Victor David Hanson, as usual offers some perspective:

What is disturbing about the Iranian piracy is that it establishes a warning of what we can come to expect when Iran is nuclear, and how organizations like the UN, the EU, and NATO will react. If a few Iranian terrorists in boats can paralyze an entire nation and the above agencies, think what a half-dozen Iranian nukes will do. This was the hour of Europe to step forward and show the world what it can do with sanctions, embargoes, and boycotts, and how such soft power is as effective as gunboats—and it is passing.

This should come as a shocker to the Liberal Party of Canada:

China helped North Korea develop nuclear weapons and in the past year increased its support to Pyongyang, rather than pressing the regime to halt nuclear arms and missile activities, according to a congressional report.
    

The final draft report of the U.S.-China Economic Security Review Commission also says that Chinese government-run companies are continuing to threaten U.S. national security by exporting arms to American enemies in Asia and the Middle East.

Read the rest.

Why all the talk about negotiating with North Korea, about failed diplomacy and the like. You can't negotiate with someone who is never willing to settle or compromise. Negotiaions with the North without a credible threat to the power of the dictator is simply volunteering for extortion. North Korea will not come to the table unless you pay them, will not stay at the table unless you pay them and will break any "deal" they enter regardless of whether you pay them. Why would they do otherwise? There is no downside for the dictator and the world will blame America.

Victor Davis Hanson takes a look at North Korea and China's role. It is well worth the read.