As Star Trek fans know, “only Nixon could go to China.” While perhaps not true, this saying does have some merit: Nixon embraced the anti-communist narrative and his credentials in this area were seen as impeccable. As such, he could go to China without any criticism or suggestion that he was being weak on communism or that he might act in ways contrary to American interests.
When Obama was president, he was regarded by the right as weak–despite the fact that his assassination drones had racked up an impressive body count and that he had presided over the assassination of Bin Laden. As such, Obama was not in a very good position to engage in deals with North Korea. Also, the calm and bluster-free Obama operated in a rational way that did not fit well with the approach of North Korea–a nation whose leader is well-known for his love of Dennis Rodman.
While Trump seemed to be intent on starting things up with “little rocket man”, this blustering and insulting mixed with odd praise seems to have touched the soul of Kim Jong-un. While initially seeming to puff up for a fight, North Korea suddenly engaged constructively with South Korea for the Olympics, released American hostages and has agreed to an historical summit. While Trump has made some odd remarks about TV ratings, he certainly deserves meaningful credit for this change. Trump, one might suspect, has just the right personality to deal with Kim Jong-un. While the verdict of history awaits for a time long after we will be dust and bones, it is not foolish to speculate that this will prove to be a critical turning point for the peninsula. If it turns out well, Trump should get his fair share of the credit and someday it might be said that “only Trump could go to North Korea.”
This is not to turn a blind eye to the possibility that North Korea is engaged in trying to con America’s self-proclaimed master of the deal. That said, dislike of Trump and distrust of Kim Jong-un should not be allowed to blind people to the positive possibilities here.
Well, to be fair, Trump was not so intent on “starting things up” until Kim Jong Un started his ballistic missile tests that posed a present or future threat to the US or our allies. I think if anything, Trump took a hard like in his own way, saying “Stand Down Or Else”. One would not accuse JFK of “starting things up” with Khrushchev during the Cuban Missile Crisis. In both cases, it was a case of a clear threat on one side, and a refusal to back down on the other, with some dire potential consequences. And in both cases, (individual style notwithstanding), the other guy blinked. II’d also say that compared to JFK and his parade of female “conquests”, Trump is no more than a wannabe – but that’s beside the point).
You are absolutely right about this – there is a lot at stake and it’s no time for letting dislike or mistrust get in the way. I have no doubt that Kim is hoping to con Trump, nor do I have any doubt that Trump is well aware of this.
These are interesting times. Hopes are high
I can imagine some future pop-history author making the rounds of the VR talk shows with their book on how Trump saved the world and won all the peace prizes.
It’s too early to give anybody credit for anything, nothing substantial has actually happened yet. We’ve been through all this a number of times before, so let’s not get all carried away with wishful thinking until we have evidence to support it.
It’s entirely possible that the North Korean’s deliberately raised the specter of war to get everyone’s attention, then launched the unexpected peace offensive to raise expectations, which sets Trump up to get the blame if the peace doesn’t happen. The purpose of such a strategy would be to drive a wedge between the U.S. and it’s allies.
Since before most of us were born, the primary focus of the North Korean state has been to unite Korea under their rule. They’re patiently playing the long game while a parade of U.S. presidents come and go every 10 minutes.
China wants to show everyone in the region that if the chips were down the U.S. can’t really protect them, which is true. No U.S. president is going to risk U.S. cities to defend far away little countries few Americans could even find on a map. Our strategy in Asia has always been based on the assumption that any conflict would happen in Asia, a paradigm the North Koreans have successfully destroyed.
Ask yourself this question. Are you willing to see the U.S. go to war with North Korea, and maybe China too, to defend South Korea? Are you willing to risk some number of U.S. cities going up in radioactive smoke? Or, rather than take that huge risk, would you prefer the Asians sort out their own business and leave you out of it? The Chinese and North Koreans understand how we think better than we do.
Sooner or later the U.S. is going to leave Asia to be dominated by the Chinese, just as we dominate the America’s. Trump is going to Singapore to begin the process of our withdrawal, whether he knows that or not.