On 26 March 2010 the North Korean military launched a torpedo sinking a US ally's warship, killing 46 of it's 108 crew during a time of peace. The Cheonan represented a significant loss to the South Korean people, and though economic relations between the two nations broke down, no real military action was taken by either the US or South Korea.
And now you're telling me we'll go to war if someone takes out the internet?
Hell, shutting off Google for a few days would probably kill more than 46 people if medical residents aren't able to look stuff up as quickly as they can now.
Its a bit like in the Cold War when the US said it would respond to a nuclear attack in kind. Making clear how you intend to respond can be a deterrent.
Interesting. I never thought about someone "taking out" the internet. An internet kill switch would be useful to a government wanting to start a war. Simply kill the internet, then blame it on the country of your choice.
Oh, you thought that "states" meant government bodies?