North Korea Missile Crises?

When North Korea announced they would be launching a missile, people panicked.  Newsreporters tried to convince the elderly that World War III was looming on the horizon.  There was speculation that it wasn't a satellite, but a warhead.  Japan threatened to shoot it down if it got anywhere near them.  And then it fell apart minutes after launch.

My first reaction was relief.  If it had been a warhead, North Korea would have been wiped out, problem solved.  Since it didn't, we know they didn't have intentions of attacking anyone (yet), and it probably was a satellite.  I saw a report today on CNN that took a different take on the situation: how embarrassing for North Korea, they can't even launch a missile.  Woah, let's not piss off a country that has no reservations wiping out the western hemisphere.  The last thing we need to do is rub salt in their wounds. 

My elementary school was named after the space shuttle Columbia, which completed several successful missions before disintegrating into thousands of pieces upon reentry in 2003.  And lets not forget the Challenger Shuttle disaster, and Apollo 13.  Who are we to criticize anyone for launching stuff into space when we've lead the world in horrible space exploration disaster stories. 

Can't we just be relieved that they didn't launch an attack?