If the North Korean claim to have a hydrogen bomb proves to be true that is both bad and good news. Bad because Kim would now have the ability to kill millions as well as intimidate his neighbors just by having it. But good also. In the 1950s when both the USA and the USSR had atom bombs there were those – Curtis LeMay for one – who wanted to use them. Fortunately saner heads prevailed, but A-bombs can be used without destroying the whole of humanity, only your enemy’s major cities. Though the human and material losses would be enormous, a war with a few A-bombs could have some sort of winner. That is why the India-Pakistan feud is so dangerous. H-bombs are another matter. Even idiots know that they are not just a bigger weapon but a planet killer. That realization preserved the world through the “60s, “70s, and “80s. The N. Korean military are enemies but presumably not idiots.