On May 25, the North Korean government announced it had conducted its second nuclear test. On May 26, it test fired two short range missiles, and on Friday, it launched a third.  A host of analysts, politicians and military experts have weighed in on these actions, rushing to shed light on their underlying cause. Some have suggested that the tests are aimed at both North Korea’s domestic community and the international audience, in an attempt to reassert ailing Kim Jong-il’s power preceding the expected accession of his third son. Others maintain that North Korea is using nuclear weapons as the primary bargaining chip in a strategy that seeks to garner both attention and concessions from the United States. While many theories abound, one misconception seems particularly disconcerting: namely, the notion  that North Korea’s tests are evidence that both diplomacy and arms control are the wrong courses for the future. Nothing could be further from the truth. Instead, the United States should strengthen its efforts in these areas for two key reasons.