Were I an Editor

Or, if Megan could keep it simple.

I trust I won't be courting controversy with anyone when I assert that the government of North Korea is the closest thing we currently have to a purely evil state. Why, then, is the New York Philharmonic actually considering playing there? Given that pretty much [E]veryone agrees that the North Korean state is obsessed with seeking legitimacy outside its self-inflicted purgatorio; I find it hard to understand why that august musical institution [The Phil] would seek to grant it. Newlywed[From] Terry Teachout (congratulations to you & your adorable bride) has the scoop.[@ the WSJ.com OpinionJournal.]

Wasn't difficult, was it? Try it sometime. No qualifications, no weasel words, just clear statements.

The East is red, & Kim Jong-il is the sun.

The point of Ms. McA.'s cop from Mr. Teachout (Is that name so we won't confuse him w/ a "teach-in?"): Any course of action w/ N. Korea short of a naval blockade provides legitimacy & is perceived as "weak." Further discussion is available from Megatron's commentariat (it's no Little Green Footballs, but you'll often find a beaut among the typers) including one from this obsessional critic.