I completely agree with today's Haaretz editorial titled "The benefits of rapport". Clinton's personal visit to N. Korea and his meeting with Kim Jong Il played an instrumental role in not just freeing the two American journalists imprisoned there, but also in sort of "cooling down" the childish stand-off between the two countries.
US, indeed, always has childish standoffs. Look at the way they treated Afghanistan and Iraq, look at the way they are treating N.Korea and Iran now. They seem to be running on a definite set of beliefs which nothing can change. If Saddam is bad, Iraq is bad (ooh but so much oil), so bomb the hell outta them, imprison most of them in Guantanamo, (but make sure the oil is safe and sound). For reasons undeclared (read: oil), they haven't attacked N.Korea yet and due to the diplomatic smartness of Iran in the way it has interlinked itself with other countries (notably India), it has been much more difficult for the US to attack Iran.

Why can't a US official go to N.Korea, or Iran, and just talk? "Nuclear States", they say. Well if you are so concerned about these going haywire with their nuke arsenals, wouldn't it be more logical to pursuade them to abandon their programs? And not that this stand-off and untouchability has resulted in anything worthwhile.
Why can't the yanks learn a thing or two from us? No matter what happens between India and Pakistan, there's always constant dialogue and interaction between the premiers of the two countries. I'm not advising that these result in fruitful solutions, but what I am saying is this reduces the coldness and stiff-upper-lip-ness between the two countries which certainly helps in reducing adverse "problems" like the ones Iran and N.Korea pose for the US.