How Should the United States Continue to Engage with North Korea?

In a recent interview, Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton explained her approach to North Korea in terms of motherhood through which she has gained experience on how to deal with children. The gist of her comment was that as a mom she knows one does not give in to a child's tantrums and demands. The implication is clear: the United States will not give in to the whims and caprices of North Korea's childish emotionalism that often boils down to threats and demands.

What happens to "carrot and stick" diplomacy as the U.S. approach in dealing with North Korea? Does it still work in this context? "Carrot and stick" diplomacy requires some rewards and some punishment to induce behavior. I suspect that anything that remotely resembles punishment would be totally unacceptable to North Korea despite the carrots to go along with it. Does this mean we are left with the Bush doctrine with respect to the policy of preventive war? This policy essentially held that foreign regimes should be deposed that represented a potential or perceived threat to the security of the united States, even if that threat was not immediate..." Can a soft-heart policy be adopted towards North Korea?

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