Beyond Trump's never-ending attempt at one-upmanship over everything President Obama achieved, this looks to be another example of his constant use of misdirection. If he can surround himself with the protective glow of the North Korean peace trip, the hope would be to keep the Mueller investigation at bay for as long as possible.
I look forward to seeing Trump outdo all his predecessors in indictments and convictions.
14
We call on President Trump to continue support for Kurds and their Arab allies in Syria and to take actions to provoke Russia, Hezbollah, and Iran to leave Syria as they are working with Assad to prepare attacks on Israel and engaging in war crimes in the process.
4
Typical trump bragging - claiming victory due to his own unparalleled abilities before the battle ever begins.
8
I think everyone is missing Trumps motive for this meeting. He his looking to expand his "brand" in North Korea. A new Trump tower on the peninsula.
5
You have to remember, for a great political contribution or a fantastic photo op Trump will sell this nation to the devil.
His ego needs this photo op. Good by nation
4
Trump Towers Pyongyang will be Huge! This will be the only real discussion...
1
Call me a pessimist but the Trump/Kim meeting will not end well.
4
Two peas in a pod.
3
"...Trump sees himself as a master negotiator, and yet is not particularly good at it,” said Colin Kahl, a former national security official under Mr. Obama...
Didn't you mean to say a respected former national security official - or was the omission deliberate...
Or w
3
Gee, should we believe Trump's promises? What do you think, Melania?
2
This is the time to create the Contest of the Year--maybe the Decade. Submit your choice of which excuse the trumpster will conjure when the talks either:1. Don't take place, 2.Don't produce any results, or 3.Turns out the Kim he talks to a Kardashian, not a Jung-Un.
Prizes to announced at a later date; check with Mr. Trump's attorneys for details.
1
Likewise your excuses if Trump succeeds. You are off to a fine start.
TEN other things Trump has pledged to do (this list goes to eleven!):
- stop engaging in discrimination in his business
- pay back his investors
- pay his contractors
- be faithful to three different wives
- not read from a teleprompter
- avoid conflicts of interest by removing himself from his business
- buy American, hire American
- never play golf while serving as POTUS
- preserve, protect and defend the Constitution
- unite the nation
- meet with Robert Mueller in an interview
7
Will they be comparing buttons?
4
Unfortunately, the Stable Genius's extra large ego continues to be a threat to our nation and the world. Intelligence experts agree that he's easy to manipulate because of this fact:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/11/12/former-u...
Trump is just trying to distract the media from Stormy and Mueller/Russia. He is a master of deflection but hopefully he will be in court, while real diplomats deal with Kim Jong-un. Oh right, there are no experienced diplomats since he let Rex decimate the State Dept. Come to think of it, we don't even have an ambassador to South Korea. This 'summit' is such a bad idea on so many levels. The North Koreans will flatter him like he's never been flattered before and he will walk away with nothing as usual.
3
Well, good luck. Seriously. One thing that makes me hopeful this won't be a total disaster is that Trump and Un will mainly speak through translators. I presume the interpreters will be more. . diplomatic, so the harshest language might be softened. Trump probably won't call him "Rocket Man" and Un probably won't call Trump "mentally deranged" or a "frightened dog." I hope North Korea has really good chocolate ice cream.
if you saw a street fighter and a martial arts master preparing to engage - who would you bet on? Hopefully it won't happen.
Yeah, but now comes the work. When the goin' get's tough the tough get goin' and the Trumps get to the golf club. This will end in tears.
1
It demeans the office when the US. President meets with thuggish leaders of oppressive dictatorships. Thus, Obama should not have gone to Cuba and Trump should not go to North Korea.
1
Don't sing victory, yet...
1
My theory is that the Koreans, S and N, are leading this process but they know that they have to stroke T's ego by giving him credit.
That said, though I share much of the skepticism expressed here, I also have some hope because a settlement is in the interests of all parties, especially the two Koreas.
Kim knows that while he can give the US a very bloody nose, a war will level his country and the best he can hope for is that the Chinese bail him out, Leaving Chinese troops occupying his country and little if any role for himself.
SK knows that they are in the crossfire and any conflict costs SK more than any country, except possibly NK.
China wants stability so it can continue investing in NK and, for that matter, the rest of Asia and the world. And China appreciates that NK is a buffer that keeps US troops away from the Yalu river.
The US does not want to end up either occupying NK or having Chinese troops on the border.
Trump wants credit for a settlement. Please note that I separate T's interests from US interests.
So I have some hope. But many, many pitfalls ahead and we haven't gotten to any of the sticky issues. Not to mention the distrust on all sides.
1
There is a belief amongst some people that if one focuses upon positive outcomes, positive outcomes will be experienced. So I suspect that Trump imagines his great successes in the hope that his efforts will be successful.
The successful Presidents don't imagine that wishing will bring the desired ends. They work to assure that their desired ends will be realized.
2
The US has repeatedly tossed up that old canard in respect to foreign adversaries that they're desperately concerned with "losing face" in regard to a setback or reversal in diplomatic relations. We should realize by now that this concern is actually our most looming fear, as we postpone risk administration after administration.
Kudos to Trump for rejecting the badgering naysayers in that respect. I'm not a fan of Trump or Republicans, but I hope he succeeds in his mission.
2
"in respect to foreign adversaries that they're desperately concerned with "losing face" in regard to a setback or reversal in diplomatic relations."....Maybe the reason they say that, is because it is true. Every now and then it is good to travel outside our country, if nothing more than to learn that everything isn't the same there as it is here.
My thoughts exactly. From the Korea Times:
“Things are playing out as North Korea has planned, according to his own timeline. It has its own schedule that it wanted to become a military power and then move on to become an economic power. It is about time for North Korea to come to a negotiating table,” said Cho Sung-ryeol, a researcher at the Institute for National Security Strategy.
“The maximum pressure campaign might have accelerated the implementation of North Korea‘s strategy, but mainly it is confidence that it now has a nuclear weapons programs completed.”
Victor Cha, a former White House official, said in an article published by the CSIS that North Korea’s diplomatic overtures must be viewed in the context of its overall byungjin strategy -- which sees national strategic objectives as defined by the development of nuclear weapons and economic development, not a tradeoff of one for the other.
“Thus, Pyongyang’s overtures may not represent a watershed change in strategy, but a tactical shift, building on the platform of nuclear weapons to seek economic benefits from the outside world,” Cha wrote.
2
Kim has us exactly where he wanted us all along. Successful missle tests resulted in Kim elevating his regime to equality with the United States. This will play really well in North Korea. This illustrates once again how far out of his league Donny is.
3
Trump desparately wants to negotiate with Kim Jung Un. Everything is on the table as long as Trump gets a North Korean military parade in his honor. Then it's onto Moscow!
2
Did post-presidential Jimmy Carter not go to North Korea three times? Anyway, the dictators of the world have a vested interest in giving Donald Tump the credibility he craves. I would say he is going there out of weakness, not strength. He would assuredly have the biggliest crowd ever though... in Kim-il-sung Square.
1
N Korea will promise to behave as Trump wishes in exchange for years or food and oil.
Trump will claim he got the greatest, hugely-BIG bargain of all time. Seoul and Tokyo will breathe easier for a year or so.
Yet 2019 would be a good time to renegotiate should Trump last that long.
1
If they're meeting in NK, Kim Jong-un will welcome Trump with a military parade extravaganza and pay him a few compliments. After that, Trump will be putty in the dictator's hands.
1
Will Dennis Rodman be part of the Trump delegation?
1
Sanders is already changing the story! This is a weekly occurrence now. trump just shoots his mouth off, and everyone else in the Administration slaps something together attempting to make trump sound reasonable. The outcome is predictable; trump will take credit for anything that does not implode and his dwindling 'team' will get the blame for any fiascos.
Someone--Mueller, Congress, Stormy?-- please push trump out of there before he does something so stupid that he causes real harm to our country and the rest of the world.
3
A brilliant move by Putin.
You know, if I didn’t know better, I’d suspect Baker loathes Trump!
1
"...and then rattled his saber."
Nice to know from the very first paragraph how objective this "analysis" was going to be.
Kim has no intention of denuclearizing. He has risked all to get this far to feel safe from the US, so why on earth would he give it up now.
His purpose is to get more time, to enjoy whatever he can get from the US and humiliate Trump. Trump does not see this because in his head he cannot be bettered.
2
America has created a boy who wants to engage in competition showing off toys
1
We're all paying for his father's sending the deviant teenager Donnie Trump to military school. He sees everything in terms of himself vs the world with any eye always in the mirror. Not a good quality for a leader. Though the poorly educated love it.
3
We'll know that Mr. Trump is successful at meeting his goals if a Trump Hotel opens up in North Korea and women there start wearing Ivanka's clothing line.
I would start with a mixed grill of U.S. and Korean barbecue.
The promise of peace, if that's what it is, comes from the two Koreas, not that master of diplomacy Donald Trump. In his case, I wouldn't be surprised if this isn't just a move to deflect attention from the impeachment noose that's slowly tightening around his neck. That noose would be tightening even quicker if the Republicans weren't running interference for him.
1
Q:How many tiems will T change these plans?
A: Many. I' ll believe it when it happens.
Two megalomaniac liars who cherish publicity stunts ahead of sound policy or good government announce an historic summit, mostly to be seen to be doing something that their predecessors didn't. This is all about the announcement - I'd give it a one-in-ten chance of actually happening.
1
Maybe Trump is just looking for a country without an extradition treaty with the US?
Trump announces lots of things and then whatever he announces turns out to have been a lie. Everyone wait seven days and see if the meeting's still on.
1
That's quite a coup for Kim Jong-un. A tiny country, an international pariah, has succeeded in luring the US, in the form of Trump, to the table.
2
Given that Trump is already laying out conditions for the meeting that NK will find untenable, I doubt it will ever happen. Just more talk from this miserable "president."
3
Very unlikely this meeting will ever happen. Trump back peddling today and demanding preconditions. He doesn't know how to negotiate with NK, has no ambassador in SK and is to uninformed, he has no clue what to do next. This was all a distraction because of new evidence emerging of his personal involvement in more personal scandals. Empty rhetoric, dangerous instability.
3
His ignorance of both diplomacy, tact, history, and how to "be presidential" added to his belief of his negotiating 'genius' does not inspire confidence in a good outcome for either country.
1
I can't stand Trump for a multitude of reasons but I am really surprised here at the negative reaction to this in both comments and coverage. You have to ask yourself this question like I propose to partisan Trump supporters: If this were Obama would you still have such a negative reaction? Seriously ask yourselves this. Not a single partisan Trump supporter could honestly say that they would support the outrageous and possibly criminal things Trump does if it weren't "their guy", and most of you could not honestly say you'd blast Obama for agreeing to meet with the North Koreans.
I'd much rather have someone talking to Kim Jong Un rather than talking about how big their nuclear button is. Isolating North Korea hasn't and will never work as they have seen what the USA has done to people like Gaddafi that relinquished their threat to the USA. So let's at least give this a chance before we shower it with negativity. Partisanship is killing this country.
1
Kim is planning a 21-anti-aircraft gun salute.
Can we really expect him to follow through with this? My guess is he’d be terrified to set foot in North Korea. All talk and no action, except maybe with porn actresses and Playmates.
1
Trump can't do anything right.
2
Give the guy some credit.
With all the posturing and threats that he has made, I think that the leader of North Korea thinks he has finally met someone who is even more crazy than he is. Maybe I better sit down with him, before he follows through on his threats.
I doubt that anything permanent will come out of the talks, but it is something that no president has been able to do since the 1950's.
1
Oh please! Kim Jong Un is about to outfox Trump. He knows that Trump's regime is in total chaos, which is a good thing for North Korea. He's merely giving Trump something that he hopes will keep the chaos around longer. North Korea has NEVER negotiated in good faith, and there's absolutely no reason to believe that Donald Trump will pull off anything other than a meeting.
2
trump needs to think big on this and help settle the mess on the korean peninsula that's been going on for nearly 70 years; he should be encouraged to pursue a two-track solution of denuclearization and a un peace treaty ending the korean war with the u.s./china/n. korea/s. korea as signatories.
a confluence of circumstances has developed creating the best opportunity in over 50 years to achieve this.
trump is best when his authority isn't bridled by an unwilling congress or other administrative restraints; consequently this pledge is more realistic than many of his previous efforts to change things as they required a congressional partner. here congress has few options to impede
Dear America: we have seen this movie before, time and time again and the credits are limited to the following: Watch what he does, NOT what he says. No way this meeting happens even remotely as is...not by May, not with Tweedle Dum and /Tweedle Dee at a table...not a chance. Just another flash of smoke and angling of the mirror to blind "the base"...
2
Let's just hope that his staff prepare little flash cards again and that several of them reiterate important things like "Do not surrender."
1
I'm sure Trump will have a terrific time in North Korea. North Koreans know how to do military parades well, and the regime seems have an entire brigade of charming young women they trot out for public occasions. Perhaps Kim and Trump will even have "beautiful chocolate cake together" and become pals like Xi Jin Ping and Trump became pals. But just as Trump's visit to China delivered no concessions on currency manipulation or military activities in the South China Sea, I doubt this meeting will deliver much of substance.
2
I am puzzled by the intense scrutiny of the entire press corps to this "new rabbit" Magician Trump has once more pulled out of his hat. Isn't his favorite gambit to always change the subject when the focus on his actions intensifies? A favorite definition of "going nuts" is not believing that you won a huge lottery prize, rather the obsession that now someone wants to steal your money. Pundits: please follow the money!
Trump's instinctive personal politics have achieved something no other President has—raised a credible threat of war on the Korean peninsula and agreed to a meeting with the North Korean leader. Kim Jong-un's concessions, never made by his father, indicate he's serious. If Kim wants a major switch in strategy, as Mao did in meeting Nixon and Gorbachev did with Perestroika and Reagan, this could lead to peace. Kim has to want to security for his regime through joining the international community, rather than through nuclear weapons. If Kim asks for a peace agreement to end the Korean War, a non-aggression pact with the U.S., and a process of denuclearization, end of sanctions, and reduction of U.S. forces in South Korea, signed off by South Korea, China, Russia, and Japan, hopefully Trump will agree.
Even if Kim agrees to dismantle all his nuclear plants and ICBMs (why would he?), he still can destroy Seoul in ten minutes with conventional artillery. He holds the upper hand and will not give it up. He saw what happened to Khadaffi and Saddam Hussein. What will we give up for empty promises?
1
Hopefully Trump will have jumped ship before he meets Kim. Or he'll find some excuse to call off the meeting. This is nothing more than political theater. Trump is scared to death of the God of the North, and that is why he calls him little rocket man.
Now that we have a president who admires dictators and jumps at the chance to go on a date with one whenever one comes calling (including Putin), Republicans have conveniently forgotten that it was only yesterday they were claiming they don't negotiate with terrorists. Who else DOES Trump admire, really. Certainly not our allies.
Some guys will do ANYTHING to win a game of Risk.
The Ego in Chief blusters as usual. I suspect that what really brought this about is reckoning in North Korea about their status: recent successes in their own arsenal, significant changes in the political context in China, with Xi Jinping seriously consolidating not only a long term grip on strategy but also coordinating their economic position absent the TPP. My biggest concern is that Trump's triviality will play out just like his pivot on Jerusalem/embassy: he makes a BIG decision, just because he can, while all the real players realize he actually got nothing whatsoever in return except headlines.
"Another Trump Pledge to Outdo Predecessors"?
So much is said, or implied in this headline...
"Trump pledges..."?
Like he pledged to pay his bill, taxes, and debts and then declared bankruptcy SIX times? And stuffed the state of NJ for #millions in unpaid taxes on his casinos (aided and abetted by Chris Christie, then in the "Justice" Dept).
Like he pledge to release his tax returns?
"Outdo Predecessors"?
ALL the egomaniac CARES about! "Outdoing" others -- at least in HIS own mind -- and one-upping (legitimate presidents before him.
He's ALREADY "outdone" his predecessors in terms of paralleled corruption and sleaze, unprecedented degradation of the USA in the eyes of the world, unrivaled damage to the US and world economy, stability, peace, and simple decency!
Isn't that enough "winning" for him?
Mr. Trump will brag that he "got" Kim to meet with him. Mr. Kim will brag that he made Trump come to him. Each has already shown himself to be utterly untrustworthy to negotiate in good faith or keep the bargains entered into on behalf of their respective countries. But the "ratings" will be great.
1
"Another Trump Pledge to Outdo Predecessors: Meeting Kim"
Outdoing predecessor presidents is one thing if you have a fine record of other accomplishments. That is not the case with Trump and there is no indication that he is going to get better at being a president.
If all of the bad news of his first 14 months in office is any indication, his record is only going to get that much worse as the Mueller investigation continues. Trump's white house is a show place of chaos. Even the congressman, Trey Gowdy, is after the white house on the Rob Porter scandal.
On Trump little may be written of whatever he may accomplish, but books will be written about every last incident of the bad he has, is and will be doing until he is out of office.
1
As time goes on and more and more comments are made the foot in mouth president will surely stoke some unforeseen fire. Already today the press secretary said that the North Koreans will end their nuclear program not the willingness to do so that we heard from the South Koreans yesterday. I don't want to diminish the importance of this but I see the handwriting on the wall if the President does not let the experts handle this. If he blows this out of the water there won't be anything for Trump and Kim to discuss but who has a better hairdo.
1
Trump and Kim may match in megalomania, but neither is a paean of sincerity or goodwill. This will come to naught or worse, if only because there is no State Department infrastructure to support it and even if there were, Trump wouldn't listen.
I do not like Trump. His overall actions seem choreographed by Putin to weaken the west. With this attitude, let the reader beware. I believe Putin is working with North Korea to give Trump a boost - protect his asset from the Russian meddling investigation, and will try to use this to weaken the US in Asia. I would like to be wrong.
1
If Trump can push through effective gun control measures and create a better relationship with the North Koreans; I will be quite impressed.
While I did not vote for him, I try to be objective about the accomplishments of others. You might ask yourself if 'gun control' was improved under President Obama? Politics (and Hatred) like Tribalism tends to blind people and make them not see the obvious...
2
This is the kind of planned meeting, were another political party be occupying the White House, the Republicans would be using "Munich" and "1938" in the same sentence, quite often. And, actually, to be frank, they wouldn't be too far off: I think we all know by now Kim Jong-un's character, and no U.S. President should currently be directly meeting with him.
2
These moments in history require larger than life actors, not diplomats. Let’s all wish the President well, that these talks yield peace for the Korean people and the world.
1
If Trump truly wants to out do his predecessors he needs to beat out Richard Nixon.
Nixon went to China in February of 1972 and met with Chairman Mao and Premier Zhou Enlai which opened US relations with that country, then in August of 1974 he resigned.
So if Trump wants to set a record he meets with Kim Jong-un in May of this year and then he resigns in August of this year, that beats Nixon's record by 27 months.
This could be the greatest thing in his Presidency!
1
Kim will invite Trump to play in the North Korean Amteur Golf Open, and when Trump demands NK give up it's Nukes, Kim will counter by offering to do so if we add his image to Mt. Rushmore.
2
Can we still despise him even if he brings peace tp Korea?
1
LOL I'm sorry, but Trump is the LAST person who should be speaking to Kim Jong-un.
8
Never fear. If Kim Jong Un decides to throw Trump into one of the prisons in North Korea, Trump alone will fix it. (I doubt any of his remaining "loyalists" like Pence, Sessions, or Tillerson are going to exactly jump at the chance.)
Wow ... and ... neither of these gents ha actually won an election.
8
Kim Jong-un sitting next to Donald Trump-- that's a photo I want to see: two bombastic, ego-driven men with funny hair.
6
Many peopler concerned about giving "respectability" to Kim Jong Un if he meets with Trump. That would assume, of course, that Trump has any legitimacy to confer. Such is not the case.Other than a photo op which might impress stupid, vapid people, Trump cannot confer standing to anyone; he is the epitome of a lying, narcissistic, divisive sociopath.
It is more likely that Kim would confer standing to Trump (which certainly will NOT garner consideration for a Nobel) than the obverse.
2
Considering that Trump can't even make deals with his own Republican congress, that he can't find enough Korea experts stupid enough to want to work for him and that he lacks the intelligence or discipline to learn about the issue, I doubt that he will be able to make a deal with Kim.
If he ever makes one, it will be a terrible one which he will then, in typical fashion, lie about and call great.
2
He's not doing what no other President has been able to do. He's doing what all other Presidents have been perfectly able to do but decided it was a lousy idea. Kim and his father have offered repeatedly to meet with various US Presidents and they have declined, since it would lend credibility to the leader of the most repressive regime on earth if he were be treated as a legitimate head of state.
Once again, Trump is so clueless that he doesn't see how he's being played for a fool.
7
It would be so cool if Kim just called in sick the day of the meet.
3
For all the trained hysterics from the doltish, this President actually gets results!
He is taking on school shootings (committed by Democrats, it appears) the immigration mess, and now the North Korean tyrants' playing with fire.
Remember, only James T. Kirk could go to the Klingon Empire.
Meanwhile, the ashamed and abashed Barack Obama, realizing that his place in history is set in stone by the abundant success of his successor, years to get onto Netflix to try to resurrect his reputation. Too bad there wasn't a Netflix when his model, Richard Nixon, helicoptered away from the White House.
Why Netflix? Well, what cable outlet would be willing to try to touch this deathly boring idea?
This is pure theater, and bad theater at that. The likelihood of there being something tangible coming out of this event seems minuscule given that there will be two megalomaniac blowhards in the same room.
3
Whatever Kim Jong-Un says to Trump will be believed by Trump. Is this a nefarious plan to side with despotic, undemocratic and amoral nations because they appear to be powerful or is Trump just naive? He has taken an oath to protect the constitution of the United States yet his behavior and rhetoric with Russia, the Philippines, and China despoils it, threatens it.
1
Sleight of hand: Stormy Daniels' and sex, lies, and videotape are now off the front pages.
Once again, Trump directs the conversation. And evil genius indeed.
4
Calling it now. In 6 weeks from now, exciting announcement about the new envoy to North Korea...
Dennis Rodman.
2
While giving the devil his due
It’s hard to imagine just who
Will benefit most
From this ersatz roast --
Trump’s ego or Olympic crew.
Never thought I would relish the Stormy Daniel's scandal over the thought of Trump negotiating with the NK's. God help us, no one else will.
2
The things I worry about are that: 1) Trump does not adequately prepare for this meeting, using his fly-by-the-seat of his pants "diplomacy"; 2) that in an effort to get Kim to "like him", because he is so needy, Trump will not come away with any real concessions on North Korea's part; or 3) he will do something really stupid in his usual m.o. to look important. While I am glad there is some movement, there is potential for this to visit to be either a total disaster or simply a bust.
2
And the Republican's are still quiet hoping that things calm down enough so they can get back to the task of ripping off the American public.
2
Trump and Kim Jong-un have this in common: they are both untrustworthy.
Kim Jong-un is no fool, especially when dealing with one of his own kind.
I imagine that Trump will eventually find himself in a set-up of the greatest proportions.
1
As long as they don't start saying, "my nuclear button is bigger than yours.."
first you jump up and down and scream about trumps hard line and "fire and fury" mentality believing it was going to lead us into WWIII. now that kim (and hopefully those of you blinded by your trump hate) has come to the realization that the hard line and increased sanctions have worked and that trump can not be bullied as our 3 previous presidents, Kim needs to find another way out. so he wants to talk "peace" and trump is willing to meet his nemesis face to face and all you can do is bad mouth trump again. if you told him exactly what to do and he did it, you'd still badmouth him. trump is not meeting with Kim to negotiate. he's meeting with kim to show kim that he can't and won't be bullied or put off. a very different strategy from the past 3 presidents. those 3 refused to meet with NK. and where did that strategy get us? exactly where we were pre-trump
someone smarter than you or I defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.
We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them--Albert Einstein.
give the man a chance before you bash him. he's gotten us to a better place than the past 3 presidents.
4
You hit the nail on the head.
THE HERO
He is so easy to predict. Whatever others have done well, he must avoid, disparage, or undo. Whatever no one has been able to do before, he will do. And therefore whatever fact or protocol gets in the way of his heroic inflations or demonizing dismissals he will obfuscate, eradicate, or steal. Narcissistic need defeats factual reality every time. But bluster is never a long-term solution. Neither is crazy. Short-term gains evaporate. Never forget that Hitler was voted Time’s Man of the Year in 1938, one year before the beginning of the second World War. He was a hero too.
Trump is worse than a hero; he is a two-bit messiah not even good enough to give the masquerade a good go. The very best he can be is a cartoon. And this cartoon persuaded 63 million people to vote for him—which means that there are at least 63 million voters unable to distinguish between reality and a cartoon.
But we’ve lucked out. His incompetence has been our redemption. Just imagine what will happen when a competent con man applies for the same job, with the same malevolence and ten times the skill.
That day is still coming.
It came for Germany once; it can still come for us.
Trump is not a bottom; he is a warning.
It can still get much, much worse.
3
two dictators greasing each other's wheels? surprise!!!
How soon do you suppose we'll see a Trump hotel and golf course in Pyongyang?
1
You can meet with Kim all you want, Trump. One budding authoritarian understudying a complete one. But it's not gonna change the fact that NK is not going to give up their nukes or program. You will have just given him world stage exposure and more than enough chances to make you look silly.
Which, trust me, will occur aplenty.
5
Trump is being played like a cheap fiddle at barn dance which is being called by Kim Jong-un. Kim Jong-un is Do-si-doing and promenading China’s Xi Jinping and Russia’s Vladimir Putin around the sanctions floor like a couple of country rubes loaded up on moonshine. Kim Jong-un cares nothing about peace with the United States. His overtures are meant to undermine the UN sanctions being implemented by Russia and China by cozying up to the United States and thereby fraying nerves in those countries capitals. The end result will be that North Korea diminishes sanctions against it and all will continue as before.
This meeting will put a very big load on the translators. Let us hope that they will be better prepared than DT, and well schooled in diplomacy.
(We also must hope that DT brings his own, and not rely on Kim's, such he did during his WH meeting with the Russians, Lavrov and Kislyak, last year.)
And with all the support he's getting from the press - he's sure to succeed where Obama, Bush, and Clinton have failed. Trump's proving every day that not having positive press at home is about as much hinderance as hunting without your accordion.
1
Kim Jung Un wants money.
Lifetime accomplishments to date, i.e., his C.V.
* Ran real estate hustles in NY state and elsewhere.
* Lost money in the Casino business, where it's easier to coin money than a bordello
* Burned through daddy's money to a degree that I could have made more in Index Funds.
* Successful slumlord
* Successful racist slumlord
* Stiffed contractors and then successfully fled into bankruptcy court a lot
* Bankrupt so many times, US banks won't loan to me, but not to worry, The Germans will.. plus a couple more investors a bit to the east
* Ran a successful campaign hustle for the galactically stupid and won
3
Kim will put Trump through a 6-hour military parade then escort him back to Air Force One.
1
Given Trump's careening policy positions, I wonder whether Kim thinks he can play our dear leader. Trump's is so full of himself that I'm worried he'll want meet without preparation or seasoned advice.
Mr. Trump has out lied every one of his predecessors.
This is what history shall recall.
Unfortunately, any meeting with Kim Jong-un will only feed the ego and narcissism of President Trump.
In addition, how many readers here have the gut feeling that President Trump will handle this relationship well?
Of course I am skeptical, but who knows? Two similar personalities, each with super egos and psychopathic tendencies might just be drawn to the self they see in each other. All we can do is wait. And award the match to whoever is left standing.
1
He just wants to say I had the courage to be the first and say it forever more. Boom. Done.
Well, Trump has achieved something none of the previous twelve presidents has: the lowest approval rating at the 1-year point. This is going all the way back to Truman according to FiveThirtyEight, which takes the average of many polls.
Quite an achievement and a testament to Trump's force of personality, judgment, competence, and character. Donald for the win! The rest of us will just have to take the losses ... for now. I'm surprised the White House has not issued a press report about this since Trump is all about the people.
What did he achieve exactly. How do you even know he isn't going to end up getting thrown into a North Korea prison.
I'm not a fan of Melania, but I do feel bad for her. I know she once made the decision to marry Trump in order to have a life of luxury, but my guess is that she would have happily (joyfully!) left him at some point along the way...except I don't doubt that he's told her that, if she leaves him, he'll make sure she never sees Barron again. And she believes him because she knows what damage this man is capable of inflicting.
3
Let's remember. Trump is the king of photo ops. He thinks he can use a photo-op with steel workers to convince voters he'll actually "make American steel great again". He won't. It was all just for show (actually for votes). Doesn't matter how many negative impacts such a misguided policy will have, does it?
So now North Korea. Oh goody says Trump. The best photo op of all time! No matter what a bad idea it is. Without all the prep work required. Without having had inputs from all the countries concerned. North Korea just isn't going to denuclearize. So just what will Trump gain? The best photo-op ever? That he envisioned when he stuck his head into the press briefing room last night?
This us just another scheme to divert attention from other headlines. We will see if the meeting actually happens.
I hope that the meeting of Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un will bring the countries closer to peace that would include a non nuclear-agressive North Korea.
Peace is wonderful and would not be marred because it was negotiated by two far from perfect individuals.
I'm thinking Kim is playing by the handbook Trump uses with Congress. Grab the headlines with a big promise -- "complete permanent denuclearization"-- and then start adding poison pills and walking back parts and then blaming the other side for not taking the bad deal. What 34-year-old dictator "Liddl" Kim hopes to get out of this historic meeting beyond humiliating the President of the United States is yet to be seen, but it won't be nothing.
1
I'm no fan of Trump. However, I think it's too early to judge the outcome of the new Trump – Kim Jung Un relationship. Media gurus are jumping the gun (so to speak).
Reagan had many of Trump's weaknesses – massive ignorance, for example. "Knowing" people were certain that Gorbachev would eat him for breakfast. Yet, to our astonishment, things worked out very well.
Another similarity: Reagan garnered all the credit on the Western side. (Who remembers that George Kennan accurately foretold the disintegration of the Soviet Union?). Trump, similarly, is successfully hogging credit for turning down the diplomatic temperature: scarcely anyone adequately credits the President of South Korea, for example.
3
Among other Trump boasts that have failed to materialize is building the wall, even though the Democrats agreed to pay for it in last month's Senate negotiations on DACA, which Trump rejected.
He also exempted Mexico from the tariffs after promising a "border tax".
I wonder what Presidents Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Nixon, Reagan and Bush 41 knew about North Korea that Trump does not.
And how long before conservatives cry foul when Trump is not nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize the way you-know-was early in his first term.
The WH is backtracking now, saying that of course, certain preconditions will have to be met before... Which has always been the United States' position. Trump doesn't have a clue, sadly, and I would not feel even the slightest bit confident that he wouldn't give away the store...
1
Not so fast. A day later and Sarah Sanders just trotted out what appears to be the first step in backtracking.
It was a great distraction for a day or so though.
1
Mu oddball theory is that North Korea wants to make Trump look successful in something to boost his chances of re-election on 2020. The Russians and the Chinese would love that too, of course, especially since the Russians started this whole game.
A Trump re-election would say to the world: Americans voted for this man TWICE, after having seen what sort of person he and how he governs. That means the U.S. really is out of step with us. No more leader of the free world. Let’s move on.
Domestically, a Trump re-election would cause chaos. A sizeable portion of the population detests the man and his administration. A second term would make them desperate. Opinions about the health of our institutions already low. Many people would take Trump II as a sign that current the system must be jettisoned. Crisis.
If you’re Kim Jong-Un, Vladimir Putin, or Xi-Jinping, what’s not to like?
5
I think that Donald needs to stop treating diplomacy as a banal business meeting. There is a lot at stake. Without being alarmist, there are very probably lives at stake. Time to take the prime time behind the scenes and stop playing to the American public. He should “get real” on a lot of issues and carve out a solid strategy that does not depend on likes, dislikes or whoops.
As usual, all hat, no cattle. There is nothing in fact that would lead us to believe that Kim will roll over just by virtue of Trump's personality.
1
Trump does realize that there are no KFCs, McDonald's or golf courses in North Korea, right?
I'm happy to see NK and SK at the table discussing issues and that eventually America was included, but I am highly suspect at Trump going to Pyongyang for a meeting. Will Trump even sit still long enough to be educated on Asian culture, especially non-communicative manners, which most certainly that region will be watching closely? This meeting will have many nuances, more than this man can even comprehend.
By now we all know how Trump is when dealing with foreign countries and if he's willing to take this huge a risk for ratings (aka public approval) he might as well bring Dennis Rodman over with him. I'm sure he won't slap way his hand when disembarking Air One.
2
The proposed meeting is an opportunity for sure; if only we had anyone left in the State Department who could manage the meetings and ensure the whole thing doesn't descend into chaos.
That's really my only question about all this: does Trump really believe HE should be the one negotiating anything?? Anyone who lets him should be fired. And we should collectively fire the Republican Congress.
Mr. Putin must believe that Mr. Trump & his team are in deep trouble, this shows. There is no way that Mr. Kim would do this without significant pressure from Mr. Putin.
My take is that Mr. Trump probably should grab that opportunity and make something out of it. Not that whatever agreement that signed between Mr. Kim and Mr. Trump would be worth any more than the paper that it is written on.
But it will make Mr. Kim and Mr. Trump look good. Too bad Mr. Trump could be indicted for treason.
1
The most remarkable thing about Trump's success is that it is a triumph for the Kim Dynasty, who have been trying to get the US to agree to such a meeting for years.
It seems to prove that Kim's nuclear strategy has succeeded, as shown by the fact that Trump is unable to turn up his nose and decline.
McMasters and Tillerson got it this far. Trump is not a malevolent force in the world but he is an indifferent person to be in the role of statesman. Nobody knows what will happen in these talks.
KIm it seems to be finding that his funding for defense is too limited for him to pursue the effort to become a nuclear power, for now. He needs a truce, for now, so he is willing to talk. Whether he will agree to destroy his nuclear arsenal and intercontinental ballistic missiles is a another matter.
Trump is a blank slate, a truly unmotivated person, who in this situation can be expected to react the way microscopic particles due to the endless motions of molecules bouncing of off them, Browning Motion, random motion. He might find that he has finally solved the North Korean problem or he might just accomplish nothing.
It's not a predictable kind of situation.
I feel instead of comments, people should be directing all the attention to the following analysis instead. Sums up everything that is wrong with this whole situation very nicely.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/09/world/asia/trump-kim-north-korea-expl...®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news
What could possibly go wrong? Two headstrong, unfiltered dictator and dictator want to be, each full of themselves. I guess I need to get on board with the plan and watch Fox & Friends? Will this take place before or after any depositions?
1
A "Pledge" from Donald Trump?
On Russian Election Interference: "We'll counteract it very strongly. And we are having strong backup systems. We haven't been given credit but we've actually been working very hard. We're doing a very very deep study and we're coming out with I think some very strong suggestions."
On Tariffs: "The president told more than a dozen executives that he wanted the tariffs to apply to all countries. Mr. Trump argued that if one country was exempt, all other countries would line up to ask for similar treatment."
Being an out of control liar, a "pledge" from this particular President of the United States is absolutely worthless.
To paraphrase: "It's going to be so great! Really super! Just the best ever! You'll see! Really terrific! We're going to get there! And we are going to be so winning! Don't worry because we're definitely going to look at it! And we're going to make sure it gets done right! It's just going to be so great! And it's going to be very, very strong! Really, really strong and really big and beautiful! Just classy and wonderful! Really real!"
Everything Trump says is meaningless. One might even say, "Tremendously!" meaningless. He's the perfect poster boy for the mental and moral disposition of all those that support, follow, worship, and abet him. And he is an unparalleled national disgrace. A know-nothing-know-it-all who fails to grasp that the entire world sees him as some moronic clown.
I can sum up Trump in one word - Covfefe
6
The biggest looser from an attack on North Korea by the US would be South Korea simply because they have the most to loose. The North would probably fire everything they have including Nukes in defending themselves. The South is doing a good job of keeping the North interested in talking while at the same time repeating the US hard line of keeping the pressure on. It seems that US leaders cannot admit even to themselves that force is not always the best policy.
Why do I have the image in my head of Bill Clinton having to go on another diplomatic mission to North Korea to rescue an American prisoner... only this time it'll be Donald.
2
Mr. Carafano said Mr. Trump, the first president never to have served in government or the military, is not wedded to stale nostrums and is willing to think outside the box.
Ah, yes. From another sycophant at The Heritage Foundation. Government is bad (except for those run by dictators), he's not a draft dodger and he loves Generals.
3
For Trump, everything he does/says/tweets/decides is merely a show---for him to sustain a low grade vulgar reality show and to prolong his underserving political power.
The latest episode is to degrade the privilege of American presidency by meeting a small-time backwater dictator whose power is derived from using nuclear weapon to blackmail and from hijacking his own country.
As usual, Trump's show achieves nothing but insubstantial result such as giving legitimacy to a bad guy.
Ironically, such encounter may generate some comical relief, allows one to see a small-time bad guy shaking hands with a big-time bad guy--equally ugly, harmful and deplorable.
3
The question we should all be asking is: What exactly is Putin telling Trump to negotiate for?
3
Trump has one of those red Staples "Easy" buttons (https://www.staples.com/Staples-Easy-Button/product_606396), if not on his desk then in his head. Repeal and replace Obamacare -- easy. Tax reform -- easy (if you define "reform" as making the rich even richer). Build a wall and make Mexico pay for it -- easy. Peace in the Middle East -- easy. The "denuclearization" of North Korea -- just push the button. (No, not THAT button!)
1
It's just like Nixon going to China, except Nixon was an incredibly shrewd politician with a decent measure of intelligence.
3
Could it be the Kim truly thinks Trump is crazy and might wreck havoc on the Kim palace? Better to play along until Trump moves on.
The fact that NK has suspended nuclear testing is a major accomplishyoument for Trump. Sorry, my liberal friends, but President Trump might turned out to be the only one to truly deserve a Nobel Peace prize.
1
Kim is the one negotiating from a position of strength. Kim now has nuclear weapons, no need for further testing. This is a major victory for one man: Kim.
And the “meeting” will likely be another photo-op akin to all those toothless “executive order” signing pictures Trump has taken. Remember the border wall signing session? Yeah, it was a photo-op.
This is all stagecraft, and has been so since the beginning
2
Kim apparently got the message from Russia, China and Saudi Arabia about Trump. That is flattery will get you everywhere.
2
If we're lucky, maybe they will only compare hairstyles...
2
Kim sees a great opportunity here: our "president" has relinquished our national security to the Russians, abdicated our trading advantage to the Chinese, and alienated our UN and NATO partners. He wants a piece of that American Pie before it's all gone!
2
My prediction of the day: Kim Jong-un will find a way to totally embarrass or humiliate President Trump, after which President Trump will trump up some excuse for military action.
2
Hopefully we will not read the two commandos have dropped to the floor in a clinch and unbeknownst to all the WWF has representatives in the State Department.
1
Trump's competitive nature will accept any challenge. Especially, from one who Trump believes is his lessor. Yet, we can all hope only two brother autocrats can seal a mutually beneficial agreement that lasts. Trump is smart enough to know what the other wants emotionally. "It takes one to know one."
Isn't this just competition with a certain Predecessor?...Because in case you forgot Mr. President, your predecessor reestablished relations with Cuba (peacefully) something that hadn't happened in over 5 decades, but who's keeping count?
2
Previous Presidents since 1954 have kept us and the Koreans out of war. Let's just hope that Trump can live up to that record.
Dont expect much out of the Trump's meeting with Kim. When Trump was not able to neogtiate any agreement over a year, who a meeting with another man-child will solve any problem? Trump being a narcistic person is taking credit byt what the Koreans said yesterday was to make Trump appear significant and not to drive the lunatic up the wall. The neotiation was made between South and North Korean abnd US and Trump had no role in it. If you read about the Korean war armistice, the agreement was made between US and North Korea, which means any peace agreement between South and North has to have the presence of US. The best situation is not to involve Trump in any of the negotiation.
This president must have our absolute support in this meeting. That doesn't mean that Congress shouldn't carefully review the details of an agreement, if any is ever reached. Any such deal should and must get the utmost scrutiny.
It simply means that this president must be able to show that the American people are 100% behind him as he meets with Kim. Please, put aside your hatred, and do what is best for the country. For those of you who secretly want Trump to fail ( and you are out there, aren't you ?), please, just don't say anything right now.
Any ridicule of the type already expressed in these comments does nothing more than play into Kim's hands. Please think of what is best for the country, and put aside briefly your personal inclination to criticize or ridicule every move this president makes. If you can't do that, then you really don't care about this country; you care only about your political agenda, regardless of how it may hurt our nation.
President Trump is doing a wonderful job. God bless. Hopefully we get NK to join the world and everyone will be better of.
1
And golden pigs will fly.
1
I bet the chocolate cake they have will be great. Looking forward to the review.
Why does Trump think he can get North Korea to give up its nukes when Democrats like Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama failed? Jimmy Carter was awarded a Nobel Prize for his failure. And why does The Times expect more from Trump than they got from Clinton, Carter and Obama?
Clinton did not fail, he succeeded. North Korea started to develop nukes, but Clinton signed an agreement with them that stopped the development. Bush Jr. ripped up that agreement, and invaded Iraq(who did not have nukes), so the smart north koreans worked on making nukes again. It's Bush's fault really. He made it so if you didn't have nukes you weren't safe from a US invasion, he called out north korea as a country we would invade, and he THEN let the North get nukes. He is, was, and always will be a huge failure. Let us not forget this as he goes on Ellen.
Why did you leave out that glorious failure from Bush who included them in his axel of evil speech and got the inspectors kicked out of N. Korea
?
It is so insulting to listen to someone as stupid as Sarah Huckabee Sanders stand up and denigrate previous administrations and pumping up this slob that she just lies for on a regular basis.
3
China's Xi must be encouraging his little pit bull client Kim to negotiate with the bloviating fool. In order to get a 'deal' the fool may be willing to further substantially reduce US presence on the Pacific rim. It will make it much easier for Xi to grab the South China Sea and Taiwan.
3
Whatever they do, they better not leave Mr. Trump alone with that North Korean olympic cheerleading squad.
4
A view from France
Mathieu Duchâtel, specialist for Asia of European Council of Foreign Relations
Q: Why this North Korean turnaround? The situation seems to be relaxing suddenly.
A: The tactical priority of North Korea is to avoid a US preemptive strike. This scenario was increasingly credible since the end of last year, as international opinion began to be exposed to the idea of a limited "bloody nose" strike on North Korean missile sites. The resumption of inter-Korean diplomacy and the spectacular offer of a Trump-Kim summit make this scenario impossible in the short term. Another immediate benefit for Pyongyang, which retains the initiative, is to appear as the open party, eager to negotiate.
Q: Is the war definitely to be excluded?
A: Never. A failure of the summit could lead to war. Trading is driving up the bidding for everyone. The key issue is the disarmament of North Korea. The nuclear program is the country's greatest achievement; more than a weapon of survival (North Korean deterrence also relies on its conventional forces and its chemical and biological weapons), it is a status weapon; it is the weapon that allows the regime to speak on an equal footing with the President of the United States. "
===================
Once upon a time the NY Times wrote analysis of similar depth. Now you have to read LeMonde
http://www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2018/03/09/coree-du-nord-la-...
5
Anyone remember the Six Party Talks? Trump meeting with Kim one-on-one isn't a triumph, it's a failure.
Bush and Obama were willing to talk to Kim, but only through the Six Party Talks. Now Trump has elevated Kim to Major World Leader by giving him exactly what he wants, and at the highest level.
This is just another example of Trump bowing down to an autocrat and not caring how many people the autocrat has killed.
9
"'Trump sees himself as a master negotiator, and yet is not particularly good at it,' said Colin Kahl, a former national security official under Mr. Obama. "
Not particularly good at it? Says a former national security official who nobody even remembers.
Donald Trump is a master negotiator. His people skills are excellent. My proof? He's president.
5
But has a 30% approval rating and lost the popular vote by 3 million. PB
1
Yes, he masterfully negotiated with Putin to enable him to occupy the oval office.
A big chunk of the American people can get taken in by a narcissistic snake oil salesman. My proof:Trump is President.
Read the other day that W smirked something to the effect of "He makes me look not so bad, eh?"
What if Trump actually does pull off an accommodation with Kim that marks an improvement on the current situation?
If so, back to the bottom, W.
2
At the very least Trump will come back knowing how to throw a military parade. And then he can boast that his parade was bigger and better than Kim’s.
He better bring a good supply of McDonalds and KFC, I don’t think that’s available there.
2
This is likely a Russian salvage operation to try to keep Trump from completely losing relevance and to distract from the closing noose of the Mueller investigation. Russia has a lot more going on behind the scenes with North Korea than has been recognized. Russia wants nothing more than to see the churn, the chaos and complete destabilization of the US foreign policy and political functions. Another big win for Vlad!
3
Does anyone think that anything that Trump does will amount to more than platitude, bravado and self aggrandizement? The media is fooled overtime. If the media was more discriminating, he would not have received $100,000,000 worth of free advertising which did a lot more than any Russian attempt to get him elected. How about the media research how the votes were manipulated in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania?
3
Trump still equates governing the United States with producing and starring in a reality TV show (which isn't even real). He enjoys the flash and thrills of power, but is quickly bored with the hard, grueling, grinding grunt-work of governing which impacts the lives, livelihoods (and deaths) of millions of people around the world. Time and again he's snatched the spotlight for its own sake and rejected the advice and counsel of the professionals at hand to inform and prepare him for the job of statesmanship. It takes intelligence, information, historical perspective, respect, teamwork, vision and wisdom to to be an effective head of state. Trump does not possess the qualities and, indeed, holds them in contempt. Even now, he repeatedly sidelines his own hand-picked Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and others, preferring to fly by the seat of his own ample britches. Yet, if he missteps, he blames others. The two key diplomatic envoys for North and South Korea have resigned and the positions remain empty. Years of experience and knowledge out the door. What preparation -- if any -- will Trump make the Kim Jong Un encounter or will he 'wing it'? Flying by the seat of the pants can be thrilling, as long as the pants don't catch fire. Kim Jong Un may be a young and arrogant dictator, but I'll bet he does his homework and studies his adversaries. Will the old and arrogant Trump do the same?
3
Some negotiator Trump is! Without discussing this move with advisors, Secy. Tillerson or anyone else in the State Dept (who is left there?), he agrees to meet with Kim. What a coup for Kim! He got the prestige of meeting with the US President without having to give anything in return. We still have three USA citizens imprisoned in N. Korea. What a wasted opportunity for our "Great Negotiator" to get them back as a precondition to talks. Same as the impulsive announcement of moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem, not as part of negotiations with the goal of achieving a lasting peace between Palestine and Israel, but rather to engratiate himself to Netanyhu another authoritarian leader (together with Putin, Erdogan, Duterte, etc) Trump admires and wished he could emulate. One can only hope that his nannies will be at the meeting table to ensure that Trump doesn't give away the store in response to adulation, pomp, and glittering militaristic displays tyrants are so good at!
1
I have the bad habit of begrudging people I don't like (e.g., Trump, that is, Mr. Trump) their successes. It's hard, probably as for most people. Yet, a civic duty is to put higher principle first, especially when the stakes are so high.
Mr. Trump has the possibility of world-historical accomplishment here, if he approaches this with a wisdom & care that may need to be nothing short of Solomonic. That's a standard nearly impossible for anyone, & given many folks' appraisal of Mr. Trump, such an aspiration would to many seem unreachably lofty.
Yet, Mr. Trump could be uniquely poised to surprise his critics & detractors.
Mr. Trump is uniquely poised to confront/address the underlying ideological conflict with transformative advantageousness/candor. As an ultimate capitalism insider, he knows & readily admits (in his populist stance & rhetoric) it's a deeply flawed system that may be, by our lights, the best among all-imperfect choices, that admittedly promotes greed, shallow & often callously inhumane materialism, gross inequality, & for that matter gross inequality too often fueled by grossly ill-gotten gains, in which while purporting to be a "meritocracy" very often so-called "merit"-'s main component is some form of luck, including the luck of unearned, inherited privilege. As such, capitalism ill-deserves the "religion" status often fanatically accorded it.
Acknowledging both systems' aspirations & flaws, peaceful - even harmonious - coexistence may be achieved.
1
Indeed, Mr. Trump may commence his opening statement along these lines: "A century-&-a-half ago, Karl Marx envisioned a society devoid of economic exploitation & unfairness, in which ordinary workers could have lives of reasonable comfort & security, free of the crippling domination of wealthier bosses & masters trapping these workers in a cycle of lifelong bare-survival. He envisioned a worldwide regime of fairness & mutual respect that would unleash the creative potentialities of all people in such a way that no man, by dint of disproportionate wealth or power, could steal or expropriate that creative power or potentiality from another human being.
That vision founded the 20th century's great political & military struggles, as several nations experimented with various attempts to achieve Karl Marx's idealistic aspiration, with China, North Korea, & Cuba showing unusual tenacity, strength, resilience, determination, & special commitment holding to this aspiration.
Several decades before Marx, Adam Smith had preached unleashing the power of markets & self-interest ("Not from the altruism of the butcher & the brewer do we enjoy our meal..."), & how capitalism's "invisible hand" & competition could distribute resources more efficiently than any central planning authority.
So far, neither Smith nor Marx is wholly vindicated, & our respective regimes accentuate, often to a fault, the merits of our founding doctrines, belittling the opposing camp's claims. The way forward...
1
Political analysts with an eye on history, conspiracy, and those endless subplots, will read 'more' into the "event" including the dramatic media build-up it will proffer - It's all a farce - The Meeting, which like Trump himself, mostly a distraction from addressing intelligently what is important; Africa, Asia the E.U., Latin America, and of course what is China up to.
China's goverment is highly opaque and secretive, yet it is now a global superpower of hard power and soft power - What wil this look like in the age of artifical intelligence, supercomputing and nextgen biotech. It could even come to pass that China is the only superpower before long. That's news...
North Korea is a pawn for China imop. Follow the money and the stench, war is tragically in the aire again like a dark cloud offering shade to Dutarte, Putin, etc. This move in Korea is important in context, the missile game, but don't let it consume the front page please.
At best, this proposed meeting MIGHT be productive. At worst, and I fear the worst, this is a monumental headline grabbing manipulation to distract the public from the swarm of scandals and probable obstruction of justice charges this dangerous man will face. Another shiny object the size of a mountain hurled into the air to shift focus away from present and future damage Trump has already done and will do to this wonderful country.
So if Trump ends up getting thrown into a North Korean prison, are we still not negotiating with terrorists? More importantly, just who is there to negotiate at this point.
Trump did not originate this direction, the South Koreans did while merged with the North in the Olympics. He just gets the opportunity to meet with Kim. Of course, without a State Dept, Trump cannot plan and therefore not execute a coherent plan to present and discuss with No Korea. If Trump believes he can do this off the cuff, he will make a poor situation worse.
Okay, I will meet the trumpsters half way. I hope that if the meeting does happen, it reduces tension on the Korean peninsula. If he manages to pull this off and not make matters worse, I think it should go towards mitigate the sentencing for Money Laundering, Obstruction of Justice, Collusion with Russian and a smattering of other convictions trump will have.
Maybe instead of 6 Life terms, we cut the Sentence in half.
Let the diplomats hash out the details of a deal, and have the meeting be a pomp-and-circumstance event to announce the deal. To meet without something agreed on will either be an idle smile-fest or end in an exchange of threats.
What is it about Donald Trump that leads people to credit him with achievements before he's actually accomplished anything? This announcement fits the established Trump pattern -- another salvo in an ongoing PR/self-promotion offensive. That's what he does best, so it's what he does. We'll see what happens with North Korea in due course. But looking at his decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem, I don't feel reassured.
2
Now comes the hard part, the work of reaching a mutually satisfying agreement that Congress will approve. Or it could be just more camera-ready Trumpian political theatre with the "star" standing up and stomping out of the room when he doesn't get what he wants immediately. The one thing he shouldn't do is give Kim millions of our tax dollars. He just signed a big tax cut. We can't afford it.
1
Great, and best of luck with that, truly. But I can't wait to listen to the interpreters try to translate Trump's disjointed, stream-of-consciousness speaking into something coherent.
1
Oh dear, it just occurred to me - could the deeper, truer, underlying reason for Trump's agreeing to meet with Kim Jong-un be to out do and "one-ups-man" former presidents rather than to simply achieve peace? His ego would tend to support that notion compared to being altruistic and helping to lessen the threat of nuclear war.
58
For whatever reason Trump may have for the meeting, I hope it brings the US and North Korea closer to peace.
2
Of course, he would never wonder why previous presidents didn't go this route. Much less consult with them about it. No need when you know it all!
On the NK side, Kim has pretty much achieved his goal to be a nuclear power and the sanctions do hurt. He has little to lose by manipulating DT's ego.
1
janye - I sincerely hope the same. I think your single sentence captures what everyone hopes for as well. Thank you so much for sharing.
1
I have the bad habit of begrudging people I don't like (eg, Trump, that is, Mr. Trump) their successes. It's hard, probably as for most people. Yet, a civic duty is to put higher principle first, especially when the stakes are so high.
Mr. Trump has the possibilibility of world-historical accomplishment here, if he approaches this with a wisdom & care that may need to be nothing short of Solomonic. That's a standard nearly impossible for anyone, & given many folks' appraisal of Mr. Trump, such an aspiration would to many seem extraordinarily lofty.
Yet, Mr. Trump could be uniquely poised to surprise his critics & detractors.
Mr. Trump is uniquely poised to confront/address the underlying ideological conflict with transformative advantageousness/candor. As an ultimate capitalism insider, he knows & readily admits (in his populist stance & rhetoric) it's a deeply flawed system that may be, by our lights, the best among all-imperfect choices, that admittedly promotes greed, shallow & often callously inhumane materialism, gross inequality, & for that matter gross inequality too often fueled by grossly ill-gotten gains, in which while purporting to be a "meritocracy" very often so-called "merit"-'s main component is some form of luck, including the luck of unearned, inherited privilege. As such, capitalism ill-deserves the "religion" status often fanatically accorded it.
Acknowledging both systems' aspirations & flaws, peaceful - even harmonious - coexistence may be achieved.
1
Does Trump not know that Every Other President was invited to step out with Kim, Kim's dad, granddad, and all declined to dance without prior agreement on the music? Prior Potus requested parameters before bestowing legitimacy. They were inclined to resist the spotlight for empty theatrics. If China and S Korea can make this work, we will be impressed. With them.
9
and all those prior presidents got us where on this issue? someone smarter than you or I once said, "to do the same thing over and over again and expect a different result is insanity.
here's another: We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them--Albert Einstein.
Maybe the answer is to be smart enough, or bold enough to do something different from what everyone else has done before and failed.
Considering recent news that North Korea's nuclear arsenal contains components imported from Russia, why do we think Putin had no hand in this meeting? He gives Kim what he wants: nukes and prestige as a world power (for a price). Trump can't say no (or anything negative) for reasons we do not yet know. For all we know, this meeting can advance Putin's alleged plan for world domination.
10
as a believer in certain conspiracies, even I think yours is crazy.
In my view, based on recent history, what will happen during this trip is pretty predictable: The North Korean regime is going to welcome Trump to Pyongyang with pageantry and friendliness; then they will treat Trump to a well-done steak and have him view an incredible military parade at Kim Il-sung Square sitting alongside Kim Jong Un (something they know Trump wants to do in Washington). Then when Trump returns to America he will claim great success and that Mr. Kim is a very good friend and a "great guy". Meanwhile, as an unintended consequence, Trump will have legitimized the North Korean regime for the indefinite future. See Trump's visits of France, Saudi Arabia, China and Philippines for examples of how these trips go.
10
Yes, well said. A meeting of two sick minds is all I see, I can't see in any way how this meeting will bring the world closer to nuclear disarmament and peace.
You will pardon me for being at least a little skeptical about all of this. There is no down side for Kim, but plenty for Trump. This will however take some attention off the growing scandals and the Mueller probe.
Trump believes his capabilities to be far beyond what has ever been demonstrated. Perhaps when he learns how much preparation he'd need for such a meeting he will back out of it.
In any case I hope it goes well. I'm not sure what the goals are for Trump but N. Korea has been seeking recognition for years through many presidencies.
On the other hand, Trump seeks recognition for anything and if he's out of his element it will be spun to be a victory no matter.
No negotiation but a friendly conversation is at least a start. Let's just hope Trump is not made the fool by Kim. That would be a mistake.
2
Obviously one of those two has a bigger button while the other has a smarter one. All bets are off and good luck to the rest of the world !
1
There is still one or two months left before the proposed meetings with NK. This is enough time for Jared Kushner to read up on the problems (even if he does not have access to TS stuff) with past agreements.. Given his success with the Middle East he can sit next to and advise his father-in-law while Trumph and Kim stare at and threaten each other. During breaks in the talks he could discuss investing in US real estate.
Our other ally the Japanese probably isn't too thrilled about Trump's sudden change of tune. The threat of raining fire and fury in dealing with North Korea is music to their ears. Now they can't help but feel left out again by their friend in need. They received the same shock in the 1970s when Nixon opened talks with China without consulting them. That event changed the world. Let's hope this lead to the same outcome or it's back to fire and fury. Either way our alliance against North Korea has already been damaged.
1
Why not just send Santa?
19
Such a simple yet hysterical question. Thanks for making me laugh, although my deeper emotion and sense is to cry because I have little faith in either leader.
1
Trump is not the world's best negotiator even if he thinks he is. Negotiation is a meeting of the minds, a win-win situation, everyone gets something that they want. Trump thinks negotiation means bullying the other party until they give in after they have lost everything. He thinks it means I win and you lose. He admits that in his book "The art of the deal."
I have a few concerns about this meeting. (Actually, I'm terrified). One is that Trump does not study or prepare for important events that he has to attend. (Case in point, the 3 debates he had with Hillary. He admitted he didn't prepare and that's why he came off looking like an idiot). He doesn't like to read and he doesn't like to take anyone's advice, even from people who have been there before. Another concern is that his temperament will get in the way. He is going to go to this meeting with a chip on his shoulder thinking that he is going to get everything he wants. Trump will undoubtedly make demands and ultimatums.
13
Mr. Trump can't even successfully negotiate a NDA with a porn star. I have little faith in his ability to negotiate peace with North Korea.
28
for a minute we thought you wrote 'Trump can't negotiate DNA with a porn star' and a vision of little new Trumps plying the oldest profession gave us pause
2
It is quite possible that Trump will be more deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize than Obama.
6
Obviously you have zero clue about what is going on in Yemen right now, as we speak. But then that is by design of course. Wait 'till you see what he has planned for Iran.
His personality is scary.
2
This news caused me to wake up three times last night. Jong-Un has taken lessons from Putin, etc.: flatter Trump. These despots are smarter than Trump, in a terrifying way. They see Trump as he is: addicted to adulation and flattery, stained by an insatiable desire for chaos and impulsivity. He is a mess of a man who cannot be trusted with anything much less this. God help us.
143
But, will he win?
2
This is a huge propaganda win for Kim. Kim's audience is not the world at large, it is his country. Scoring a personal meeting with the President of the United States will be propaganda gold in his country.
Kim will be around long after Mr. Trump is gone. His goals are all long term, to prop up his regime. He'll meet with Trump, making himself look like a diplomat to his people, then make completely ridiculous demands and claims or refuse to allow inspections and this will all blow over with the only winner being Kim.
Dumbest diplomacy ever. And to just say, "Well nothing else worked, we might as well try this" ignores the entire reason Kim baited this trap. Pat President Trump on the head and tell him how great he is and he'll meet with anybody, even the worst, genocidal, homicidal dictator on earth.
Maybe Trump can tour some of the death camps while he's there.
13
Donald Trump is not going to North Korea. The negotiations will be held elsewhere.
And what's wrong with giving Kim Jong Un a publicity win to his own people? It's not like he doesn't have a stranglehold on them anyhow. Donald Trump is betting that Kim Jong Un wants to talk to get rid of the sanctions. If Kim is not serious, Trump gains nothing but loses nothing either.
Donald Trump has shown a lot more talent as president than people give him credit for. There's no reason to praise him yet on the North Korean thing, but I'll bet he makes a deal that eluded other presidents. But who knows. We'll see.
1
Kim is now on equal footing with Trump as a world leader, it's the reason past President's wouldn't meet with him. It legitimizes Kim.
But then again, maybe I'm worried about this exactly backward. Maybe this was to legitimize Trump.
Peter's analysis makes no mention of another possible Trump motive for this hasty sit-down with the North Korean leader - his desperate need to stop the Russian probe. I liken it to a small boy who has set fire to the neighbour's garage who steals a flower from the same neighbour's garden and presents it to his mother. "Here, mommy, look what a good boy I am".
7
What would be really funny is if Kim will agree to reunify Korea only if he gets his own exclusive "Kim-Trump" Hotel and Casino franchise for the entire Korean peninsula. I got my fingers crossed. He'll give up the nukes and his government if he gets to be the boss of twenty Kim-Trump branded hotels and casinos. Even funnier if we find out - Trump boasts about it - that this was the carrot he dangled through intermediaries. "Here's the man who got it done, folks". Out walks Oliver North. I mean, look folks, if it works...why not?
1
Good grief! Would an adult who goes along with DJT please make sure the nuclear football gets left behind.
3
Hey Kim, I'll trade you this football for your promise to give up your weapons!
Knowing that the The Trump White House Show will need a ratings boost right about the time the Russia investigation concludes, no doubt, Trump and his producers will leverage this epic meeting and hype up the suspense to give the world a grand finale to Season 2: The Midterms.
Yes, our president is a “bad hombre” - a traitor and a criminal, but he saved us from nuclear war! 4 more years! 4 more years!
4
So, in other words....we just all shrug our shoulders, close our eyes, cross our fingers, and wait for the inevitable fallout. Gimme shelter...
8
Wait a while Peter, trump has said he is willing to meet Kim Jong-un which is well and good.
But we all know just like flip of a coin he is going to change his stanse several times.
Now at this point anything he could do to diver attention from the Storm and Russia investigation.
4
Trump does not prepare for anything.
He’s incapable of understanding nuance.
He does not understand nor care about our history with other countries.
He is purely ego-driven and will say any random thing that pops into his head.
He’s incapable of forming coherent sentences.
The man can’t even sit up straight in a chair.
He can’t not pucker and glower and posture and grimace.
This does not bode well.
11
I think Putin is urgin Kim to meet with Trump.
Putin has influence on Kim and NK people go to Russia to make money. Not that they're treated that well.
Puntin is in Kim's corner and he's not shy about it. Putin is less open to admit he's in Trump's corner.
If Putin is watching the Mueller investigation unfolding and all of Trump's other stormy issues...well, this feels like a wag the dog moment.
If Putin can almost kill a Russian x-spy with a chemical agent while he and his daughter are sitting on a bench...he can make a call to Kim and ask him to put a meet and greet on blast with Trump too. Never underestimate Putin!
jmo
8
Here North of the border I can only applaud and await the meeting.
I will say both my wife and I expected this as we kept in mind "Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows."
No two people need each other in our our Global Village more than Kim Jong Un and Donald J Trump.
Netanyahu cannot save Donald and Donald cannot save Netanyahu but by doing what needs to be done Kim and Trump may be able to do what needs to be done to begin healing our very fragile and imperilled global village.
It takes a worried man to sing a worried song and if Trump can accomplish one good thing despite the vitriol and hatred spewed forth by his GOP mob bringing North Korea into the community of nations will erase a lot of damage America has inflicted on this world.
Blessed are the peacemakers......
20
I would agree with you except for one fact. Trump doesn't care about peace. He only cares about the 'win'. And that means doing whatever it takes to get the 'win' so he looks like the brilliant guy he isn't. This of course almost always means some sort of financial payment to him personally.
1
This meeting will go sideways.
These two should have a duel and leave the rest of us in peace.
10
I bet the meeting never takes place.
Hopefully due to impeachment or resignation. More likely due to miscommunication.
9
Hopefully Trump negotiates a better deal with Kim than he did with Stormy.
16
Every predecessor(hat to include G Bush) worked for America.. at least that's their intention.
Trump has only one intention, him and his family and he will bankrupt America for that.
2
President Trump. Keeping America safe, and Making America Great Again.
3
So far no results on either account. Let's see what happens.
I'll have to reserve judgment until it happens.
In the meantime, as a mother I'll say what I'd normally say to a boastful child full of big talk and predictions of awesome outcomes:
We'll see.
6
"I have chosen a well-seasoned diplomat to assist in these critical negotiations with North Korea," announced the President. "Someone I know well and who keeps her cool in a tough situation."
"No comment," said Stormy Daniels when asked to confirm the President's announcement. "But I look forward to meeting Little Rocket Man."
2
The force of Trump's personality is exactly what is not needed in diplomatic talks with a paranoid nation armed with nuclear weapons.
What is needed is careful, precise, disciplined leadership from a leader with a clear and compelling vision. This leader would need a deep understanding of international relations and policy and be carefully prepared to conduct the intricate "dance" that makes up diplomatic discussions with other countries.
Anyone think Donald can pull any of that off?
3
If something credible comes of this, great.
However, on the surface considering trump and Kim, it has the feel of dueling con-men, liars both, men who have zero qualms about stepping on anyone who has the temerity to not praise them. Heck, with so much in common as trump said, they might become friends. We know trump's fondness for dictators. Trump, Putin and Kim... oh my.
4
Let us make Kim an ally. Now that would really drive the Chinese,and Russians crazy. Time to put a burr under their saddles while relieving ourselves of a nuisance
1
A photo-op with Trump will be Kim's crowning achievement! He will never give up his nukes--he saw what happened to the un-nuked Gadaffi. Betcha!
3
duh - things will turn out just fine - we are sending our best man into the breech.
2
Nice dodge Donnie, but your forthcoming meeting with Jong-un will not distract us from the news of a "paternity" clause in your NDA with porn star Stormy. Evangelicals want to know details!
1
American is doomed :(
3
"Whether it is Middle East peace or trade agreements, Mr. Trump has repeatedly claimed that he can achieve what has eluded every other occupant of his office through the force of his own personality."
Gee --
It kind of makes one wish that Obama's Secretary of State - Hillary Clinton - had done something like walked on a flaming bed of nails - or held her breath for ten minutes underwater --
We'd all love to see him try to outdo those accomplishments - especially "through the force of his own personality" ...
6
Yeah, she was such a wonderful candidate that she lost the bid for the presidency—twice.
Good probability that Trump will squander a good opportunity to get something accomplished. Even if he gets something done he will most likely change his mind after the meeting.
2
It's difficult to contemplate how Trump will squander anything when he has no known useful skills to accomplish anything in foreign affairs (unless we consider his alter ego, Comrade Trump).
If this is a serious proposal from North Korea I hope it will lead to somthing positive in the relation by the two countries. I just wonder how two persons that publicly offended each other can sit down and have a serious discussion that leads to progress. But maybe they are mentally on the same level that it will work. So good luck with the talks. Hopefully it won´t lead to total disaster.
2
When the old Dotard meetings the Little Rocket Man who will be playing whom? Mr. Kim and his predecessors have pledged in the past to limit or eliminate their nuclear arms programs to no meaningful conclusion. Mr. Trump has no diplomatic experience, doesn't read, knows little if anything about foreign affairs, has no knowledge or history or geography (can he find the Korean peninsula on a globe?) and doesn't have a cadre of people from the State Department to provide any insights or consultation. The President has proclaimed that "only I can solve your problems." I will be surprised if the meeting occurs. I'll be even more surprised if things end well if a meeting does occur.
3
Trump may outdo his predecessors in this case, but is this wise? It sounds to me as though N Korea has won a great victory--Kim is at the same level as the US president.
4
"an audacious and supremely self-confident approach to international affairs"
If nothing else his apparent turnaround speaks volumes and tells me Mr Trump has more moxie than I have ever considered.
This action won't convince me to accept his domestic agenda which clearly favors the venality of his wealthy supporters, but does indicate the space between his ears is not entirely vacant. I wish both Mr Trump and Mr Kim reach a mutually satisfactory agreement, but more importantly take a positive step toward world peace.
James J. Carafano's characterization of the president's success in talking to counterparts ("Trump actually has a really good track record of talking to other leaders") must be based on those "alternative facts" Ms Conway mentioned some months ago. Let's review:
1. Russia, a very hostile power interferes with 2016 elections, Trump believes Putin denials. Moscow invades Ukraine, takes Crimea; allies with Assad and Iran, Trump refuses to apply Congressional sanctions.
2. Israel dreams for decades of US recognition of Jerusalem as its capital. No problem, Trump does so, getting nothing in return.
3. Trump wants to punish China for illegal export supports, and decides to impose high tariffs on Canada's and Mexico's steel/aluminum exports to US. Canada principal source of US steel/aluminum; China, a mini-exporter of steel to US. Purpose: bully Canada and Mexico to accept new NAFTA agreement.
4. Trumps promise to support coal miners; well, Brazil, a major user of US coal to make steel, threatens to reduce coal imports. The EU, Canada, Mexico and others threaten to retaliate against US exports.
5. Little Rocket Man, with the small nuclear button, invites Trump to a summit. Trump accepts, again with no preconditions. One small hope is he doesn't meet Kim in Pyongyang. Problem: legitimizes the Kim regime.
All of this sound like Trump is an amazingly successful negotiator? Not to me.
12
I cant stand Trump or his policies but I sincerely wish him the best in his talks with Kim. And no matter how it goes, I would rather have Kim and Donald sitting and trying to talk like adults rather than tweet at each other about big buttons and fury.
But if I were Donald, I would bring along a LOT of McDonalds takeout considering what happened to Kims cousin recently. And if I were Kim, I would throw the biggest military parade ever for Donald just to get under his skin:)) No one on the planet does a showy military parade with the panache of Kim:)
9
Actually it was Kim's half-brother whom Kim had assassinated with nerve toxins. But Kim assassinating Trump seems wildly unlikely.
Maybe he should bother to study history and learn why no other American President would agree to sit down with this renegade tyrant. No other President would afford Un the prestige of a meeting with the greatest super power.. It's crazy and ill advised and Trump is not remotely up to the task. This is all about changing the headlines.
14
The other presidents were afraid of China’s position. And please don’t tell us Kerry and Clinton were EVER up to the task.
1
Kerry is a war hero. He at least understands the dynamics. What’s Trump’s history of military service? What diplomatic experience or understanding of nuclear geopolitics does Trump have?
As fear of the US wanes more countries will act without our consent. Turkey and Iraq feel comfortable attacking the Kurds, including US embedded military. South Korea feels comfortable negotiating with North Korea without the US, then bringing in the US to satisfy appearances and egos.
17 years of failure in the Middle East coupled with Russia's just disclosed hardware and software capacity to make our entire defense system obsolete are opening up new opportunities to negotiate.
Let's hope our collapse is relatively bloodless, as was the Soviet collapse.
3
What a drama queen. Why would anyone actually believe the Russians? The video was from ten years ago.
1
Once again, it's not about avoiding nuclear war, its all about Trump being the bestest ever. Unfortunately, Trump's idea of a successful meeting is one where Kim says nice things about him, so Trump can come back and say Kim's a "great man," and they have a "great relationship" now. Great.
9
Just wait for the Tweets. Trump could cause an international incident.
Trump cannot claim a victory lap here. If anything comes of this it is to the credit of the South Koreans who have been in the forefront of every diplomatic effort to deal with North Korea. Trump has been openly hostile to North Korea. It was a major effort on the part of South Korea to get him on board. The South Koreans should be allowed to take the lead. Based on his past behavior, Trump cannot be trusted with any delicate diplomatic negotiations.
11
Take the lead? The South Koreans can’t do anything without us. If that were the case, we wouldn’t still have troops there.
2
If accepting an invitation fulfills the criteria for a president to be “doing the right thing,” as today's editorial proclaims, then the bar is not just low but has been removed completely. North Korea is the showrunner and Trump merely reacts, practically with stupefaction, either by spewing taunts or here by saying, in effect, um, sure. "Penchant for unpredictability" and "not wedded to stale nostrums" gloss what is actually an inability to study and act methodically. Would you bet money that Trump will prepare, anything near adequately (forget about superbly), for this meeting? If he were doing his job well he’d already be so well prepared that he could talk to them (to our benefit) tomorrow, which he is absolutely not - but the North Koreans are - as has been noted. He’ll go in with just his “gut” as always. So everyone who still thinks he is the super dealmaker that he proclaims himself to be can rest easy.
1
Who thinks this meeting will ever happen? Go ahead: raise your hand.
It is a sign of the hourly vacillation in this administration (NRA/guns in schools; tariffs, etc.) that I no longer believe anything it says.
8
When you start blaming the NRA for diplomatic affairs among foreign nations you lose all credibility.
“Trump actually has a really good track record of talking to other leaders." He does? What do we have to show for it, other than leaders around the world either mobilizing against the U.S. or scratching their heads about the "Trumpian" way?
6
Maybe the Left Coast can tell us who is mobilizing against us.
1
‘The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior.’
This alone is all you need to know about how this meeting will go.
129
What pray tell is past behaviour for either Trump or Kim?
They are above all else survivors and that is all we need to know.
"Beauty is truth, truth beauty,--that is all
Ye know on Earth, and all ye need to know"
John Keats Ode on a Grecian Urn
For Trump and Kim maybe it is their first ever moment of truth.
1
Jong-un likely figures that he can play Trump for a fool. And he is likely correct in that assumption.
11
“Trump actually has a really good track record of talking to other leaders,” Mr. Carafano said. “We ought to get beyond this thing that he’s going to be stupid. He’s now met with dozens of world leaders. This is actually where he shines, meeting with other leaders and looking very presidential. The fact that he would want to look the guy in the eye is very Trumpian.”
...
Mr. Carafano said Mr. Trump, the first president never to have served in government or the military, is not wedded to stale nostrums and is willing to think outside the box. He cited Mr. Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, a move Democratic and Republican presidents were too wary to make. While it drew loud protests from Palestinians, Mr. Carafano said, the world did not come to an end.
But Mr. Carafano cautioned against expecting a breakthrough if the meeting with Mr. Kim takes place. “The odds of him actually negotiating something are incredibly small,” he said.
Why do you NY Times people publish the comments of a person who is talking out of both sides of his mouth? This Heritage Foundation flack has nothing useful to add to the conversation.
oh, wait, ... you have to be "evenhanded" rather than INCISIVE. Got it.
7
Hopefully DT, or one of his "counselors", reads "the failing New York Times" because, while the editorials tend to be rather critical, if the articles are read properly, it will tell him what to do, identify what the risks are, and even suggest what the other party's next move might be.
2
He needs the NYT for this?
1
He is not outdoing anybody. He is just legitimizing Kim. Diplomacy is not lone cowboy stuff. Legitimizing strong men is not what democratic America should do. Trump sends our strongest allies in a tailspin yet rubs shoulders with likes of Putin, Kim, and King Salman.
America has nothing to win from such a meeting. Kim is playing with Trump's stupid ego. The only thing Trump will achieve is to tell the world that "if you develop atomic weapons you get to sit at the table with us".
6
Trump is an egotistical con-artist and con-artists can be conned at their own game. What can go wrong here.
6
"Another Pledge to Do What Nobody Else Can". I believe hes already done that with the amount of golf he plays and time away from the White House. This will be a second act.
7
313,000 people back to work last month. More than 100,000 above what was expected.
2
Those numbers are fake. Trump said so himself.
I predict Trump will blow this meeting in minutes - throw insults and then walk out like the demented spoiled 4-year old he is. Or, a week or two from now, Trump will deny ever agreeing to a meeting and blame the idea on fake news and Obama.
8
I wonder if "The Art of the Deal" has been translated into Korean?
6
Trump will visit Asia to deliver a final ultimatum. As much as this appears to be wagging the dog, it’s real, no dithering, it’s hardball. NK got the message.
1
But we all know the Jong-un (aka Rocket Man)/Trump Meeting will be a big mistaken fiasco disaster.
The point will be how Trump gets out of that disaster, at the cost of the United States and its citizens.
3
Let's see what happens where two birds of a feather...
I wish him good luck. Not much has worked with the Kims to date; maybe Trump's style will work. Mr. Kim is, after all, a fan of Dennis Rodman
1
On balance, Trump is still an embarrassing disaster. (Pun intended.)
3
North Korea is starving for cash. So that should help Trump.
However, imagine the Class Clown stepping into the toughest negotiations with no understanding of the history of these issues, no experts to help prior or even during these discussions. Even Tillerson is ill-prepared, and the most senior North Korean expert just quit in frustration with this administration and his boss.
North Korea has nothing to lose. They now have nuclear capability and no longer need to test them. They buy material from Iran in secret ports evading sanctions if they need more.
Give the guy a chance? Sure! How much worse can he make it for us?
Kaboom!
2
Could this be Trump's "Nixon in China" moment? Who can tell? But don't forget: whatever President Nixon accomplished in China did not protect him from leaving office in disgrace.
6
Kim Jong-un is to Mao Zedong as Donald Trump is to Richard Nixon. There's an analogy that bears interesting attributive similarities and differences. Could John Adams write an opera titled Trump in North Korea? I think not!
Does Kim ever leave N. Korea? Does Donald ever stray too far from one of his resorts? Here's your first hurdle in this... Maybe they'll set up a cardboard table on the border in the DMZ. And what changed? Wasn't any deal or meeting off the table unless N. Korea promised to end it's nuclear program? Don't recall that coming up this time.
3
Switzerland has offered to host their talks.
Personally I hope Trump fails miserably on N Korea and only worsens matters. The righteous cacophony from the left will sound like a choir of angels, which I’ve always been curious to hear since I first sang Amazing Grace.
2
Can Ivanka please get “Foreign Policy Magazine”, make pretty drawings with Trump’s name all over the page and read it to him?
This magazine is the number one magazine and website run by and read by REAL DIPLOMATS and state department officials around the world since WWI.
But then Trump just keeps saying “I am the only one who can fix our problems.”
Oy-vey!
4
The North Koreans are far better at optics and propaganda than Trump. Their current leader enjoys 100% support from his constituents. It's either that or jail or worse. Trump can only wish for that kind of support..and the means to enforce. So, this is a one way deal. Trump will get nothing out of it. The best thing he could do would be to drop all sanctions, recognize N. Korea and send them food....tons and tons of food. Make friends out of them.
1
How will Trump even know if he is meeting with Kim Jong-un or one of his Kim Jong-un's body doubles?
Trump's meeting with a tin pot dictator conveys importance to that same despot.
Russia through its intermediaries...Ukraine...has likely been helping North Korea make major advances in their missile program during Trump's tenure. Is it possible they are behind this "olive branch" for their guy?
It is in China's and Russia's interest to have the Korean peninsula "de-nuclearized" by both North Korea and South Korea. Is it in South Korea's, Japan's and America's best interest?
1
So many contributors on this thread are so like the Remainers in the UK. Even though the people democratically voted to leave the EU, they will not accept the result, and are trying hard to torpedo it. They seem to want an independent UK to fail miserably, just to prove they were right. Similarly, people here seem to want the president to fail not because meeting Rocket Boy is a bad idea, but because of their disdain for President Trump.
6
This is why Kim Jong-Un wanted nuclear missiles so badly. They confer instant legitimacy and world recognition. Trump is rewarding bad behavior and there is no doubt that Iran and other non-nuclear states are paying attention.
3
A hail mary is sometimes the only option when you are down but it's pretty risky when the quarterback is playing with millions of lives.
1
So Mr. Trump thinks he can succeed where others have failed. Oh God help us.
Anything to divert attention away from the chaos in the West Wing and the Russian investigation.
4
313,000 jobs created last month. Winning! Others HAVE failed!
1
Politics has taken a very strange and surreal turn in the last year or so, and the formerly inconceivable has become not only conceivable but reality. Trump's election and the brexit vote are just two.
If Trump and Kim can get together and actually agree on something, sounds good to me.
2
Trump fans are already giving the president credit, for a meeting that hasn't even taken place! If it does happen and there is progress, Trump will receive and deserve praise.
The problem is, this is a negotiation between a young man who wlll be running North Korea for life vs. a president who will be gone in 2 or 6 years. Once Kim gets the sanctions lifted and the cognac and cigarettes start flowing again, he can opt out any agreement when a new U.S. president is elected--if he waits that long.
3
You're thinking of the Obama "agreements", which were actually Treaties, but since O knew that the Senate would not ratify them, he entered into the"agreements" instead of treaties.
It shows how desperate Trump followers are to legitimize him.
1
Reading these comments warms the cockles of my heart!!
1
Things will only get more complicated from here. The more complicated they get, the less Trump needs to be involved. The photo-op alone will be a win for Kim regardless of what follows. Trump needs more than that.
4
I hope a miracle happens but the only way this can succeed is if Trump guarantees the continuation of the Kim Dynasty. The North Korean people's future is really not Trump's to bargain away. But he'd do it if he thought someone would praise him.
2
If meeting with Kim is all about Trump, then this is not a good idea. On the other hand, it seems that it is Kim who has extended the olive branch. He has out-trumped Trump.
We will never hear the end of this from Trump. It'll be, "I cut taxes. I created jobs. I did this. I did that. I reunited the Korean peninsula."
1
Since 1950 US presidents have always had preconditions to talks with North Korea.
Trump decides to ignore the preconditions he emphasized just a few days ago demanding North Korea " abandon its nuclear program as a precondition to diplomatic negotiations."
In what manner is this intelligent negotiating?
2
You haven't been following this very closely.
North Korea has indeed stated that it is willing to give up its development of nuclear weapons.
But you don't want to acknowledge that, do you?
2
This is when the left (to which I belong) begins to sound like the NRA and/or children. Trump may have backed into this situation but it can't be bad. Yet. Give him some credit. Or at least let's let up for a few moments and see what happens. Two leaders (as odd as they both are) talking is a good thing no matter the reason.
7
I get what you're saying, Charlie, but the two leaders of whom you speak are more than a little "odd". One is the unstable leader of a dangerous rouge nation that has made an art out of stockpiling nuclear weapons, while the other is a former real estate developer/reality TV show host riddled with bankruptcies and lawsuits who has, by all appearances, the intelligence of a block of wood and the manners of a hyena. Trump may have "backed into this situation," as you aptly put it, but that doesn't mean we should automatically assume it isn't a dangerous position. While, to a certain extent, Trump and Kim Jong-un are cut from the same cloth, the North Korean leader has been at this for quite some time and he definitely has the upper hand in this situation. Trump should not be overconfident and should proceed with caution, but we all know that won't happen. Trump is too egotistical for that and, coupled with the fact that he thinks he's the greatest mind since Einstein, he's bound to blow in there with his usual yammering bravado that he thinks passes for diplomacy. I really don't think that these two are capable of talking to one another in a manner that benefits either the United States or the Korean peninsula, to say nothing of the rest of the world. If we've learned anything from Trump this past year, it's this: he's a lot of hot air that goes whichever way the wind blows, and it doesn't take much pressure from outside forces to deflate his pompous balloon.
1
KJU has Trump right where he wants him; no time to plan a strategy, provides a "bigly" ego boost, talks on territory familiar to KJU and foreign to Trump and all the cards in the hands of NK. My guess is that China would like the American military out of SK as much as the North does. We will denuclearize and you will leave. However, he forgot to mention the arsenal hidden in caves deep in the mountains that nobody will see.
2
All this is depending on whether or not Trump will still be President in May.
4
Let's just hope Trump goes beyond the own odds he set for himself in year 1 and actually achieves something on this attempt. I'm the first to criticize when his actions are foolish, which is often, but I'll be the first to give him credit if something good comes out of this. It is a faint hope, but an honest one too.
17
Dear Jsfranco,
Unfortunately it's a vain hope. This is Kim Jong Un getting legitimized, but he will not abandon his nuclear weapons production. Nothing much will come of this, if the meeting ever happens, which we should not assume it will.
Like it or not, he is our President, and I, for one, wish him well in this endeavor. Think not of your partisan politics here, but rather of the welfare of the citizens of both Koreas. For too, too long these folks have been the pawns in conflicts between far greater powers, and their suffering must come to an end.
8
I wonder if Russia has played any role in bringing Jong-un to meet Trump, and for what purpose. It has financial connections with both Jong-un (N. Korea) and, as alleged, Trump. It has not changed its policies with N. Korea as much as China has over the past 6 months. Would any positive result of the relationship between N. Korea and the U.S. benefit Russia? From a military standpoint, one benefit could be the furthering of U.S troops from Russian territory Albeit, Russia and china are "allies", Russia could gain more political impact without the use of force. Computerized political involvement, legal and illegal, has been Russia's new use of force against America and other Nations. What has Russia to gain? I cannot believe Putin is just sitting back and watching this major matter developing.
Trump's success will be having Jr. negotiate the first Trump hotel in North Korea with Ivanka's store inside! Unless, of course Trump blows the whole thing.
No worry though, we taxpayers will pay for all of their costs for the trip, including the sales pitches.
9
I'm sure DT would love to sit down and speak with Kim, just as soon as he has completed his interview with Mueller....
10
Trump had to do SOMETHING to divert the news cycle away from Stormy.
He chose an unfortunate diversion. Kim Jong-un will throw a military parade and give Trump some shiny things, and then eat Trump for lunch. But the photos of the Great Negotiator will be great. Really great. Awesome. Bigly.
17
I'm trying to imagine the massive cerebral hematoma that the right would have if Obama had ever unilaterally entered into negotiations w NK...
19
Obama didn't because he couldn't.
He was too busy looking the other way while nurturing Iran to nuclear weaponhood.
1
WOW!
Regarding what Kim will get in exchange for "peace".
To start with, there will be a McDonalds and a Burger Kim every 10 miles. From famine, hordes of NorthKoreans will go to overweight and high cholesterol. Dozens of 8 lane freeways will be built and emphysema will reign unabated. Zillions of tourists will clog new airports and American Hotel chains will rise up all over the country.
In 3 years, Kim will undergo bariatric surgery.
Guess who won the war.
2
"Another Pledge to Do What Nobody Else Can"?
Destroy the world? Economically, diplomatically, and/or militarily...
HE belongs in the First Circle with other such malefactors...
3
How long will it take him to bring up the size of his button?
1
"Trump’s Meeting With Kim Jong-un Is Another Pledge to Do What Nobody Else Can"
Yeah, right.
No POTUS has ever jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge. Is Trump planning to do that? Biggest, best swan dive EVER!
Oh, wait .. the word "planning" is not part of his vocabulary.
2
We've been hearing from him how great he is for a little under fourteen months now. What do we have? A revolving door White House staff, a widely demoralized and short staffed Department of State led by a retired oil executive, a porn actress and a payoff, the beginning of a trade war and shall I go on?
If anyone expects anything but a total disaster from Trump falling for Kim's outreach then they are delusional. Still, we must hope for the sake of the planet that something good will come out of this. Maybe Kim just wants to meet "Stormy Daniels". Who knows?
4
Pardon my skepticism but I think that credit should be given where credit is due: Stormy Daniels (75%), Hope Hicks (10%), Gary Cohn (10%), and The Donald (5%).
Kim Jong-un follows American news closely and saw that Trump could benefit from some positive news coverage. He threw him a line with the prospect of getting more in return (time, resources, diplomatic advantage)... and nothing more.
Kim Jong-un has learned the Putin game. They have learned how to play a bumbling, thoroughly compromised American narcissist and through him - their American adversaries.
7
" And it’s our national security that is at stake.” says Wendy Sherman.
Note now that Wendy Sherman is a Democrat who, these days, exist primarily to diss everything which Trump does. Wonder what they did before he was elected.
But has Ms. Sherman considered that if things go wrong, people in Korea or even China are in far greater danger than people in Cambridge MA? And that THEY might have more incentive than she does to make sure that things go well?
Let me tell her that IF our national security IS at stake, then this is a terrible time to try to undermine our own president.
2
Best of luck to the President. Although the chances are small if he can eliminate the greatest threat to world peace of our time he will deserve a lot of praise.
6
Two predictions: Even if nothing comes of this Trump will brag about it for the rest of his days. All he cares about is himself. He just want to stay, "look at what I did!" even if what he did doesn't amount to a hill of beans. The other thing is that we'll probably see Trump showering Kim Jong Un with praise. This likely won't be much different than when Dennis Rodman went to North Korea.
2
It is difficult to comprehend how anyone can think this is good for the country when everything he does is bent on disassembling the United States of America.
2
Trump's "self-confidence" is his Achilles heel and everyone knows this, especially other world leaders. All Kim Jung Un has to do is slather Trump with platitudes and 'ol Trump will quickly commend Un as one of the good guys.
Also, I can't help wondering is the whole Russia-backing of Trump might be at play here and Putin is pushing Un for this meeting; if Putin can keep Trump in place long enough by throwing him a bone here and there, Putin might just realize his deranged dream of dismantling our democracy.
8
This sadly crossed my mind too.
Spot on. He will be played like a fiddle. And Putin will have the last laugh.
It is amazing to see everyone on the left literally hoping Trump fails. Shame on you! Whether you like him or not if he can solve this problem it would be a great thing for the world. Kudos to Trump for moving forward with these talks.
6
No one hopes he will fail, but, "this problem" isn't something that can be fixed with a trip to the hardware store. There's lots of moving parts. If you think Trump can walk in and convince Kim to demilitarize, democratize, and stop threatening the free world, you may be engaging in wishful thinking to say the least. Past Presidents didn't refuse to engage with the North Koreans. They just had a better idea of what they wanted, how to get it, and what was actually possible. Trump critics, on the left and right, probably feel as I do. That he's grandstanding.
1
Please, Dear God, let there be a diplomat or another educated and experienced person to oversee Trump and make him read from a scripted session. When Trump starts shooting off at the mouth, I cringe. I do not see anything beneficial coming out of this meeting if Trump leads the way.
9
This is just a spur of the moment idea on Trump's part to distract from his many problems: Mueller, Kushner, Kelly, Cohn, Stormy, et al. He is in no way prepared, no will he prepare. It is just another Apprentice Show to Trump.
8
Maybe the current occupant of the White House should wait until November 11 to have Kim over for a visit. Then he can have his massive parade and show off our military mite.
2
Oh, what can possibly go wrong. Will Trump bring Dennis Rodman along to help negotiate?
8
March 4: President Trump told donors on Saturday that China’s president, Xi Jinping, was now “president for life,” and added: “I think it’s great. Maybe we’ll want to give that a shot someday.”
Now we hear about Trump Jong-un summit. Coincidence? Perhaps Trump's favorite Rocket Boy will give him a yuge military parade too!
3
It's all for the optics. Trump gets to look like he's actually doing something and Mr. Kim gets to be front and center on the world stage. Trump will declare victory based upon no real evidence (or evidence to the contrary) and Kim will do the same. It's a win-win for both of them. But the question is, what's in it for the rest of us?
1
Who really expects Kim to give up his nukes because the man he called "dotard" asks him to?
6
The world's most insecure president, compulsive liar and least experienced thus worst negotiator whose word means nothing, is meeting with a tyrant so each can massage their ego. This clownshow has to end!
3
I thought that the North Koreans always wanted recognition from us, so agreeing to a meeting is not necessarily a big deal. But avoiding a nuclear war is in general a good idea, and I am perfectly happy for Donald to receive a Nobel Peace Prize if he pulls it off.
On the other hand, Kim may simply need more time to develop his reentry vehicle, and he knows a pigeon when he sees one.
2
In his short time in office, Trump has established a remarkable ability to render the United States an irrelevant party to foreign relations it has dominated for the better part of a century. This will be no different.
Trump's first action of international importance was to make bellicose criticisms of the TPP and withdraw from negotiations on the agreement. Now, the other nations involved in the TPP have forged their own trading collective and walled the U.S. out.
In Europe, Trump blasted NATO and its member nations, made false declarations about financial obligations of participating countries, and alienated America's closest allies across the pond. The result is that Europe is moving on its security arrangements without the United States and Trump has embarrassed himself so badly that he dare not visit the United Kingdom, where once he was invited to a state visit, because of the hostile reaction his presence would elicit.
Now, Kim Jong Un seeks to capitalize on Trump’s reign of error. His terms were announced before Trump took office: he wants U.S. backed missiles and joint military maneuvers out of the Korean Peninsula in exchange for halting nuclear weapons advancements and deployments. He knows South Korea is desperate to establish friendlier relations and derail the rush to war. He knows Trump cannot abide his demands lest he appear weak to his all important base. This will allow Kim to cozy up to South Korea while pushing out the U.S. as a dangerous interloper.
3
I will be shocked if Trump can pull off a de-nuclearization agreement from North Korea. I would personally support nearly any measure to achieve that sort of agreement, including U.S. military withdrawal from the Korean peninsula (we could fall back to Japan and still help arm South Korea).
But of course all prior administrations utterly failed to stem North Korea's nuclear advancement so the blame can't all be laid on Trump if he doesn't pull this off.
1
I think that there is plenty for which to be unhappy with, or even disgusted by Trump in virtually everything that he has done, without speculating on his attempts meet with and to find some common ground with North Korea on this. As their ICBMs are now able to reach Washington, which was a complete shock to the Intelligence and National Security arms of our government (Trump's first briefing on the matter, according to the Times and the Post, indicated somewhere around 2020 as the date that this unhappy hurdle would be passed) I would not criticize Trump for actions, bold actions, to change that potential outcome. Would anyone here have him do nothing? Don't throw out the baby (a resolution to this critical issue) with the bathwater (Trump).
2
I don't trust him to be smart or to do the right thing. He's not in control. His ego is.
1
Capricious, rash, and imprudent behavior is rarely rewarded in foreign policy matters. For all of us, I hope this time is different (though I fear it never is different).
5
If something does come out of this, it will indeed be a "monumental accomplishment" as one commenter wrote. However, we are dealing with two power-hungry, unstable individuals with unrealistic and dysfunctional egos. A lot can and most likely will happen between today and this proposed meeting. Does anyone else feel as I...that this will come to naught?
Both Kim and Trump need wins right now. As soon as Kim is photographed with this POTUS, he in his warped mind will announce that he is in the same league as other world powers. Laughable, isn't it? Simultaneously, Trump now is saying that he can do what no other president has done because he is omnipotent and omniscient. His desperation and delusions will do anything to mask his exploitation of everything in his path...government, business, and personal interactions with women and men.
And this ominous, chaotic journey set forth by Trump continues...
9
This provides the Republican Congress with a convenient cover story, should Mueller's investigation turn up the anticipated dirt on Trump:
"Well, yes, maybe the President did some bad things after all. But we can't remove him from office at this time because he is in the middle of critical and sensitive negotiations with North Korea. Maybe when those negotiations are concluded, say in seven years or so, we could take action on those high crimes and misdemeanors."
6
I don't think it's a tremendous stretch to see a Putin hand in this. We know Russia deals with North Korea, and we know that Putin wants a Trump presidency, so it makes tremendous sense that he would nudge his pal Kim Jong-Un into a meeting with the Donald, which of course will come to nothing. But in the meantime, it gives Trump some positive headlines, and will make those on the fence wonder if perhaps this crazy man's "unconventional" approach to the presidency might just pay off... (hint: it won't).
9
I have voted Democratic since McGovern. Yet I believe that 45, for all his failings, has the capacity to be bolder than most. His offer to meet Kim and potentially extract the US from "guarantor" of South Korea in favor of lasting peace in the peninsula is an example. Another would be to let Russia join NATO. Only 45 has the necessary support by a majority of Americans for such action. And if he does, he will have succeeded where others wouldn't dare.
2
Russia joining NATO? After Russia's behavior the last few years? You are right, it would be bold.
I'm betting, based on the history of this administration, and its supporters, that, in a week or two, no one in the Trump administration will still be talking about meeting with Kim, or even remember there ever was talk of doing so.
4
One thing we know about Trump is that he talks big and then caves when he's confronted directly by someone he considers his enemy. Expect the North Koreans to win big on this one. At least it may help to stop or delay the shooting.
5
Well only Nixon could go to China. I expect Trumps presidency will end the same.
4
Let's remember that no one in the Pentagon knew about this announcement.And, old Rex Tillerson has blown out the State Department; and the remaining ambassador with any State Department experience is quiting.
So, Donald has this stage to himself and got himself; the man wants another notch in his ego to show the world that he needs no one to tell him that his view of the world is the correct view.
In Trump's case, self-delusion could be his Achilles heel when he meets the North Korean "Rocket Man" in May.
12
Trump is doing what nobody else can because he is doing things the way nobody else has done. It is time to shake up the conventional diplomatic and political methods based on Euro-American paradigms. Give him a chance before criticizing him based on worn out narratives.
4
Worn out narratives that have kept the peace for 70 years. Boring!
I believe in giving the devil its due. What Trump did was right.
... but remember one thing. He did not agree that to a North Korean team but to a South Korean team. Mr Moon is pulling the strings. He is the person to commend or criticize.
Mr Moon wants, at least to begin with, is a kinda-sorta EU style integration between the Koreas. So does Mr Kim. He prefers to trade with fellow Koreans than Chinese or Russians.
We hope that the thousands of army and the millions of spending in South Korea can come home.
2
NK has sought this type of meeting for two decades, because of the perceived credibility and status it would grant its dear leader. U.S. Presidents have rightly refused to grant NK the status of such a meeting without enormous concessions.
Our reality tv president has no understanding of what he is giving away, because his own narcissistic world view will not permit it. From the world's sole super power to this--it is painful to watch.
13
In the words of the man who can fix everything that no one else can, "we'll see what happens...we'll see what happens."
2
Conservative news sites like FoxNews are supporting the false notion that Trump is the master negotiator and the harbinger of peace in the region. His followers, who don't understand Un's motivation and Trump's need to deflect attention from his other woes, are touting his greatness. It makes the situation only more difficult and further divides our country. The majority of Americans are concerned about the potentially disastrous outcome.
7
Oh please, this is all he has left. Mueller's about to bury him and he''s tried everything short of having Mueller killed to stop the process and he can't. If he can pull the denuclearization of North Korea off all will be forgive.
12
Alex, you Democrats have tried now for 15 months to "bury" Trump and he is still around.
Why not wish Trump success and hide your sour face in the closet, at least for the time being? Can you do that? Nations which keep fighting internally, as ours seems to be, do not survive for very long.
Maybe Trump will succeed and maybe he won't. But at least for the moment, he has MY support because that is what is best for America and for the world.
1
Also, there will be no de-nuclearization of North Korea. Kim Jong Un would never agree to that, it's the only thing keeping his rule safe.
I'm not a Democrat, nor a Republican. I register independent. Aside from that I've been around for awhile and I called on corporate CEO's and business owners for years so I tend to lean conservative, but in all that time, for whatever reason, I never met anyone who had absolutely no respect for any rule or law or any person and who has devoted his entire life to satisfying his own need to be worshipped. Strangely enough I agree with most of what Trump is trying to achieve but as a person he's truly a magnificent foul smelling piece of you know what.
The Russians were afraid of Ronald Reagan because they thought he was nuts. People are generally afraid of crazy people because they're unpredictable and often act in an unreasonable manner. While being unstable is not a trait which is looked upon favorably, it can serve you in some instances. It's akin to the old adage that even a broken clock is right twice a day. Trump is our broken clock.
Time will tell if this clock ever gets anything right.
4
What could possibly go wrong? Besides all the doubters having nothing better to talk about? Does it really hurt for DT to chat with what’s his name? It will for sure make for some funny TV.
Didn’t Obama say he was going to talk with the leader of Iran only to forget it once elected?
And funny TV is the coin of the realm.
The fate of the world depending on Trumps personality. God help us. Beginning to hope that I and my loved ones might become part of that Rapture thing.
6
Trump voters are of that ilk who believe that not being smart enough to know what is impossible is a virtue, and perhaps it is. They confuse this virtue with the arrogance and complete lack of intellectual curiosity that Mr. Trump didn't invent, but has perfected and sold to a group of voters who long to see deeply complex issues of international politics and negotiation rewritten into a cartoon about a man who just uses what they would think of as common sense. This mythology that Trump has been building about himself for decades will certainly not serve him when he's bumbling through any talks with North Korea. He has always been and will always be the man who swerves out of his lane, causes a massive pile-up, and blames Kim Jong-un.
7
Kim will have had his ego stroked by claiming that the leader of the world's foremost power came to him! While I hold out some hope that something good will come of this, it's more likely that Kim will just wind up blaming Trump for failure after basking in the limelight of his presence in NK.
4
Denuclearizing his country by Mr. Un is giving a extremely huge concesion, will Mr. Trump or the USA be willing to do similar ones? What they would be?
It's a concession that Kim Jong Un will never make, as nuclear weapons are the only thing keeping his rule safe from outside threat.
I wonder if Rex and Jared will be going along?
3
No other President in history has managed to pull this off - the South Korean leader credits Trump with making it possible.
1
They know what Trump needs (fawning attention and credit). This is a game of chess vs. checkers.
2
Nothing has come close to getting pulled off yet.
Trump and Jung-un politically benefit from this -- that' s what is going on. When the winds shift, and Trump or Jung-un politically benefit from aggression or threats, one or both will take that road. Both are working out of self interest here, not the common good. We have to judge both leaders by their track records of narcissism and greed. Nothing new here. Just a show to feed their egos and woo the ignorant masses. Two like minds agreeing to meet because it plays well for THEIR careers.
18
Perhaps Kim should agree to give up his nuclear arsenal if we give up ours!
1
Dunning-Kruger effect in action!
4
Granted, we do have two leaders, both of whom believe that each is the only one who really matters. Never the less, when it comes to what each has to say, I paraphrase a Jack Nicholson comment he made in one of his famous roles. "What you have to say really doesn't matter." This is my response to two despots grossly affected by Narcissistic Personality Disorder. They may wind up blowing up part of the world. But surely it won't happen due to careful consideration, diplomatic sensibility, consideration for their own citizens' lives. Historically, this has happened before, when two other infamous madmen met, Hitler and Stalin. Both suffering from the same deadly psychiatric malady, that led them eventually to be responsible of tens of millions of deaths, as all time nefarious mass murderers. History surely has a way of repeating itself. Unfortunately, once again at our expense at our expense.
4
Perhaps we could send someone other than Trump???
2
Playing to his base in right-wing news channels.
2
"The Audacity of Trump"—that would make for a great book title.
Kim will throw a massive parade for Donald. I wouldn’t, want to be the organizer of the parade Donald wants to throw in Washington
2
Anything to distract from Stormy Daniels?
7
Trump has accomplished one big thing with this announcement, it has knocked the Stormy Daniels lawsuit off the front page. This may have been his goal all along, just waiting until he could grab the world's attention with something he says he will do in the future. And this on international Womens Day as well. So much for over half of the worlds population living in misery around the planet including N. Korea. Better to cozy up to a sworn enemy without any knowledge of the seriousness of the situation. This has to be the flip-flop of all. Hang in there Stormy!
6
Yeah sure....... Do you think Trump even cares about Daniels? I don't.
2
Sending this narcissistic amateur to negotiate is a bad bad idea
3
The POTUSA better watch his step when dealing with Kim. He may think he is the "hot shot" negotiater of all time.
Remember there is always someone smarter and sharper. We must hope our Leader does not give away "the store" and get "zip" in return.
Many of us have been there and don't want our grandkids to go there again.
2
Yeah, and Trump also pledges defeats for all Democrats in the Midterm Elections. Good luck with that too, prez.
P.S.: Election Tuesday will be the greatest, funnest day of this year, given the opportunity to see prez's expression (that is, if he's still in office) following the inglorious and utterly embarrassing Republican wipeout.
6
Being "presidential" to me, means, making the country look good. Trump is far from being "presidential". My impression is that Trump's notion of "presidential" is making himself look good, even if later, his actions, thoughts and prayers explode in his face. He still is a con-artist, but, "We'll see, we'll see."
6
It seems clear to me that Trump is Putin's puppet and there is no doubt that North Korea got its nuke and missile tech from Russia.
The precise details that led to the offer to have this meeting are yet to be revealed but it would be wrong to assume that it is anything other than a meeting of two of Putin's many clients.
(Trump's tax returns should clear up some of the muddy waters in all this.)
10
You criticized Trump for being too belicose, and now you criticize him for AGREEING TO NEGOTIATE, and if that were not enough, you suggest-before he has even begun-that he will fail-like all of the advisors you quote have failed.
SO FAR HE IS THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS VIRTUALLY COMPELLED NORTH KOREA TO COME TO THE TABLE.
I predict....when a full peace treaty is announced--you will claim it was procured by every force and power in existance-other than by Trump. You simply can not abide any of his successes-nor credit him for anything.
4
"SO FAR HE IS THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS VIRTUALLY COMPELLED NORTH KOREA TO COME TO THE TABLE"....Actually his father negotiated a non-nuclear agreement which was signed in 1994. North Korea reneged on the deal in 2002. In fact there have been several negotiated deals with North Korea regarding nuclear non-proliferation and missile technology, all of which were eventually ignored. Having a diplomatic discussion is good, but it is a very long way from having solved the problem.
1
Logodos - Do you really think he compelled N. Korea to come to the table? I think it's a lot more likely that something much more complicated is going on. I'm glad the prez has agreed to a meeting, but he and his team would do well not to think that the U.S. has the upper hand here.
1
sanctions are crippling N K read a little
Trumps needs constant fawning adoration.
The Democratic Party should flatter him. They will not because they cannot: they must paint him in as bad a light as possible.
Our political parties, and politicians, no longer do great or good things. They just tell us the bad things the other guys want to do.
Trump could champion some progressive policies- but the Democratic Party will never work with him. How could they? Their only policy is that they are not Republicans.
1
I agree that Democratic "leaders" are forever falling over their own two feet... But I do think they would work with the prez on progressive policies. Remember, they had a DACA agreement with him, and they were full steam ahead in support of what he promised. But that fell apart because of him, not because of the Dems.
2
We seem to forget he is a real estate salesman - that is his original vocation - of course he will say anything to make the sale.
1
This messianic aspect of Trump is worrisome -- that he is not only a skilled problem-solver, but that he can solve even the most intractable problems that no one else can. If you look at the feverish zeal and fervor of his legions of followers/disciples, who will defend him through thick and thin, and even physically attack any opponents at his rallies, it's not difficult to imagine a scenario in which, if for any reason he is cornered, they will rise up on his behalf. Further, if Trump does fail in his meeting with Kim Jong-un, we have seen how expert he is at scapegoating others, and he will undoubtedly do so again -- such are the tactics of false messiahs. Democracy, beware.
3
If trump can actually achieve something, I might start calling him president, but I'm pretty sure he'll back out, last minute, of the whole thing.
1
I find this column to be either amazingly naive or childishly petulant. Or both. Every president, without exception, has made firm statements of intentions and reversed direction 180 degrees. Nixon will never go to China, Obama will immediately close Guantanamo, Lincoln won't address slavery, etc etc etc.
1
Trump is clearing the deck of all the remaining excuses given by NK as to why it remains the most backward and criminal regime in Asia. History is not on the side of NK nor it's system of government.
A major concern is the backbone of the SK government in the face of possible cold war exhaustion and the dangling fruit of reconciliation. I think SK has a bigger role in influencing Trump than this article describes.
1
How exactly is Trump clearing the deck of North Korean excuses? Oh that's right, not at all. He's giving them the status of equals with America by meeting them one on one, and he will continue to accept their fascist and vicious dictatorship.
2
What I'm interested in is what Kim's larger goal is, and how this plays into it. It is my feeling that Kim ultimately wants to re-unite Korea under him and his regime in some fashion. But in order to do this he needs to get the United States out of the way. Kim I think knows that Trump hates the deployment of our military forces overseas in countries like South Korea, Japan and Europe. Trump I think sees this as an example of these countries taking advantage of us to provide defense for them at our expense, and he I think wants out of these commitments. Kim I think feels that by getting Trump to agree to a separate peace agreement, (historically I believe the US has always held that any peace agreement must be done with both the US and SK together) he will have a free hand to move more aggressively against SK and creating if not a reunification scheme that favors him in some way, then at the very least a peace treaty that will have SK somehow underwriting NK, possibly in perpetuity. Whatever it is, Kim wouldn't be doing this unless he sees an opportunity. Just my speculation, it will be very interesting to see what transpires over time.
8
Kim's larger goal is not being vaporized by Trump over a nuclear program he cannot afford to sustain long term. If he can make a deal where he stays in power and can bring home the kimchi for his people he'll roll over immediately.
As our enemies of ages past discovered it is impossible to outspend the US government when it comes to military adventurism and sabre rattling.
2
Successful negotiations - the type that end with both parties satisfied - are best accomplished when each party comes to the table having done their homework, having full knowledge of the other's SWOT ( strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats). It also helps to have a very clear idea of what success looks like and lay out exactly what your side wants.
I'd also want to know in advance (as much as possible) what my generals, diplomatic corps, and Congress can support. Kim is a dictator - he doesn't have to worry about any of that stuff - and will have the advantage unless Trump comes into the talks as a serious and prepared negotiator. If Trump really wants to do this the right way, he should have his diplomats ask for the equivalent of a RFP before talks begin.
And then I woke up.....
1
Why would he ask the advice of the clowns who created this circus in the first place?
I keep hearing about all of these "experts" Trump is ignoring yet nobody mentions that these same "experts" created the problem you lot are worried about to begin with.
There wouldn't be a Nuclear Iran or Nuclear North Korea without BIll Clinton, Barack Obama and their so-called "experts" in the first place.
What are Kim's military strengths and weaknesses? Is his population starving? What is the likelihood of his weapons reaching the US? Is there something we have that he needs so badly that we might have that he'll make huge concessions for? What is President Moon' s position and role in this? He who has the best information going in usually wins. I negotiated hundreds of millions of dollars worth of contracts back in the day and had a deep background in my industry, but I made sure that I had the input from experts - and had some of them in the room with me - when we hammered out a deal, and the best ones happened when we knew what the other guy wanted.
Also, the DMZ was created in 1953. Clinton was 8 and Obama wasn't born yet.
If someone thinks that a solution is simple, it's an indication that he or she doesn't understand the problem. This fits Trump perfectly. He's not smart enough to appreciate the complexities and dimensions of the issues surrounding North Korea or Iran, so he jumps to simplistic "solutions" that have little probability of working. He grossly overestimates his own abilities because he doesn't realize that his one-dimensional formulations won't solve the problem. This combination of ineptitude and over-confidence is dangerous. We should be worried. Whatever the outcome, I'm sure he'll claim it as a magnificent accomplishment.
15
Perhaps Trump wants to get pointers from Mr. Kim on how to become a totalitarian leader? Trump has an unhealthy obsession with absolutist leaders. And while I'd welcome turning the extreme button down with North Korea, I've lived through five presidents who have been cautiously upbeat about striking a bargain with the North, only to find that optimism shattered.
4
Why are we surprised that Trump and his “personality” agreed? The UN Report connected the dots between Russia and NK missle supplies, sanction dodging chemical weapons production. The 3 amigos will stand as the big three against the world, or so their strategy tells them so far. But who will take the brass ring between the three? Stay Tuned.
2
Take a moment and consider the situation from North Korean's perspective. Your opponent is Donald Trump, a businessman who has declared bankruptsy 6 times, who is notorious for overpaying for properties, for his eagerness to do deals with anyone with money without concern for the origin of the money and the shady or unseemly characteristics and connections of the people with whom he deals. Mr. Trump knows nothing about process and protocol, he is overly influenced by flattery and grand spectacles. He has the attention span of a 3 year old. He does no research, gathers no intelligence on his opponent. He does no planning. He does not think ahead or "game-out" how he expects a negotiation to proceed. He goes with his momentary "gut" feeling and as such he prone to saying or giving away just about anything.
If you were North Korea and you wanted to have the greatest possible advantage going into to a negotiation, wouldn't you want Donald Trump as your opponent? It would be like a chess master going against a novice player. I'm sure that the North Koreans can't wait to show Donald Trump a good time and take him for everything he's worth.
12
Actually Trump doesn't have little to show for his claim of being able to do what nobody else can; he has nothing to show for it. Nothing he's done has been beneficial to the nation or something impossible for anyone else to do.
This will be another example. Trump is not in charge on these talks, Kim Jong Un is in charge. Kim is the one who proposed them, and unlike Trump, Kim thinks ahead and is rather intelligent. So this is a plan to get some benefits for the DPRK, and make America look foolish, and it will probably work.
As for peace with North Korea, in one sense, we have that right now. They're not directly attacking anyone, and haven't done much more than attack a few ships ever since the war.
So this should be of some benefit to North Korea, of no benefit to America, and of little consequence overall. But I guess it does take attention away from the investigation into Trump's collusion with Russia for a little while.
7
Over the years I often heard the phrase "we don't negotiate with terrorists" or similar from world leaders. Thatcher and Major said it in reference to the IRA and turns out all along they were negotiating via back channels. Reagan said if often but that didn't stop him making deals with Iran and others in the middle east. Reagan and Thatcher had not problems negotiate with terrorists when they were on "our" side.
I don't outright reject discussions or meeting with North Korea. If there is a worthwhile agreement established first then I'm fine with Trump meeting with Kim to sign an agreement but otherwise Trump is a terrible negotiator. Trump says things to appease his immediate audience. Look at the televised meetings on gun control and immigration. He was ill prepared and agrees with the last person who speaks.
Let us hope we have someone competent negotiating this otherwise all we will get is a united Korea under Kim and a Trump hotel in Pyongyang.
4
I hate to be so cliche ridden, but it fits so well here. If only Nixon could go to China, maybe only Trump can go to North Korea.
Though I greatly fear that our President will only see it as a way to promote himself, not as a chance to do something really good for mankind. Nixon was in fact also trying to get out of a mire of unpopularity, But he at least had the depth to see it as a way to weaken the ties between the Soviet Union and the Chinese Communists, in addition to raising his popularity.
2
I am appalled by the negative tone of most of the comments towards the forthcoming, face-to-face negotiations between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un. This historic breakthrough reminds me very much of the Camp David talks in 1978, where Israeli Prime Minister Begin and Egyptian President Sadat brought a reluctant President Jimmy Carter into three-way talks. The lions share of the achievement this time goes to South Korean President Moon Jae-In, but Trump deserves a great deal of credit for going along. Even if nothing concrete is accomplished, the chances of nuclear war have gone way down.
I say this as someone who did not vote for Trump and do not like him. But the blind vitriol of Trump opponents has gotten out of control. Attack Trump where he deserves to be attacked, but not on this.
1
Dear Caleb,
But Trump does deserve to be attacked on this. This is North Korea conning him into one-on-one negotiations for their benefit, not America forcing North Korea to be more peaceful. North Korea will not eliminate its nuclear program, will not treat its people humanely, and will not be brought into the international community. This is Kim Jong Un getting what he wants out of Trump, because Trump is ignorant and incompetent. So the vitriol is entirely reasonable.
1
Trump appears to be following in the footsteps of Nixon. Just time enough to achieve a historic agreement on the world stage with an old adversary, just prior to succumbing to internal scandal from self inflicted mischief at home.
2
Trump does what no thinking president would ever do. His personality is right for a TV summer run game show, not for America's well being or future.
3
Diplomacy for Dummies, by Donald Trump.
Chapter 1: How to elevate tyrants who lead third-word countries to first-class nation status, the same as the US.
Chapter 2: How to create trade wars that satisfy a small base of your followers but that will lead to economic chaos for the rest of the populace.
Chapter 3: How to lie constantly and divert attention on a daily basis.
Who knows what other chapters will follow. Hopefully, there will be a chapter, added soon, on the art of defending against impeachment.
9
I am so tired of hearing pundits and analysts say Trumps inexperience within govt and the military before taking office is a positive thing that it makes me want to throw up.
Trump has only one kind of experience: living in a cocoon created by inherited money where money talks more than anything else and where his egg shell ego must be constantly stroked.
It is a place where normal rules do not apply and where it is only a matter of time before it all comes tumbling down. If something good, like a meeting with North Korea, emerges like a butterfly, great...but that is as much a matter of luck, not skill or anything else, except maybe the Koreans, both of the North & South themselves.
Trusting Trump's inexperience to be a plus in any face to face meeting is like trusting a real estate scam artist to successfully conduct brain surgery. Trump is already trying that idea in reverse at HUD and it os causing hemorrhaging more than anything else.
As a result while the butterfly that has emerged from this cocoon is pretty, let's hope it can somehow learn to fly rather than crash and burn.
7
The author is regurgitating the same group think that has plagued Washington for years. It essentially states that this attempt at rapprochement will fail because it’s never been successful before, and that without spending years of back channel negotiations (where things get lost in translation) with experts, there’s little chance of success. The pressure Trump put on both North Korea and China are given short shrift, as if nothing this Administration does can be correct.
I am not a Trump fan, but people underestimate him at their peril. As far as his not getting much done, he has appointed a Supreme Court justice, enacted tax reform, and rolled back regulatory overreach. This will stand against most Presidents’ first year in office.
1
Dear Mark Arizmendi,
Actually Congress allowed Gorsuch to be appointed, but blocked Garland in 2017, so the Supreme Court appointment was entirely Congress' doing. Trump had no idea who Gorsuch was. Tax reform, ie: giving huge tax breaks to the rich and exploding the deficits, was also done by Congress, not Trump. And eliminating regulations will negatively affect the environment and Americans' health, so that's not a bonus.
Trump has been nothing but an incompetent disaster so far, and that's why people have a low opinion of him. This meeting, that is Kim Jong Un's idea, will work out in North Korea's favor and not in America's.
2
Mr. Arizmendi - Re: what this prez has accomplished:
"...he has appointed a [shamelessly stolen] Supreme Court justice [in a pick that was handed to him illegally], enacted tax 'reform' [that hands more money to the uber-wealthy],and rolled back regulatory 'overreach' [which is destroying public lands, guts the Clean Air Act, and hands the big banks everything they ever dreamed of, at the peril of the rest of us]."
2
Once again the media has fallen prey to Trump. In all cases, Trump's objective is to manipulate the media. Sadly, he is always the winner in these cases. Both the North Korea and the Steel Tariff announcements were spontaneous proclamations by Trump without any previous thought or even consultation with his advisors. He initiated both issues to to divert the press from the Russia investigation and the Stormy Daniels affair. Nothing will come of the North Korea smoke screen and we will further damage whatever little credibility the United States has with our allies.
Ironically, even mention of a meeting Trump and Kim reflects the South Korean opinion that Trump is the more unstable and dangerous of the two leaders. Their smart future strategy will be to negotiate with North Korea directly and involve the U.S. a little as possible
2
I have a 96 year old mother with advanced dementia who is also: supremely self-confident, delusional, grandiose, conspiratorial and bossy. It is the super-ego taking over and protecting the ego from admitting that the self is not who he was at a younger age.
9
Muller has two months to come out with firm set of undeniable collusion charges that will get Trump off of White House.
The US should send Trump on a one way trip to negotiate with North Korea then.
6
Trump is such a liar I have no doubt he CALLED Kim and BEGGED to meet with him so he could show us what a "winner" he is.
11
Here we go: another episode of Trump TV. Can you imagine the hype and drama for this? This will be, in Trump's mind, one of the greatest things he does in his presidency -- the greatest summit of all time! These two narcissistic maniacs creating an episode of Trump reality TV.
Kim will be spinning this to his people as him bending the will of the big bad Tiger of the West (USA) to suit North Korea. And Trump will be spinning it on his end. The press will gobble this up. Tweets will fly, and the rest of the world will be praying they don't compare buttons on live TV. There will be a sequel and merchandise.
The sad truth is this will be hugely popular TV, the posturing will continue out of both the tyrants, the tension will remain, and likely heighten, and all the other very important issues of the day will be lost in the background, or even worse, will continue on in the hands of reckless Trump appointees (see Pruitt, Zinke, Sessions, Kushner, etc).
Ugh.
18
Not too worry, Mr. Trump is the premier deal maker. Or, so he says.
3
"Trump actually has a really good track record of talking to other leaders." Yes, but what has he accomplished, other than the sale of more weapons to Saudi Arabia so it can continue to starve the people of Yemen. If the meeting is in Pyongyang, perhaps North Korea will emulate China's lead and stage a grand parade full of tanks, missiles, and other weapons of destruction. That will give the US autocrat ideas for his egotistical parade.
4
Yeah, when he hung up on the Australian PM, that was just excellent.
He may be able to "negotiate" this into a nuclear war, which all others' personalities have been too controlled to do.
2
“Trump actually has a really good track record of talking to other leaders,” Mr. Carafano said. “We ought to get beyond this thing that he’s going to be stupid. He’s now met with dozens of world leaders. This is actually where he shines, meeting with other leaders and looking very presidential. The fact that he would want to look the guy in the eye is very Trumpian.”
Way, way too much credit….is Mr. Carafano talking about the same President Trump? Sure, President Trump agreed to meet with the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. However, that may be short lived. He is way over his head. After giving this meeting consideration and additional thought, he will look for any excuse to cancel the meeting. It could happen tomorrow or in a few days or right before the anticipated meeting.
7
The scary thing is how many people believe "only The Con Don" can save us.
He's out to destroy OUR lives. When will people wake up?
12
If it were just about making a deal, maybe the Donald-Un Summit would get it done. Anyone who paid attention to the Iran deal negotiations knows there are a great many details to work out… each one having the potential to blow everything up.
We already know Trump doesn’t do details. We suspect Kim’s not much better. At best, the summit can end with a promise of a deal of love… similar to Trump’s DACA White House summit. We already know how quickly those blow up. The question will be whether it will blow up before or after Air Force One gets back to Mar-a-lago.
8
Oh yes, King Trump has done it all! Forget that there are severe sanctions put on N. Korea from the world, including China. Of course, we will see what is accomplished, then we will talk about praise and self-adulation.
7
Let's keep in mind that China had not been enforcing sanctions until Trump started to hold their feet to the fire.
He has "little to show"? He has nothing to show. In actual fact, less than nothing. Trump's tenure, to date, has been dangerous farce at best. And a quick reminder: Trump is in no way diplomatic. He is a buffoon and to move forward in any regard and think otherwise is a mistake. Unfortunately, we have no state department so it's probably best to leave this to South Korea and whenever we can establish a qualified government.
22
He obviously wants a Nobel peace prize because Obama has one.
55
Nobel Peace prizes mean --- not much any more.
Illustration: Obama has one.
What did he do to deserve it?
1
Sometimes even a blind squirrel can find an acorn!!!!
14
No, a blind squirrel is quickly eaten by predators like my cat.
3
The reality is that both leaders have backed themselves into an very untenable corner with all the bloviating that's gone on. That they should meet and make some attempt to save face is not totally unreasonable. Leading the entire world into a conflagration that cannot be won due to excessive hubris is not something any of us should hope for. Let's manage our expectations and continue to watch this bizzaro reality show play out.
83
I am managing my expectations. I expect Trump to fail totally, but will allow the chance that he and Kim will reach a certain understanding: that they are both authoritarians whose mutual survival depends on them keeping their two countries out of any further conflicts.
Even the best case scenario, where both Trump and Kim remain in power, is not worth celebrating.
I see nothing but upside here. At the minimal cost of giving Kim a photo op there is a small chance that progress can be made. And Trump can drive home the point, without intermediaries, that if Kim launches a missile, we will make the rubble bounce in Pyongyang.
1
You seriously think that's a good option? What do you think China will say to that given its close proximity?
1
If Kim launches an attack on us or our allies, you recommend not counterattacking because we offend China?
A meeting and its immediate result are very much an event. An outcome to sought is a continuing process of relaxation and resolution - an eventuality which truly neither individual DJT nor KJ-U would over time benefit from. The likely result will be some US concessions which are widely verifiable and Korean concessions that are not so much. The South will be merrily ignored or at worst "shopped" away. The US side would likely require a treaty if consequential and need the Senate to ratify - by which time it may have adults in the majority.
The net result will be viewed with the passage of time as theater (of the absurd).
3
So, if there are useful results, he’ll claim some credit. If there are no results, he’ll claim there are, and take credit.
6
Let's see what happens. As the Austrians adage runs, "I'll let it surprise me"—I hope not unpleasantly. At least the two leaders have common ground: they're both ranting megalomaniacs.
4
a lot of us are predicting what these two most unpredictable leaders will or won't do.
Peter Baker has nicely described the unusual mix of personality traits that have gotten Trumpnto where he is today: audacity, hunches, daring, and supreme self confidence, often based on pretty much nothing.
The problem is though that our president lacks the basic background into history, current events, and cultural issues that could make him successful were he to take the time to read and reflect.
Of the two, I believe the younger man is better equipped emotionally for this meeting based on reports from South Koreans who maintain his knowledge of the world is "impressive."
But the biggest risk for both likely lies in unrealistic expectations and miscommunication of goals and agreements.
20
"unrealistic expectations and miscommunication of
goals and agreements" is what it's been up to now.
so, if i understand you correctly, nothing will change
[although you do hope for some progress, be it ...
against all odds]?
Sure, everything will be fine. A Presidential Apprentice, who has been bested by an " adult film " star, is going to " solve " the Korean Problem.
Thanks, GOP/NRA Party.
227
All Un need do is throw a military parade in the insecure, narcissistic Stable Genius' honor, stroke his fragile ego by throwing a few words of flattery his way and he'll be putty in Un's hands.
41
Loving the scholarly “Trumpian”. Thank you for that one, Heritage Society. I suspect it’s likely future usage will boil down to blithely making a big awful mess of things.
Donald himself is already engaged in furiously congratulating himself for RSVPing, I guess. There is precious little outside the orbit of his ego that would demand recognition.
Assuming appeasing White Supremacists is not your thing.
14
Thomas Wright, think before you speak. Or, at least provide us with an original thought.
I think Trump meeting Kim will only benefit Kim by looking like an equal to a President of the USA. If the meeting really happens it should be in the US but Kim is afraid to leave his country because he could be toppled.
“Trump actually has a really good track record of talking to other leaders,” Mr. Carafano said. “We ought to get beyond this thing that he’s going to be stupid. He’s now met with dozens of world leaders. This is actually where he shines, meeting with other leaders and looking very presidential. The fact that he would want to look the guy in the eye is very Trumpian.” Does anyone think this guy is blinded by bias, I do. He most certainly does no look presidential and when he speaks any remote likeness is removed.
Kim probably has his weapons and is playing the USA like a drum and Trump is going to reward him. The West does not understand the Asian mind and suffers because of it. I hope Trump has Asian advisors on this but that won't happen with this President because he is a bogot.
19
Wow! Trump the ultimate airhead. He has NOT done anything yet. They have not even set up a meeting.
Reminds me of "Mission Accomplished". Anyone remember that?
21
Given the personalities involved, it'll be a theatrical face-off photo op that will serve each one's purpose. For Trump to satisfy his ever looming egomania and for Kim to legitimize his power and country.
19
Trump has proven over and over again that he has done and will continue do what no other president has done: He has destroyed the sanctity of the office of the president and will leave behind a stain that no amount of scrubbing will remove.
Trump can have his meeting with Kim. All the North Korean despot has to say is, "Great hair, Mr. Trump", and he will have him in the palm of his hand.
27
Our great leader changed his mind? Say it ain't so! How will Kim know whether he's going to change his mind about any deal he makes?
7
Nixon went to China and I think most would agree that was a positive move that no one would have expected before it actually happened. (Probably a better deal in the long run for China, but still good for the whole world) As much as I am in the camp that believes Trump is a totally ignorant doofus who knows nothing about history, or current international affairs, and is even less knowledgeable about what would bring about the best possible result of any negotiation. Nevertheless we must wait and see what he is now capable of doing. Let us hope though that he goes to negotiations with North Korea with really knowledgeable aides who can guide him without giving away the store to those N. Koreans more sophisticated than himself, as Trump is wont to do.
2
Trump hasn’t even sat down to talk to Kim and already he’s bragging that only he can resolve the NK problem. Imagine how he will boast after the meeting even when he failed. His supporters will applaud his failure and blame Kim rather than trumps ineptness.
14
Beyond comparing the size of their nuclear buttons, the president is jumping at the chance to personally meet another dictator, besides Putin and Duterte. One wonders why wunderkind Jared Kushner wasn't invited to negotiate peace proposals as the president claimed he could do in the Middle East.
7
We know it and the world knows it: Kim Jong-Un the young wily madman will be negotiating with a narcissistic, unschooled in diplomacy and world history fool. We will also see the results of Trump’s neglect of the State Department.
My fear is that Trump will make promises that he cannot or never plans to keep—-just like he does in business. He has no respect for the North Korean leader. And then he will come back claiming something said by Kim Jung-Un that he never said. After all, everything is all about Trump so he will come back making himself look like the greatest President ever with his penchant for lying about everything.
I for one hope that that this proposed meeting never happens. The stakes are too high for us to put the fates of so many in the hands of someone like Trump.
8
The economy added copious jobs this month and Trump is the first President to meet the isolated NK leader. Responses by commentators from the left of late is a disgrace and fairly unpatriotic. Despite areas where we fundamentally disagree the President is actually making progress in other areas and I am not so vindictive as to deny this. Democratic pundits need to grow up.
2
Kim Jon Un should not be underestimated. He will say yes to denuclearize North Korea but will immediately demand simultaneous denucleariziation of the USA.and possibly all nuclear states. This Mr Trump will not agree to, and that will bring an end to the talks.
2
I haven’t been happy with anything Trump has done yet - this really weird guy just totally creeps me out, but if he can pull off some kind of rapprochement with North Korea, I’ll gladly give him credit for that. In a strange way, perhaps his crude, bombastic style has earned Kim Jong Un’s respect and willingness to talk. At least we can rest assured that Trump won’t start WWIII while meeting with Kim on the ground in Korea. After that, who knows? He does have a proclivity to make surprising and provocative announcements while in the air...
1
“Trump actually has a really good track record of talking to other leaders,” Mr. Carafano said. That statement just proves that a Mr. Carafano is oblivious to reality. The only positive track record of President Trump talking is to Putin.
15
There is a thin line between confidence and arrogance. Trump crossed it long ago.
7
Trump wants a Nobel Peace Prize. (Remember those two “nominations” of Trump deemed to be forgeries by the Norwegian Police? Turned over to our FBI for further investigation?)
But even should Peace come for the two Koreas, the president of South Korea is the one who deserves the prize.
Trump should never be given any prize, except being the Winner of Impeachment. He is certainly not bringing Peace to the US. On the contrary, he is a source of neverending conflict, chaos and crisis. At home and abroad.
Let him meet with Kim if he wants to. But he is no peacemaker!
6
Summitry between two very temperamental egotistical men comes at a very high-risk, especially when you have in Donald Trump a very unprepared man, who believes "Only I can fix it!" Moreover, Mr. Trump has shown a tendency to offer poison-pill deals as with DACA that in the current situation would only lead to an escalation of tensions. Unless expectations are tampered down, we may be faced with brinksmanship not witnessed since the Cuban Missile Crisis between "Little Rocket Man" and Big Rocket Man each with their unpredictable little fingers on their nuclear buttons.
1
Another Reality Show?
Step right this way, Ladies and Gents.
However, one should always 'Give Peace a Chance'.
But, in the meantime,
I've Got a Bridge to Sell You.
Would you buy a used car from either of these guys?
3
I bet that Kim is stroking Trump, buying time while he works a few more kinks out of his weapons systems. Trump probably takes Kim at his word, and believes that a fruitful meeting will take place; Trump's usual strategy is to charge forward and deal with the results as they happen. The lack of a strategy could be an advantage here; Kim can't develop a counter strategy to a plan that doesn't exist.
I've dealt with weasels before. They never allow a conflict to come to a final conclusion. It will be interesting to see how this plays out, and hopefully nobody will get incinerated by a nuclear weapon.
4
The thought of these two egomaniacs, meeting face to face, scares me! What possibly could go wrong? Perhaps Mr Trump, bragging immediately afterward, that he had brought Mr Kim to his knees? Then Mr Kim declaring all out war against the US?
1
Fools rush in.... Supremely confident because he is ignorant. But perhaps a fresh approach by someone not encumbered by past history and not smart enough to know what he doesn't know may in the long run produce positive results that those more intelligent and knowledgeable have in the past been unable to do.
2
What, you say that Trump has boasted, but not accomplished more than presidents before him? Here is a list of his notable accomplishments:
1] He won an election, rigged in his favor by a foreign adversary.
2] He equated violent, maniacal internal enemies, neo-Nazi's, to peaceful protesters, thereby violating his oath of office to protect the country against such enemies.
3] He has steadfastly avoided releasing his tax returns, which may prove that his continuing business interests violate Article I, Section 9, Clause 8 of the United States Constitution (the emoluments clause).
4] Set a new record for staff turnover during the first year of the first term.
Possible future accomplishments:
• Self-exile from the country prior to impeachment.
• If he doesn't resign or go into self-exile, conviction after impeachment.
8
This is ridiculous.
Trump is so very very clearly and obviously a malignant narcissist. Of course he is special. He is more grand than everyone else, and he spends a lot of time thinking and explaining how he is more special than everyone else. So of course he's the only one who can do a wide array of things.
Mueller can't work fast enough. God speed, Mueller. Please.
14
His 'personality' - what a joke. Everyone, including Kim Jong-un, knows how easy it is to take advantage of this man. Of course Kim Jong-un wants to meet him.
4
"Shocking and yet somehow not surprising ...."
Those words constitute this administration in a nutshell.
He needed both a porn star and a Playboy play mate to cheat on his third wife? Shocking but not surprising.
His former National Security Advisor is now an admitted felon now? Shocking but not surprising.
He flat out lied over why Junior, Kushner, and Manafort met with representatives of Russia to receive oppo research? Shocking but not surprising.
Our Attorney General committed internationally televised perjury when he denied meeting with Russians during the campaign? Shocking but not surprising.
Trump admitted on national television that he fired the Director of the FBI -- who found out about it from the news -- because he was investigating the Trump campaign's collusion with Russia? Shocking but not surprising.
Trump calls the KKK "fine people"? Shocking but not surprising.
According to a book written by someone with access to the White House (Fire & Fury), Trump won't read and everyone around him knows he is incompetent? Shocking but not surprising.
People in the White House who can't get security clearances were given access to top secret information anyway? Shocking but not surprising.
Federal taxpayers have to finance Trump properties because Trump golfs almost every weekend? Shocking but not surprising.
Trump's family are abusing their position to get hundreds of millions of dollars in loans ....
The list could go on.
15
Trump needs two chairs in the Oval Office: One for him, one for his ego.
Kim will give away nothing, gain prestige, and Trump will come away a blustering fool.
67
Can't be helped.
So he starts a trade war with Europe, and then he announces an unprecedented meeting with North Korea.
Nice try, but we're still talking about your porn star problem.
And Mueller's still coming to get you.
128
The world did not come to an end when Trump declared Jerusalem the capital of Israel. The ill will caused by that decision will exist for centuries. The damage done by Trump’s decisions will in many cases have to be dealt with by the Presidents that follow him.
14
I understand the general revulsion noted in the comments. The president broadcasts his weaknesses without fail, every day. I feel like I'm living in my own hostage video.
But this is true: In the face of Trump's unique bellicosity, Kim Jong-un has for the first time allowed for the possibility of eliminating his nuclear weapons -- the very goal we have sought for decades.
Who knows where that will lead? But in the meantime, a reasonable observer would have to say, Nice going, Mr. President.
4
I gave you a recommendation because you have hit on something that may be true with reasonable people, but wishful thinking non-the-less, because none of this administration, save for maybe Maddis, are reasonable people, they are all grifters.
The president might be full of surprises but not many people are surprised by anything he does anymore. His penchant for making news instead of making solid policy reflects his desire to make everything about him. This is a personality summit where both leaders get to look good for their people and both will be able to claim victory. On Trump’s European Tour, he acted fine, met with leaders and only elbowed Montenegro out of a picture. Then he came home and declared war against our allies. He might not get us into a war when he is in North Korea, but will he move anything forward, besides his ego?
7
Trump loves a meeting but has no interest in policy and has not hired any experienced, knowledgeable people to get anything done. The mass exodus of those that know how to get things done means he has no means to implement his agenda.
Just another episode of the President Apprentice: Trump can sign orders and that is about it.
6
Trump will have success in his negotiations. Kim will agree to halt all future nuclear arms development for al least ten years, and thereafter agree to live up to the obligations of the non-proliferation treaties. They will keep their missiles for defensive purposes and the agreement will be silent on their support to other terrorist regimes , such as selling chemical weapons to Assad. All existing nuclear weapons and materials will be transferred to China. The US will phase out all sanctions sequentially with Kim's actions; relieve North Korea from the steel tariffs; and enter into a Pacific trade agreement with both Koreas, China, Russia and the Philippines.
Trump will claim at this is the greatest deal the US has ever negotiated.
And all of the GOP will be happy.
1
That's just way to much for him to do.
And NK will go all solar so the US can sell more coal. ;-)
This development is a credit to Moon Jae In, not to Trump. He has met with Kim Jong Un since January. Two days before the invitation to Trump, Kim Jong-Un agreed to meet again with Moon Jae-In in April, about a moratorium on nuclear and missile tests, contingent upon an agreement to meet with the United States. The historic part of this is the stepping stone created by Moon, achieving what has not been achieved before, multilateral negotiations.
4
The participants in the meeting who will be under the most pressure will be the translators. Diplomacy involves careful choice of words, definitely not the sometimes incoherent, always impulsive Trump's strong suit.
6
It is heart-warming to see, when it comes to North Korea, everybody within the very narrow political spectrum joining voices to sing in unison: "We shouldn't legitimize the North Korean regime!" Or: "What kind of concession can we extort from 'them' evil-doers?"
There is no question of whether we should continue provoking North Korea at their doorstep with our missiles and destroyers and our (purely defensive) military exercises.
So long as we stand firm framing this issue in terms of Good (us) vs. Evil (them), and continue sleepwalking toward self-destruction, we are winning!
1
Remember the difficulty Reagan had walking away from Russian deal making. Trump won't be able to walk away from a bad deal, since that would mean failure. He might, however, renege on what ever deal he does make. That would be typical.
2
Kim will want to keep his nukes and negotiate a draw down of American security interests and resources on the Korean peninsula. In exchange he will agree to freeze testing for an indefinite period and suggest complete denuclearizaiton once the US is gone. Trump has set himself up to be taken. He has already committed the prestige of his office to a meeting with virtually no preconditions. Being Trump, he will be so anxious for a perceived successful outcome that he will end up negotiating away his diplomatic and military leverage for hollow promises from an untrustworthy government. Kim knows from his Chinese compatriots that Trump can be bamboozled with pomp and flattery, and he will use that character flaw to the North's advantage. Kim is just buying time again. We've seen this show before. It is also no coincidence that Kim's offer coincided with the first Vietnam port call by a US aircraft carrier.
2
.
Great! Our Enfant Terrible will give away the store in the 1st half hour.
He'll come up with ideas that strike him as grandiose ... and blurt them out! And, of course, he'll also say things he has no intention whatsoever of delivering on. Finally, he'll go petulant and display his inner frustrations.
Most important, though, as we all (should) know, having a discussion with a compulsive liar ALWAYS ends up in the gutter.
6
I recently came across an old college textbook of mine called “The Three Christs at Ypsilanti” by Milton Rokeach, which is probably not on college reading lists anymore and has been much criticized over the years for the research methods it employed; but which I found highly entertaining and revealing back when I first read it.
Basically, what the psychologist-author did in 1959 was get three sad inmates at the Ypsilanti State Mental Hospital in Michigan -- all of whom believed he was the real Jesus Christ-- assigned to the same dormitory room so he could sit back, study and enjoy the ensuing interactions among them.
The book remains highly relevant today because we are now living in a time when three bogus, mentally confused “Jesuses” -- Donald, Vladimir and Kim -- are in control of vast amounts of the world’s weaponry and intent on using it to display their manhood.
I wish we could confine all three of them in a dormitory room at Ypsilanti and watch and listen to their posturings, their antics, their bragging, their lies, their fears, their racial and religious antagonisms, their nationalistic longings and their wild explanations for why they are the way they are as they attempt to impress each other and the world.
And perhaps, on occasion, bring in Stalin, Mao and Hitler, to debate among themselves who really is the greatest man among them.
While we, safe and cozy in our beds, sit back to enjoy the greatest cast of villains ever assembled for a reality TV show.
24
In my training, I did a summer Intership at a VA hospital. They had a group therapy session for all the inmates every morning. One day a guy told the group: “I’m JC.” A voice rang out immediately: “You can’t be JC. I’m JC!”
I’m not sure either one ever gave ground or what happened. But I’ve never forgotten this incident.
1
a reali-TV show, what a nice idea, theoretically.
[and how wonderful if everyone could sit safe and cozy!]
alas, in practice, plenty of people have suffered
from the 'politicks' of these 'great' figures you mention.
TV always makes me think of gil scott heron's reminder:
"the revolution will not be televised, will not be televised ..."
Kim can portray Trump's acceptance as the US surrendering to North Korea due to Kim's powerful leadership.
Trump has already given Kim all he wants.
18
"He is prone to manipulation and flattery." Evident by the way in which the announcement was made yesterday by the South Koreans. trump will come away from the meeting with Kim Jung Un, saying it was a "great meeting, he's a really great person", and then nothing will change.
I'm all for solving the world's problems and ensuring world peace, but there is no way on earth that trump is remotely capable of achieving that. A meeting is one thing, getting something productive out of that meeting is quite another.
4
Possibly. But do U really think that Clinton would have arrived at this juncture? I sincerely doubt it. Most of the comments reveal a core hatred of Pres. Trump. This is better than nothing. Give the guy a chance.
Core hatred? Not really, I would suggest it is a fact-based understanding of this man, based on past experience. How many chances should be given to him? How many do-overs? And with respect to Ms. Clinton, the world would never have teetered on the precipice of a nuclear war after an exchange of macho comments about who has the bigger button.
There were some very astute comments made in this article. I fully agree with the opinions of these experts and thus very skeptical as to whether any real progress can be made by this tête-à-tête. I am really going to try not to expect the worst. It is difficult. I guess we should just all grab our popcorn and sit back.
It’s political theater manufactured by the Russians and Chinese, designed to give Trump a foreign policy win, thereby elevating Trump in Americans’ eyes, sowing further discord in American politics, giving Republicans a boost in the midterms, and keeping their Manchurian candidate in office.
The Russians continue to meddle in American politics. This is just the latest manifestation. Putin is the one playing three-dimensional chess.
11
A face-to-face meeting with the myopic ruler of an increasingly isolated country that is seeing the support of even its staunchest allies erode while its citizens are fed a steady stream of nationalistic propaganda to convince them of his singular greatness...
It's High Noon on the stage of international diplomacy, while behind the scenes the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists just nudged the Doomsday Clock closer to midnight. Mr Kim could very well emerge from this scenario appearing to be the elder statesman.
5
Besides pushing Stormy Daniels and Robert Mueller off the front page for a day or two (at most. Remember, it's Trump), it's hard to see this as a breakthrough. Kim needs a breather to refill the piggy bank for the next round of nuclear and ballistic missile testing. Trump needs to look Presidential, and might make concessions in return for a few of SK's usual nebulous, difficult to verify promises. I hope I'm wrong, but neither of these two have a great record of honoring their commitments.
4
With a know-nothing president negotiating at a summit: this is an acting gig for Trump, not serious business. Without doing his homework or listening to those who do, Trump will bluster for tweet and camera while Kim Jung Un will have prepared for what he wants.
Besides, with the present US record of not honoring previous agreements, our word is suspect.
(And does anyone really see Trump as a negotiator? Weapons, tariffs -- these are easy compared to treaties and discussions. And so much less fun for Trump.)
It's good to talk, but with Trump himself negotiating a good outcome will be inspite of Trump.
4
The first meeting EVER with North Korea is a monumental accomplishment. Give the guy some credit. He is doing a great job. Plus, it will be fascinating theater.
34
Trump did not accomplish setting up the meeting, the leader of South Korea did. Most of the 'great job' Trump has done is around tearing our country apart, making us a laughingstock, while the rest of the world moves on without us.
As long as someone like Trump is in office, backed by a GOP intent on making the rich richer and keeping the poor barefoot and pregnant, all the while taking credit for good things that other people did, no one in their right mind would trust us.
10
Wow, you think he is doing a great job? The problem with this meeting is that Trump now legitimizes North Korea, gives Kim a leg up and we get nothing. Kim will never close down his nuclear program. This is all to show that the North is a nuclear power on the same level as the US.
9
This kind of thinking is exactly what will give Trump eight years in office or a lifetime like Xi and Putin. There will be nothing left of America when he is done.
5
The president is not a diplomat, a negotiator or knowledgeable about North Korea or our nuclear program let alone theirs. So why is he going? To show everyone the he alone can do it. It doesn’t matter to him that he ill equipped to do this. It doesn’t matter that his going will probably end badly. He just want to show everyone that he alone sat across from Kim. This alone should scare everyone here and in and around Asia.
6
'World leaders want to meet with Trump'.
Well of course they do, he is the most easily manipulated president ever. A bit of pomp and circumstance and flattery and Trump will agree to anything.
The problem is ten minutes after the meetings he will change his mind.
This is all a reality show to Trump. All he cares about is Trump looking good.
6
The only thing Trump wants out of this meeting is to be received with a military parade in North Korea so that his ego is flattered. Then he'll decide if organizing a bigger and better one in Washington makes sense.
7
Re: Carafano's claim that the twit-in-chief actually shines in meeting with other leaders, looking very presidential. Really? The only leaders that really seem to appreciate him are the likes of Putin and Duarte. One can only imagine that the only lesson Trump will come away with after meeting Un is that he'll be surprised that negotiations around limiting nuclear weapons are actually much more complicated than he thought. Un is going to spin him like a top, stoking his fragile ego with praise...and nothing will be done. What was it that he once said when he was educated as to the complexities of health care in his still never ending attempts to kill Obamacare? "Who knew it was so complicated?"
9
No one but Trump's most ardent followers and sycophants will view this development with anything other than suspicion and cynicism. If this meeting even happens, it will be for all the wrong reasons. Be assured, Trump will embarass us once again.
9
Elvis meets Nixon. And NOT in a good way.
5
In order to succeed as a leader you need to know how to find and listen to subject experts. Trump seems incapable of both and will mostly be a failure for that reason. He thinks that the amount of money you have made is an indicator of being able to lead agencies - which is almost the opposite. He also believe that whatever "sounds good" to him must be right - which makes you an easy victim for snake oil salesmen.
8
Trump and Kim will get along great. Trump has demonstrated an admiration of despots from day one. He clearly hopes to be one himself one day. They have lots and lots to talk about.
3
Trump has proven he can boast of sexual assault with a reporter, discriminate against black people in housing (sued twice by Justice Dept)., have six bankruptcies, three wives, countless affairs, over a dozen allegations of sexual assault and harassment, make sexual references about his daughters, defraud via Trump University/Trump Institute, stiff thousands of vendors, make racist, sexist, and xenophobic statements, incite violence, etc. - and still manage to be elected President competing with an experienced, accomplished, learned woman. In these areas, he's managed to "achieve" what no other President or candidate has.
11
What does it matter what Trump does or does not agree to? We already know he'll change his mind before the ink is dry on any agreement. How many times do we have to go through the same thing over and over again before we stop this abomination?
4
I'm sure they can come to some agreement about Trump deals in North Korea - hotels, condos, golf courses.
That could open North Korea a little more to the world and provide further investment opportunities for the scoundrels of the world.
And the US certainly would not want to attack Trump properties.
3
Oh, come on.
Give POTUS a break.
Quoting all these aides, especially that guy from the 44th administration saying, this POTUS is not steeped in policy etc.
What president of recent memory was so steeped.
You never gave credit to the 43rd and everyone on these pages think 44th was so steeped. For heavens sake, he was a first term junior senator from Illinois - a farm belt state.
Diplomacy is as much believing in yourself and in your own country; and insisting on its values to be respected.
It has been said that if Mr Gore had been a president on 9/11 - his response would not have been that different from Mr. Bush. The Congress would have commanded him to go after Osama where ever he was regardless of what Mr Gore thought.
This North Korea is indeed a breakthrough. And it could be bigger than Nixon in China as there is a real possibility of a war here if these talks fail.
The POTUS has telegraphed his intentions by saying no more talks only denuclearization by North Korea.
So, let's support this POTUS rather than talk him down. He needs our prayers and support that he will do best what is good for America - that is all expected of him.
In another story, this Ms. Wendy Sherman has been quoted that they had prepared a 100 page agreement with Iran before 43rd took action. She implied heavy preparations.
Heck, we know that agreement was never submitted to Senate because 43rd knew it would never be ratified.
3
Mr. Kim will flatter Mr. Trump into accepting his nukes and missiles. Trump loves trust and respects bigots, autocrats, tyrants and thugs who praise him. That is the lesson of Putin, Xi, Salman, Erdogan, Duterte, Netanyahu and el-Sisi. With the helpful family talent and wise insight of Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, America has the triumphant troika to make this the biggest and best North Korea nuclear deal ever.
3
Predictable one-liners following a meeting with Kim Jung Un: "We've invited him to Miss Universe and we know he would like to go;" " he has done “a really great job outsmarting our country for years;" "I was in Pyongyang and I was in North Korea and they treated me so fantastically. I met so many incredible people;” “We're going to have a great relationship with Kim Jung Un and North Korea.”
8
The big question is: Will Jared or Ivanka be the chief negotiator for the United States of America in the negotiations with North Korea?
4
I will be more confident if the daughter of Trump and the sister of Kim would met instead. After all, Louise de Savoie, mother of king François I of France, and Marguerite of Austria, aunt of Charles Quint king of Spain and Emperor of the Holy Roman Germanic Empire, concluded "la Paix des Dames" in 1529.
I have no idea if a deal is struck but I can tell you they'll get along fine. They're two peas in a pod. Both are authoritarian, egotistical and their supporters think they're God.
The big question? Is the world big enough to add another autocratic mob boss to the Mutually Assured Destruction Society.
3
A photo-op meeting between a dictator, and a dictator wanna-be will only help the dictator.
6
Any self respecting adversary of the United States is at this moment moving past the very same collective disbelief that our country has been convulsed by and have realized that Trump's galactic stupidity is real. America's state of governmental paralysis is equally real. This is a land grab for fiscal and geopolitical clout. If they know what's good for them our other enemies will do the same.
4
He's been "doing what no one else can do" since 1/20/17. A man without a moral cell in his body, a font of ignorance and ego, he's been deconstructing democracy every single day of his presidency.
10
Regardless of whether this meeting ever takes place — and in the event that it does — what Trump doesn't realize is that Kim's invitation elevates the North Korean leader to Trump's level on the world stage. Kim has achieved diplomatic parity with Trump, something none of his predecessors have been able to accomplish. So while Trump bloviates about how only he can make this meeting take place, it's Kim who already has the upper hand.
4
I find it terrifying to think that Trump will be sitting at the table with Kim Jong-un. His concern with impressing his base seems to constantly overshadow any possibility that he will bring forward any real gains. Everything he has done so far, such as pulling out of the Paris Accord, moving the capital of Israel and now, these new tariffs, has diminished our standing in the world.
311
And his "tax reform" has upped our national debt bigly.
"But the president’s aides said he was full of surprises..."
That's what worries me.
p.
2
Kim is setting Trump up for humiliation. Due to Donald's grotesque ego, he has fallen right into the trap.
10
As a long time policy wonk and reader of the Times, may I once again vocalize for myself and my colleagues: please stop citing fraudulent partisan organizations like the “heritage foundation” in the needless attempt to looked “balanced”. it demeans your efforts and reputation and validates lobbying not fact finding.
18
He and he alone... actually I doubt meeting will take place. If such a meeting were with North Korean leader and any President from past decades, I would cheer it on. But with Trump, interaction is fraught with danger. Trump is too ignorant, arrogant, impulsive and GULLIBLE to be trusted in negotiations.
7
Heavens. Does sending a mental 5th-grader to meet for talks with our number one nuclear threat make anyone uncomfortable besides me?
23
It makes me less uncomfortable than letting a community organizer who never held a private sector job in his life determine US economic policy via a "Pen & Phone".
Are you referring to the first black president of Harvard Law Review and professor of U.S. Constitutional law at University of Chicago whose administration oversaw one of the longest economic recoveries in U.S. history?
6
No, I am referring to a hologram constructed by the left whose transcripts have never been seen, whose class mates don't remember and who hasn't logged 3,000 billable hours since passing the Illinois bar.
Your spin not withstanding anyone could have spent 16 trillion tax payer dollars and achieved better results if they only spent it on goods and services in the US private sector.
That was the poorest excuse for a "recovery" the world has ever seen and it would have literally been cheaper to just pay off all of the failed mortgages of the 2008/2009 mortgage crisis and let people keep their homes and jobs.
James Jay Carafano, a national security scholar at the Heritage Foundation, is a liar or delusional.
There is not one thing he said about Trump & foreign leaders that's demonstrably true. Even Netanyahu plays his for a fool. Trump's just too egomaniacal to know it.
6
Trump doesn't have to "do" anything. His minions have already declared "mission accomplished." And any minute now his functionaries at Fox will announce that the "wicked witch" is dead.
Putin should be proud.
12
Trump could solved the North Korea problem and the Palestinian/Israel problem, and the media would still make fun of him and find fault and let us know how horrible he is doing....
5
probably because most of us would know that HE didn't do a thing but repeat what others told him to do!
PERSONALLY, I think there are other players behind the scenes here - on BOTH sides!
1
Trump can’t even get along with the prime minister of Australia.
“Trump actually has a really good track record of talking to other leaders”
The Heritage Foundation, like much of the right wing, has lost its marbles.
"While it drew loud protests from Palestinians, Mr. Carafano said, the world did not come to an end."
It is far too early to assess the impact... the move hasn't even occurred yet.
I've got to wonder why the NYTimes continues to legitimize the Heritage think tank given its disconnect from reality. They no longer offer credible perspectives.
132
He has a really good track record if you don't count any leaders from North or South America, Africa, Australia, Europe, or Asia....except maybe Putin.
I would point out to Mr. Carafano and other trumpian cheerleaders that there is a world of difference between "...looking very presidential..." and being presidential and clearly for me the incumbent is neither.
42
Mr Trump has run into a grifter even more adept at the art of the steal than he is. Mr Kim is playing him.
105
It may be that Kim is worried about a revolution to overthrow his regime. Can you imagine how badly those poor people are starving now that sanctions are in full effect?
1
If anybody would still trust Trump for a second, that person, in addition to Trump, would need a lengthy course of psychiatric/psychological treatment. Trump repeatedly, explicitly, and seemly forever now shows ample behavioral features of a dangerous mental disorder. Here is someone jumping into a discussion with another tyrant and where I'd love to be proven wrong about a recipe for disaster.
6
Mr.Kim and Mr.Trump are the two world leaders who most enjoy a good show!They appear to be teaming up to produce an Academy Award winner.This is not diplomacy, it is international adventurism with possibly severe consequences.Churchill and Roosevelt at Yalta did not move the despot Stalin, who had the blood of his people on his hands.What are the chances Mr.Trump will impress the despot Mr.Kim.
6
Because Trump thinks he can negotiate what his predecessors couldn't is the exact reason KJ-un is going to the table with him. When Trump is in front of any foreign leader, he makes concessions. KJ-un is going back to the "Dictator's Playbook" and placate us while they continue doing what they do. The North Koreans are buying time and this time they're going to get a windfall from Trump.
KJ-un will come away from the meeting as a great man having the American President simply meet with him. This is going to be some of the best propagandist material he has ever done.
Heck, they might as well play golf and KJ-un can show us all how he can have an 18 golf score.
7
Well, only Nixon could go to China. Maybe this will be one of the few decent moments in Trump’s White House tenure.
3
OK so Donald Trump has a host of grievous faults that make him unfit to be President and which endanger the world.
That being said, it is hard to see much risk involved in him talking to his North Korean counterpart. The NK regime isn't going to fall if Trump doesn't go. They are unlikely to do something untoward if he does go that they wouldn't have done anyway.
Trump will go there clueless of what is at stake: that can be taken for granted. He will do it for entirely personal reasons. He will return and misrepresent what actually happened. The news stenographers will write it all down.
And then the world will move on.
9
Better than an episode of The Bachelor. Well...maybe not.
1
Perhaps you could be more optimistic and save the Trump bashing until he actually meets with Kim?
6
It is humiliating and revolting to watch Trump debase our country and the office of the President by turning the most consequential affairs of state into opportunities for self-promotion.
98
Well put.
1
When Trump had the Presidential Seal plastered all over his tee markers at his private golf clubs he committed a crime.
He truly believes that he is “King of the World!” (Sorry Rose and Jack!) His dementia shows up more often in his “official presidential announcements” on Twitter. He talks about phone calls that never happened. He got South Korea mixed up with North Korea after a phone call from Moon Jae-In. (All those foreigners!)
I would BET that if he were given a world map he couldn’t even FIND the Korean Peninsula much less find my state Hawai’i.
2
And that is a bullseye in three lines!!
1
This is such a bad idea. If Trump had read Margaret Macmillan's THE
PEACEMAKERS about the Versailles Peace negotiations in 1919 he would have understood that the worst things happened when the 4 heads of state of Britain, the US, France, and Italy got together and hashed out their terms without their Foreign Secretaries and chief diplomats. The advantage of using diplomats is that they can play for time and say they have to check with their boss before committing. Trump thinks he knows better then anyone no matter what their experience. The idea of his going with his gut should worry everyone.
502
"If Trump had read Margaret Macmillan's THE PEACEMAKERS"... are you kidding? He doesn't read the daily intelligence briefs (and I emphasize the word "briefs").
DJT has proved to be undisciplined, truculent, easily seduced, lacking in intellect, and bereft of any historical context needed to conduct a reasoned negotiation. The only things these two "leaders" have in common is that they've succeeded by reasons of birth, that they both have bad haircuts, and that they are both basically thugs. While Trump has chutzpah, Kim has utter ruthlessness. Trump should be forwarned that "you don't bring a knife to a gunfight," there is an inherent mismatch and we should all be concerned.
4
If Trump were the kind of person to "read" anything, we probably wouldn't be as worried.
2
Trump is too lazy to read anything that does not have 6 lines and bullet points. Trump's presidency is terrifying;how will America be destroyed first? Economic collapse? Russians marching on 5th ave? Civil War? Ray Sipe
2
They are cut from the same cloth apparently. Maybe since Trump is alienating all of our allies, he wants to make a friend of another dictator.
9
Trump watches TV all day when he's not lying to the country on twitter or in some pre-arranged appearance with no press feedback. He sees this as a wonderful episode in "The Apprentice Goes to Washington," several episodes for the buildup, then the meeting and the followups. A couple of weeks to distract from Russia and Stormy. Don't you think Kim knows this? Don't you think S. Korea knows this? In the end blowhards are easy to manipulate.
7
"This is actually where he shines, meeting with other leaders and looking very presidential."
Like his meetings with Putin?
4
Perhaps Trump should resolve that issue with Stormy Daniels before taking on Kim.
3
And when he shoves other heads of state.
Who can argue with 6 bankruptcies, Stormy Daniels, Trump University, serial groping, the largest inauguration crowds ever and a big red button? Oh yeah, I forgot the Russian money laundering...and the neutering of the State Department. What could possibly go wrong?
218
Sorry, but “Trump actually has a really good track record of talking to other leaders”: since when?
According to my -European- point of view, it has been DISASTROUS for the USA: Being mocked by Canada, ignored by Mexico and declared utterly irrelevant by Europe, that man is. He is a buffoon, only thinking of himself, insulting intelligent people around him.
So, yes, let those 2 children play together, but make sure neither has access to the Red Button. They simply cannot be trusted...
139
@timo: the "really good track record" is set in quotation marks
i'm sure barbara from DC meant her "praise" quite ironically :-)
He can do what none of his predecessors could! What an accurate statement !
5
What nobody else should or would.
10
It's hilarious, and sad, how liberals just don't understand how the real world works. The typical politician talks all day and gets nothing done. Trump is a businessman who gets results. The professional diplomats have done nothing but yak while North Korea has developed a nuclear arsenal and the ICBMs that can deliver it. They were aghast at Trump insulting the little rocket man. Trump threatened Kim with his extinction and was obviously willing to back up his threats. Kim understands this. Why don't liberals?
5
God, it's alarming how Trumpists don't understand such precepts as honesty, compassion and decency. Nothing matters to them except money.
This is political theater orchestrated by Putin and Xi, designed to give Trump an empty, meaningless foreign policy ‘win,’ thereby elevating Trump in the American public’s eyes and giving Republicans a boost in the midterms, to keep this Manchurian president in office and further weaken America’s influence in the world.
The #1. rule, the sine qua non, for dealing with(manipulating) our Fake President, on all levels, in all situations, for whatever desired outcomes: Dramatically appeal to his all-controlling narcissism.
Congratulations, Mr. Kim. You're an impressively fast learner. Already, you've begun to reel in the Big Fish. An invite to Mar-A-Lago is in your future!
60
after all, what could go wrong?
16
Do you people read your own paper?
Kim Jung Un has not changed overnight. He has murdered his own step-brother, killed underlings by tying them to anti-aircraft guns and keeps millions enslaved and undernourished by world standards.
Trumps hardline policy has brought him to the bargaining table embarrassingly. Probably nothing will come of it. But, rather than inventing negative analysis to fill a daily frontpage quota; how bout giving a little credit when it is due?
5
Trump has no penchant for unpredictability. He's just too intellectually lazy to study .
17
Another sad attempt by the President to distract the American people from his collusion with Russia. His impetuous behavior only confirms the illegitimacy of the man and his administration.
49
More hubris! What is needed is more homework and discipline and less “personality.”
8
I hold no hope that a conversation between two undisciplined, narcissistic and mercurial people will be productive. If Trump manages to avoid behaving like a buffoon or provoking a nuclear standoff, he will greatly exceed my exceptionally low expectations of him.
6
Fools rush in.
Pride goeth before the fall.
Just sayin'.
7
Seems to me from all the reportage that Trump had little to do with this. It appears to be something that North and South Korean leadership brokered.
Of course, non-involvement never prevented Trump from taking credit where credit was not due.
And as in Charlottesville, there are good people on both sides ...
264
China called this meeting miraculous. This was reported on cnn
... am I naive to think that the 2018 winter olympics
might have had more to do with this 'rapprochement'
btw N & S Korea than the personality of the sitting POTUS?
or was that [window of] opportunity
about nothing but IMAGES as well,
i.e. not a lot of substance to build hopes
- and much less a peace treaty - on?
BRUCE A.
PERHAPS THERE ARE SOME GOOD PEOPLE ON THIS BOARD WHO SUPPORT THE PRESIDENT.
REGARDING CHARLOTTESVILLE: THERE WERE OBVIOUSLY SOME "GOOD PEOPLE" THERE, I.E., AMONG THE TOWN FOLK BYSTANDERS.
So, Trump thinks one narcissist can persuade another narcissist? Hilarious delusion!! They both are going to thrust out their chests and pound in rhythm....
10
Bully Bowl I and why are WE the away team?
Sadly, it has the feeling of campaign season when Donald ran to Mexico when President Peña Nieto's summoned him.
In that lesson in human behavior, we watched as the bigly-talking bully, then face-to-face with one of his targets, sheepishly failed to even bring up his number one campaign promise of a wall that Mexico would pay for. What a coward.
Hopefully this one also ends with a whimper.
6
Maybe Mr. Kim will provide Mr. Trump with some tips about becoming a ruler for life. Covfefe.
24
We all know he is goin to mess this up.
And the stakes are so high.
Hurry up Mr Mueller please!!
28
They’ll flatter him with a parade and be “nice” to him, prompting trump and he will then give away the store in favor of China and Russia.
4
Diversion from Stormy Daniels, Seychelles, Mueller, Trump/Russia conspiracy DeVos/Prince conspiracy..... Press should report, not be part of a diversion.
6
There is a saying in Irish 'athnionn ciarog ciarog eile' - which roughly translates as 'it takes one to know one' - or 'one pest recognizes another'. As the egocentric psychologies of both these men are so similar, there is a possibility that they may be able to do a deal together; on the other hand, that psychology is so flawed, they might just end up blowing up the world just to show who is the 'best'. At least the N. Koreans have the excuse of not having elected their egocentric bullying 'dear leader' ...
4
I see a fiasco.
6
Don't worry, he will bring his No.1 expert on N. Korea: Dennis Rodman
15
That's no joke. He has no Korea experts on his team at all. The details are documented in the Washington Post today. But Trump never listens to experts anyway. HE is the expert on everything.
2
No, by meeting with N.Korea, Trump gains votes for 2018!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trump will stay in the news, and this will help Republicans to hold the House.
Attention wins, and Trump knows how to sustain media attention, whether he is right or wrong, honest or dishonest. Democrats still don't get this.
Attention wins.
===========
5
In reality, Israel and Palestine is resolved. Israel, period. What are you talking about, Peter, do you need God to come down here and spell it out for you?
1
Someone finally has told Kim that his legacy on the world stage is ruined. They're so isolated that it took the Olympics to put NK into the eyes of the world and the protestors to speak in public at the request of President Trump. N Korea is geographically in a perfect position to turn its National direction into the positive and join the world . Kim must understand that with President Trump he has nothing to worry about because every other Nation is in step with our vaunted President.This will be another great progression foward which no other Presidents have been capable of.
4
I do not think the United States and Donald Trump should focus first on North Korea's nuclear arsenal. My view is that the focus should be on planning a negotiation to the end of the Korean War and replacing the Armistice with a Peace Treaty. Everything else can follow from there.
19
i agree.
[and let's hope that the "everything else" which
"can follow from there" will be good things only.]
Prediction: President Trump will make promises to Kim that will prove impossible to keep for practical reasons related to our allies and foes in the Far East. When that happens, Kim will be nicely situated to continue to develop his arsenal because of the "double dealing" president who won't keep his word. In addition, Kim will then feel less pressure from the Chinese who want hegemony in the Far East.
122
Do I think Trump fully grasps the history and issues involved? No.
Do I think that he has the skill to navigate this sort of complex diplomatic interaction? No.
Would Trump be my first choice for the person to negotiate directly with N. Korea? No.
Do I trust N. Korea to honor any agreements that they make? No.
But it's still a lot better than the alternative.
15