Trump's big North Korea deal is already turning out to be a sham

[DonViejo]

By Brian Klaas
July 2 at 2:11 PM

Do they give out Nobel Peace Prizes for praising and appeasing brutal dictators who threaten nuclear war — without getting anything in return?

President Trump claimed he would use his world-class dealmaking skills to convince North Korea’s dictator, Kim Jong Un, to surrender his nuclear weapons. Instead, Trump got played. Kim, who pledged in wishy-washy language to “denuclearize,” is now accelerating his nuclear program. The nuclear threat from North Korea — and the risk of a preemptive war launched by Trump — are both growing. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is heading to North Korea this week hoping to contain the fallout.

Twenty days ago, Trump shook hands with Kim in Singapore. At the summit, Trump played the role of apologist in chief for Kim’s human rights abuses while praising Kim as a “very talented” person because he can “run it tough.” In North Korea, “running it tough” means executing dissidents, torturing political prisoners in gulags and threatening to wipe a few U.S. cities off the map with a nuclear blast.

The White House and Trump’s surrogates insisted that the unsavory handshake would be vindicated. They claimed we were witnessing a history-making deal from a history-making dealmaker. Former presidents, guided by experts who understood every intricacy of North Korean politics, had failed. All it would take from Trump, they claimed, was a one-on-one handshake, a photo-op and some touting of North Korea’s prospects for developing beachfront resorts. Hit by that sophisticated diplomatic approach, Kim would trade missiles for condos. Then, the president’s cheerleaders argued, Trump could accept his well-deserved invitation to Oslo. It was visible then. Now it is being revealed as fatally naive.

Sunday, the Wall Street Journal reported that North Korea is rapidly completing a major expansion of a key manufacturing facility for missiles — missiles that can strike American allies, American military bases in those allied countries and, yes, the mainland United States.

more
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/democracy-post/wp/2018/07/02/trumps-big-north-korea-deal-is-already-turning-out-to-be-a-sham/

[ProudMNDemocrat]

1. Post this on your Facebook Timelines........

I just did. Of course, I will get some Trumpers angry at me, but this is an important article people
NEED to read if they care about their families and their futures.

[soryang]

2. This process is hanging in the balance right now

While US Ambassador Sang Kim is in S.Korea right now, probably getting ready to meet with working level negotiators from North Korea, Sen. Graham is issuing death threats against Kim Jong Un.

A nuclear program decades in the making cannot change much in three weeks. Many experts agree, that nuclear armed Dando ICBMs are not perfected in terms of reaching the US, and that the suspension of nuclear tests and missile tests was very timely.

These alarmist articles are part of the framing of the meeting with Pompeo to pressure Kim to give up substantial concessions. That's giving the tone of these articles the best possible interpretation.

미국의 압박 American pressure in advance of the anticipated negotiations this week is how the South Korean media are describing this.

[struggle4progress]

3. Didn't the Post get the memo? NK is our friend now! Our new enemy is Canada!

Because 54-40 and 18-12! Also we're going to build the biggest most bestest wall along our border with Canada! And Mexico is going to pay for it!

[gratuitous]

4. 20 days ago? Ancient history

Might as well cite cuneiform tablets. Trump doesn't remember what he said or promised all those days ago; why are you bringing that all up again? How uncivil, particularly that possibly snide "sophisticated diplomatic approach" characterization. You just hate America and want Donald Trump to fail, don't you?