This article about current U.S. and North Korean relations provides a good illustration of one of the biggest problems with having a foreign policy that is dependent on other nations yielding to the threat of overwhelming U.S. military force, or “falling into line” if you will. Many countries’ governments will see such a policy as a threat to their country’s sovereignty and to their own administration. Instead of embracing a peace on terms defined unilaterally by the U.S., they will instead prepare for the eventual conflict between their interests and “American interests”, as defined by the U.S. government.

One would be hard-pressed to find a better example than North Korea, which has maintained a defensive posture toward the United States since the two countries became enemies upon the United States’ entry in the Korean conflict over 50 years ago. The North Koreans have one of the world’s largest armies, they are believed to possess the ability to hit the U.S. with a nuclear weapon, and they are (if you’ll pardon the phrase) hell-bent on not being controlled or conquered by the U.S.. They’ve stated openly their desire to develop their nuclear weapons capability as quickly as possible, for the stated reason that they feel the U.S. is an active threat to their national security.

Here’s an excerpt from this disturbing article:

North Korea fervently believes it is next on America’s list for pre-emptive strikes, says Strong. It takes George Bush’s rhetoric in his ‘axis of evil’ speech as a very real threat to its national security. Washington says it seeks a diplomatic end, but has not ruled out a military solution.

It claims it pulled out of the treaty because non-nuclear countries were supposed to be protected by nuclear powers like the US, not threatened.

Full story: North Korea and the US ‘on a slide towards conflict’