Meanwhile, on the other side of the Pacific, North and South Korea are getting dangerously close to a military conflict. South Korea is essentially convinced that North Korea sunk one of their Cheonan corvette vessels, killing 46 sailors and provoking further military action.

The U.S. is going to try and team up with Japan and South Korea, who I’m guessing will be willing partners, and even bring in China, who supports most of what North Korea is able to do these days in terms of their economy, to fashion a meaningful international response.

"We'd like to see [North Korea] acknowledge the reality of what happened and then join with South Korea, Japan and us in helping to fashion a response that helps to change the North Korean behavior," said a U.S. official.

North Korea is accusing everyone of everything, from saying they did not attack the ship, to accusing the U.S. of using this as a way to end de-nuclearization talks on the peninsula. Really? I mean, really?

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak called the move a "military provocation," and North Korea, which denies that it sunk the corvette, continues to say that they are being pushed to military action by the accusations of South Korea.

"It was a military provocation and violation of the U.N. Charter and the truce agreement. Since this case is very serious and has a grave importance, we cannot afford to have a slightest mistake and will be very prudent in all response measures we take,” said Lee in a statement.

North Korea is clearly seizing this opportunity, whether they created it or not, to push their agenda for further conflict.

"From this time on, we will regard the situation as a phase of war and will be responding resolutely to all problems in North-South relations. If the South puppet group comes out with 'response' and 'retaliation', we will respond strongly with ruthless punishment including the total shutdown of North-South ties, abrogation of the North-South agreement on non-aggression and abolition of all North-South cooperation projects," said the North's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland in a statement.

The South puppet group? Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland? Is this an Orwell book?

South Korean has no interest in any kind of military response, and continues to say so very publicly. This may all have to do with the fact that Kim Jong-il is dying and he is trying to set up one of his sons as next in command to take over. He recently went to China to do some political set up on that end, and who knows if this move was something he felt he now had the relationship to get away with. For their part, China is continuing to support North Korea and says they will do their own investigation.

North Korea is probably talking a big game, like they do. The South will not bite, and hopefully the U.S. will be able to get Japan and China on the same page- really, North Korea will have nowhere to go if China cuts them off.

Photo Credit: yeowatzup