If you haven't caught up with Robert Kelly's piece on North Korea's shelling across its maritime border with South Korea, do so now.
Kelly's essay argues that most media analysis of these provocations may miss the point about the nature of the North Korean regime, which needs continued tension to survive. His point about Pyongyang using these shows of force as a form of signaling also struck a chord: 'North Korea lacks a serious diplomatic corps. It lacks formal diplomatic recognition with many important states, particularly South Korea, the US, and Japan, its major proximate adversaries. This may then be a way for the North to "talk" with the outside world.'
It reminded me of a scene from the Cuban missile crisis film, Thirteen Days. I think I have shown this clip before, but it's such a good film that it deserves another airing (and what do you know? The entire movie is available on Youtube):