An unexpected handshake
Trump loves to surprise people. That’s part of his power; he doesn’t like to do the expected. And the handshake with Kim Jong Un at the DMZ, and Trump’s stepping over the line into North Korean territory, certainly came as a surprise for most people.
The visuals were strange. Kim looked like an overgrown child next to Trump, but no child he. Those in charge of security were very agitated, running around and pushing other people out of the way. There was a really nervous energy in the crowd.
The event was ceremonial and symbolic, but of what? What will it lead to? Perhaps nothing—except, inevitably, criticism from Trump’s usual opponents. But man, what a showman Trump is.
I think part of the idea is to play to Kim’s massive ego and desire to be treated like a bona fide world leader. Will that backfire? Your guess is as good as mine.
Why Not? – – – Trump extending a hand might work and even if it doesn’t, it’s worth a try. Kim lives in the corner his family and country were painted into a long time ago, back in the 1950’s when they declared a truce. I am thinking that if there is some public showing of guarded friendships then perhaps people much smarter than I could figure out a way to really open up communication so, why not?
Churchill: “Better to jaw jaw than to war war”
Trump has broken out of the box within which we have been encased since the “armistice” that “ended” the Forgotten War.
If Henry IV said that “Paris is worth a candle” then Trump can say “Denucularization of the Korean peninsula is worth a handshake.”
We can always go back to the end of the Obama administration, where war was very close and Seoul would have been vaporized (swiftly followed by Pyongyan and all the Nork military installations).
If I remember correctly, Trump abruptly left their second meeting. So, he abruptly offers another chance to reenter the negotiations. I see no problem with this strategy.
North Korea was always playing the role of the crazy country with threatening war. Many countries reacted by being meek. Perhaps Kim is feeling the uncertainty of being on the other end of the “craziness”. He just doesn’t know what the end will be if he goes back to the being the crazy one.
Why not? At least he’s trying and not going through the motions, uselessly trying to get consensus with entities who are our enemies, which is all anyone before him has done.
The Usual Suspects will complain about Trump consorting with dictators. All the while ignoring China’s glaring human rights issues.
Current human rights issues.
Trump believes Kim really wants to improve the economic position of his country. He’s using the carrot and stick tactic. The carrot is his friendship with Kim and an offer to rebuild the country if they de-nuke. The stick is hard core sanctions that really are hurting. Trump is probably telling Kim he can be a huge hero with his people if he just de-nukes and goes with rebuilding the country. Kim is suspicious. He is afraid he will lose power if he does what Trump asks of him. So, the more he trusts Trump, the better.
I think now that the Mueller investigation is over that Kim can no longer think he can wait him out. We’ll see.
We hold the upper hand. And civility costs us nothing. If a simple handshake can begin a process that sees and end to the suffering of the North Korean people and safety for the South, it would be absolutely criminal not to extend the hand.
We can always go back to the old status quo if needed.
But maybe it won’t be needed.
Trump has built a career out of reading other people better than anyone else.
He knows NK is boxed in and would love out. He knows China inherently holds the weaker trade hand.
What continues to concern me is that when “prevailing opinion” is so often guided by the shrieking “prevailing opinion makers”…Trump could perhaps get overrun by those who ought to stand firm alongside him.
And if a Democrat did this the media and the liberal world would be expecting, no demanding, that he be given a Nobel Peace Prize.
Heck, Obama was given one for even less.
This IS historic – even it goes no where.
Something has to break the logjam.
I hurts nothing to play things up, to glad hand and soft soap the Korean dictator, insincere though these words and actions may be–we have not given up any land, not withdrawn our forces from South Korea, or sent our Naval forces away from the area. Nor have we aquiesced to his nuclear ambitions.
If he responds favorably, great.
Progress has been made with, perhaps, more progress to come.
If he doesn’t respond favorably, acts up again, we can always ratchet up our sanctions, and take other actions as well.
We have lost nothing, but by not doing anything, we would have lost an opportunity for change, and perhaps positive change.
Trump is the most American American POTUS in more than 100 years. Not since Coolidge.
We can but pray the Dem/MSM/ Hollywood crowd has not made sheep a majority of the electorate.
To all the naysayers yelping about Trump and what is and is not appropriate and what will and will not work in the dance with North Korea I say, “What has been done in the past, with your approval, has not worked. If Trump is doing it wrong, what do you propose be done?”.
Trump is wise to ignore them.
I think part of the idea is to play to Kim’s massive ego and desire to be treated like a bona fide world leader. Will that backfire? Your guess is as good as mine.
That is what Kim actually wants, but Kim is too scared of the status quo to do what it takes.