Tom Luongo
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
Given the trajectory of President Trump’s foreign policy since last year there was little hope of significant movement at this year’s summit with North Korea.
Since that first, historic meeting last year in Singapore, Trump’s foreign policy team has become the exact opposite of what that meeting symbolized.
Belligerent, threatening, cocky, obnoxious and ignorant only partially cover the depths to which Mike Pompeo, John Bolton and Trump himself have taken U.S. diplomacy.
There are many who still think that Trump is working for peace in the world. But, even if he is, the reality is that he’s not in charge of anything anymore.
So the point is moot.
Since Trump announced the withdrawal from Syria in December 20th, he has been pushed further and further to the sidelines of his own administration.
Take two weeks ago in Europe for example. Two major international summits are held in Warsaw and Munich and Trump is at home tweeting about the evils of Socialism and Venezuela while the Triumverate of Evil – Bolton, Pence and Pompeo — failed to rally support for a world war against Iran.
Vice President Mike Pence is running the operation on Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela. Trump isn’t allowed anywhere near where the grown-ups are allowed to be.
It makes sense Trump wanted to go to Hanoi to achieve something substantial as was Kim but that was derailed in the end when John Bolton showed up and demanded chemical weapons be added at the last minute.
https://twitter.com/DrKevinGray/status/1101089899430793221
This was confirmed by the North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-Ho at a brief press conference. From RT:
In exchange for partial lifting of sanctions by the US, North Korea would permanently remove plutonium and uranium processing facilities and Yongbyon, in the presence of US experts, Ri said, adding that the “US was not ready to accept our proposal.”
The North Korean official said Washington demanded “one more” measure beyond dismantling Yongbyon, which went too far for Pyongyang.
North Korea also offered written assurances of permanently desisting from nuclear and long-range missile testing.
Now, Trump sells this failure as a step forward. It’s dutifully lapped up by his base, while the power elite in the West breathe a sigh of relief that peace had been averted one more time.
This is a story that is getting harder and harder to write, frankly.
Trump starts out ready to do this thing that will change the course of history and then John Bolton tells him to sit down.
And he does.
Lather. Rinse. Repeat.
How sad is it that during the first day of the Hanoi Hilton Trump is meeting with Kim, Trump’s chief negotiator with China is throwing him under the bus in his testimony before Congress?
And then to undercut Trump more Bolton shows up and scuttles the whole thing quicker than you can say ‘toxic mustache.’
In the end Bolton knows that this process with Korea ends with U.S. troops leaving the peninsula along with all of our nuclear weapons. And that once it starts there is little to stop it from going all the way.
So it can’t be allowed to start.
But the reality is that the Koreas are the ones ultimately in control of this process. All John Bolton can do is slow it down, which he will.
Meanwhile Trump will continue to sell us on the idea he’s still President and everyone goes on pretending nothing has changed.
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The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
Here is an article that explains why the North Koreans believe that the United States is not trustworthy:
https://viableopposition.blogspot.com/2018/06/war-crimes-in-korea-guilty-as-charged.html
The Korean people have paid a very heavy price simply because of their unfortunate geographic location immediately adjacent to the world’s largest Communist state.
North Korea is not a nuclear threat if the US doesn’t raise the ante and escalate the situation to Dictate terms North Korea cannot accept. Then unforeseen circumstances always appear and mistakes happen, because rising tensions makes that happen with unforeseen circumstances. It’s called Brinkmanship, Trump’s Modus Operandi. On that, Bolton, Pompeo and Trump would constitute and make up the latest Face of the Axis of Evil with 2 long years to go. Americans may have forgot the notion of ‘bombing them back to the Stone Age’ was the reality for the North Koreans during the War. North Korean Leaders… Read more »
The only threat (nuclear also) for the world is the USA. Let’s not forget that they are the only nation which ever used nuclear bombs, kiling millions.
Great article. Captures all the nuances of Trump’s incapacity to hold his standpoints.
I read a short article (wish I could remember where) that makes the point that N. Korea is not negotiating with the US primarily, even when they are talking to Trump. They are negotiating with the country that matters – China. If they move in a direction of which China approves, especially in the face of US stonewalling, China will loosen the economic constraints they have placed on N. Korea the past 2 years. So, we are likely to see gradual moves toward de-escalation, and the situation with China is going to improve, perhaps even more so, if the US… Read more »
Mr. Mercouris, Quing Dynasty paper tiger..25-30 million soviets ww2 70s rebellion 1st strike contemplation to china nixon todays outline ping boxers tiger gids army, those that suffered difficulties recovered into viable position, if Mr. Putin doesnt overplay, Greece Rome Two Europes New World- since last to 1st starts w Opener of Ways upper lower roads Haiti Annual festivities las Californias Domunican Republic last to first, New World Hittite on the previous affluence, benifits slowly putting America into motion as result, further producing structures ww1 2..now Uriah the Hittite application by Europeans shift back into affluence New World Marshall Heba. Noticed… Read more »
Could you please translate this into comprehensible English for me, then I could understand the various points you are striving to make. Thanks!
Hello John, continuance of David remembers with friendship, 3000 yrs. Ago, secondary form of festival to the Lord was realized with ark recovered from Philistia, Song and dance feastings, instead of moses throwing this into water, after burning and powdering it, commanding the people to drink of it, after levites kills three thousand, this is the god that delivered from Philistia ( ref. golden calve god that delivered from Eygpt) David conveyed this with relationship to Bath, Bathing menustarted Bathsheba wife of Uriah the Hittite, this comes before a form of passage thru form of Red Sea not after, in… Read more »
2nd part of response, we have been conditioned into blessing curse in the same continuance, however consider enhancing that, allowing malware, the Enity, to reiterate the good as for example, WW1 2 No. So. Korea conflict Israel in the middle East. This then satisfies overall system requirements, and should liberate the good from the reiteration…. The trick of the matter is to realize the opportunity and recover into the good. Choosing, Choice..For ..Europe New World to recover into the good from the reiteration, it is proposed that application of Uriah the Hittite be applied by respondents or Authorship to shift… Read more »
I see it more as Trump sulking for not getting his way. We should not underestimate Kim-jung un.
An article not kissing Trump a$$ ??? on Duran….amazing