I’ve been reading about the North Korean antics and wondering if the little freak really wants to see his entire country under glass. Even though I have no doubt he’s as crazy as spit on a hot stove, I doubt he’s suicidal. Even less do I believe that the trolls around him are suicidal. After all, the elite in North Korea know they’re living a life as close to Heavenly as they’ll ever get; they’re not anxious to swap that for terminal radiation.

What’s really puzzled me is the literally non-responsive outlook by our local newspaper, and I was talking about it with my son yesterday. I think the press here is remarkably attuned to the natural hazards of this part of the world. Our weather-guessers get full rein to analyze and report on our weather conditions. We’re not just told there’s a bad storm coming, we’re afforded information on why, how, and what, as well as when. We get constant input about earthquake and volcanic threats – what actions to take to minimize the effect, what supplies we should stock to get past the initial breakdown of infrastructure, and so forth. But no one’s addressed the fact that a lunatic creating a nuclear power has plainly said that the US is in his sights and it might be a good idea to consider steps to at least help us survival such an attack.

Amazingly, the Seattle Times article that appeared on this very subject today explains that it’s against the law for us to do that. However, Seattle, the most likely target, has “an all-encompassing disaster plan called the Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan” and a wary eye out to “…pay more attention if it (nuclear attack) becomes a more imminent threat.” We had a similar plan back in my day, albeit at a much lower level. Our plan consisted of someone yelling “Incoming!” and we’d all dive for cover. It was elegant in its simplicity, but  the sound of the explosion sometimes overwhelmed the shout (not to mention the shouter), so it wasn’t always as effective as we wished.

I have no idea how one could even hope to minimize the effect of a nuclear attack on a city like Seattle, barring burying it under our hills. I’m not a community planner and I’m simply unequipped to criticize the lack of any specific measures in the matter. I do believe, however, that it’s beyond passive to look out at world where a maniac can threaten nuclear war as if it was the equivalent of walking on your grass and not take whatever steps the community can manage. Personally, I believe the whole mess will blow over. If it doesn’t, however, and I’m one of the ones who doesn’t come out the other side to tell everyone “I told you so,” I’m going to be really peeved.