Blowing Up Stuff to Prove You've Changed

In geopolitical news this week (despite being lazy, I do read The Economist), North Korea destroyed a nuclear reactor tower to prove that they're ending their nuclear weapons program. In response, President Bush is lifting some sanctions against N. Korea and removing the country from the State Department's list of state sponsors of terrorism.

Hmm...sounds a little too easy to me. I'm not convinced that Kim Jung il (see, I really do read The Economist) is really willing to give up his nuclear ambitions. Any man stubborn enough to keep wearing jumpsuits and maintaining an Asian perm beyond the 1980's surely won't give up nuclear weapons research that easily.

Blowing up some tower doesn't really mean anything. After I tricked a girl into becoming my girlfriend, I destroyed the porn collection under my bed to prove that I'd changed. But that doesn't mean I'm no longer a porn aficionado - especially since I now keep my favorite five movies and magazines in an even better hiding place.