Tuition fee for various schools is reasonable; the student visa itself is cheap, not to worry about, though I don't know the current price.

Is this weird weather we've been having since the beginning of January merely some kind of local variation, or is this evidence of climate change? Would particularly like to hear from Mike4g_air, who seems to keep track of these things over time.

@JanJal: Your last post - agreed.

@daodejingster: I don't disagree with your pointing out the US imperialistic war machine, but I think it's important to remember that it exists primarily to ensure/enforce the economic-imperialist hegemony and domination of the US.
@JanJal: Right, there are no major economic resources in North Korea that the US would be willing to fight for - however, the strength of the nationalistic spinoff from the economic exploitation - carried out, increasingly, through 'free-market' globalization, on an international class basis - needs to be reinforced everywhere if it is going to be present anywhere, and thus we have modern nationalism, armed to the teeth, and all the brainwash chauvinism necessary to keep national populations in line with that economic-elitist project and the privilege, established and maintained on the basis of exploitation and the historical accidents that have permitted it. The US is not the only player in this game, but it does represent the overwhelming military force and historically (since WWII, at least) dominant player in a hegemonic game, and it wants to stay that way.
So when you go looking for rogue states and nukes and the real-world capacity for using them, it's worth looking at where they actually are. Balances of nuclear terror may have prevented WWIII in the past (your argument, not mine), but they only have to fail once. If people in the US and in other nuclear-armed states don't want nuclear proliferation, they might consider staring at home and creating conditions where they will not be the 'necessities' for the continued existence of a global, economic ruling class.
As for how all this stuff appears in the highly-manipulated media, the major part of which is owned and virtually, if not absolutely, controlled by that class - Damn!
This insanity can't go on, if we really want a long future.

@ vicar: not sure about no rules or givens, but I agree with you about religion, ethnicity or background - however, I'd add nationality, as that's the prime prejudice and control system in the world these days.

Might add class, too.