maintenance.) It’s looking more and more like Eastern Europe two decades ago. It’s not a question of if the north will collapse, but when.

That’s good — though the transition may not be.