Those wacky North Koreans are in the news again today because off all the missile tests they've been launching, 7 so far. Perhaps its meant as a salute to the USA on its birthday, the 4th of July? Sort of really large fireworks… no I don't think so either. The Strategy Page has other news of the wacky North Koreans to add to the show:

Meanwhile, North Korean officials engage in even more bizarre behavior. For example, food and fuel supplies sent to North Korea have been halted, not to force North Korea to stop missile tests or participate in peace talks, but to return the Chinese trains the aid was carried in on. In the last few weeks, the North Koreans have just kept the trains, sending the Chinese crews back across the border. North Korea just ignores Chinese demands that the trains be returned, and insists that the trains are part of the aid program. It's no secret that North Korean railroad stock is falling apart, after decades of poor maintenance and not much new equipment. Stealing Chinese trains is a typical loony-tune North Korean solution to the problem.

Quite literally biting the hand that feeds them. Maybe they just thought China would tolerate it because they just don't want to deal with a failed North Korea and all the refugees it would create. That is true to a point and is the reason China hasn't put the screws on North Korea to stop their nuclear weapons program so far.

So what happens now? The crazy North Korean "Great Leader" has let his people starve in the millions just recently so it isn't clear that he will mind so much to do it again. Some trains might actually be worth more to him than a few million people he's having trouble feeding and supporting. Maybe he did this on purpose so he has an excuse to eliminate a whole bunch more people he finds undesirable. Maybe he just doesn't care, or doesn't know how bad it is because his sycophants don't tell him. His ruling clique appears to be quite happy to do whatever he wants as long as they are taken care of so it isn't clear to me at least that there is any real hope of change anytime soon. So called "People Power" only works against governments who won't ruthlessly mow down the mobs protesting.

China clearly thinks that this move will get their trains back and teach the nutty welfare state client a lesson. We'll see.