The U.S. can prevent a North Korean nuclear attack either by deterring one, or by eliminating the North Koreans’ ability to launch one through military means. The foreign policy establishment’s view is that because deterrence worked on the Russians it will also work on the North Koreans, making deterrence the obvious choice.

Yet given how deterrence with the Russians actually worked, it is doubtful that deterrence of North Korea is possible. It follows that military action will be required to avert or at least minimize the consequences of an inevitable nuclear war, and better sooner than later.