War specialists

Fox News Specialists—a newish panel-discussion show—grappled on Monday with the news that Otto Warmbier, an American who’d spent 17 months imprisoned in North Korea, had died after being sent home.

Now that North Korean barbarity was directly affecting the United States, said host Eric Bolling, perhaps it’s time to do something more about this longtime threat. “Right now, the North Koreans keep testing these intercontinental ballistic missiles. If they do go ahead and figure out a way to put a warhead on top of their longest-range missile, 30 minutes is the lead time between firing that missile in North Korea and Los Angeles. Now, are you willing to risk Los Angeles? . . . It may be time for a preemptive strike,” said Bolling, who also claimed that “we don’t want to start any, you know, nuclear war.”

The logical problem in Bolling’s presentation is glaring: The North Korean regime of Kim Jong Un mistreated a U.S. prisoner, a bona fide tragedy and outrage. That doesn’t mean that it’ll launch a nuclear missile attack on Los Angeles when it’s capable of doing so. Pyongyang has long had the means to all but level Seoul, and weapons capable of killing tens of thousands of Americans stationed in South Korea. The world is already accustomed to dealing with a North Korea capable of sowing unthinkable mayhem.

Something to consider, if you’re Bolling. And if you’re Bolling, it’s more important to consider every last dimple of consequential policy matters these days. Because Trump may be watching, and not reading.