In case you haven’t heard the news North Korea claimed it tested its first nuclear weapon over the weekend.

In 2003, North Korea withdrew from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and now we see the result. Our world is advancing, and that means poorer countries are gaining better technology. This is not a justification, nor a permit, for these countries to possess weapons of mass destruction. It’s hard to believe one of the countries in the Axis of Evil now has the technology to produce a WMD. Yet the time has come to accept the truth. We must make a swift move to disarm North Korea, but how are we going to do it?

Before you answer that question, think about North Korea for a moment. This country hasn’t been grouped with the Axis of Evil for nothing. For starters, it’s run by a communist dictatorship of which Kim Jong-il is in complete control. Sure they try and claim it’s a democratic people’s republic, but there is only one party represented in elections.

Pair communism with the Stalinist cult of personality taken to the extreme in its two leaders, Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-il, and you get modern day North Korea. Take, for example, the perpetual threat of famine faced by its civilians. Their government’s allocation of funds is sickening; it has allowed millions to starve and they continue to support one of the largest militaries in the area. According to the CIA World Factbook, North Korea’s centrally-planned economy has been the chief source of economic downfall. This isn’t surprising, considering that the history of other communist countries such as the Soviet Union resulted in utter failure. Unfortunately, the regime’s tight grip on the economy is unlikely to be released, as it is a means to maintain their current position of power.

What about the other problems with North Korea? If you thought the famines were bad, think about their blatant human rights violations. According to a U.S. State department 2005 release called “Country Reports on Human Rights Practices,” they hold an “extremely poor” record. Some of the offenses include torture, attempts by the government to control all information and no freedom of religion, press, assembly or association. They have made it illegal to take any negative stance against the government or the Kims. In a style reminiscent of Maoist China’s stance on the “little red book,” there is a picture of “Dear Leader” and “Great Leader” side by side in every DPRK household, according to the Asian Pacific Initiatives, or CAPI.

Without a doubt, Kim Jong-il and North Korea may be one of the most menacing problems we will face. Now that they possess nuclear weapons, the level of urgency to act has increased to a point that can not be ignored. Are we as Americans going to sit back and watch as an oppressive regime builds more WMDs?

It has to be a global effort to thwart the evil we face. Whether it be the Islamofascists in the Middle East or communist regimes in North Korea, we must stand together to ensure a safer future for ourselves. If war is necessary to prevent the deaths of millions, so be it. If we can fight a global war against terrorism, fascism, Nazism and communism today, we might be able to prevent the world war of tomorrow.

Alex Ketay is an opinion columnist for the Northern Star.