Nuclear North Korea Bracing for War?

It appears as if Kim Jong-Il's much-hyped test of a Taepodong 2 missile capable of reaching the US has failed miserably less than a minute after takeoff. For many this may seem to be a pleasant development in a situation that was becoming increasingly heated between the North Koreans and their neighbors. However, I see this embarrassment from the North Korean regime as being the second worst possible outcome in a situation that had only one positive possible conclusion- no test at all. Clearly Kim Jong-Il has no qualms with the US and her allies labeling its actions as 'provocative,' which likely means he has thrown all caution into the wind. He could be hoping that we respond militarily so he can have an excuse to escalate the conflict and incite the thoroughly propagandized population to rise against the South and its foreign puppeteers. I would be willing to bet that it never crossed his mind that his little stunt would elicit muffled snickering from the White House, with National Security Advisor Stephan Hadley commenting today that the test was 'provocative,' but dismissing previous White House assertions that one missle threatened US soil, saying, "a missle that fails after 40 seconds is not a threat to the United States." Funny as the last weeks of hype now seem, I can assure everyone that Kim Jong-Il doesn't get the joke, and international embarrassment, though deserved in every way, is not an emotion that is going to result in many good decisions on his part.