Much as the Iranians did during Jimmy Carter’s failed presidency, when they held 52 Americans from the U.S. embassy hostage for 444 days, North Korea is now testing to see just how far it can push the Obama administration before the U.S. pushes back. The latest test is the sentencing of two U.S. journalists to 12 years of hard labor on transparently trumped-up charges of illegally entering North Korea. This outrage follows hard on the heels of North Korea launching another long-range ballistic missile, detonating another nuclear device, and withdrawing from the 1953 armistice that ended the Korean War.

President Obama’s response to these bald-faced provocations has been all talk, describing Pyongyang’s latest behavior as “extraordinarily provocative,” saying he is “deeply concerned” about the imprisoned journalists, and promising a “hard look” at his options. But that’s about it. U.S. Special Envoy Stephen Bosworth said much the same thing after North Korea’s April 5 missile launch: The U.S. is “committed to dialogue” and wants to return to the negotiating table “as soon as we can.”Unfortunately, North Korea is now in a much stronger bargaining position than before.