NK has been under sanctions, the result being the "million man army" is significantly degraded even though it receives priority funding from a nearly bankrupt nation. Emergency food shipments are insufficient to offset the failed farming techniques, and the civilian population is starving.
Aggrandizing Kim II as one of the triad of the axis of evil, was foolish hubris on the part of Bush. That he now defends his lack of action regarding NK by insisting "diplomacy" takes time should be considered an insult to the intelligence of ... well, nevermind.
See video of Bush answering press questions re: North Korea THREE months ago:
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