Time to talk before crisis blows us up

LOOSE TALK OF FIERY APOCALYPSE D

onald Trump’s florid, on-camera threat against North Korea this afternoon may get some interesting responses from Kim Jong Un. It’s less likely to do much to discourage him from carrying out his plans.

After the UN Security Council resolution condemning the twin ICBM tests of July and imposing new sanctions, North Korea has broadly hinted that its sixth nuclear test is in the works. Perhaps we’ll see it before the summer is out.

Trump’s warning of “fire and fury” is certainly a far cry from Secretary of State Tillerson’s assurance of last week that “we’re trying to convey to the North Koreans we are not your enemy, we are not your threat.” But threats have a way of begetting threats.

The day before yesterday was the