There are precious few things that help to maintain peace and order in the world. The pacifying nature of free trade among all nations is certainly one of the most important pillars of peace. Perhaps just as important as commerce is the delicate art of diplomacy. After all, one of the many functions of diplomacy is to prevent war and improve relations between nations. Therefore, without diplomacy, it is more than likely that much of the world would be in a constant state of war.

The sheer importance of diplomacy notwithstanding, however, negotiations with the North Korean regime, particularly this regime, is a waste of everyone’s time and energy.