Just a thought!

If North Korea launches a pre-emptive strike against the US, will it trigger other conflicts started by Countries taking advantage of America's preoccupation with defending its own territories and that of  its ally, South Korea? Might China, for instance, invade Taiwan and the Spratley islands in the Pacific, the latter, comprising territory disputed by amongst others by Japan? Will Iran attack Israel, further stretching US military resources and might Argentina chance their arm again by again attacking the Falklands? The british, already stretched in Afghanistan, will find it hard to respond with limited or no US aid and even less sympathy.
So great is the possible escalation of the conflict is it beyond the realms of possibility that another Country is sponsoring North Korea's aggression, thereby creating the right environment for expansionism? It seems improbable, to me, that the North Korea leadership believes that they can win an all-out war against the United States without help and are therefore, in effect, a client state. But who believes, with the world suffering a financial crisis, now is the right time to strike?