
Despite the media glee over Korea, Trump is handling the situation in a masterful way. He knew that the chances of the North actually coming to the table were limited at best, yet he wanted to offer them the opportunity to enter the modern world if they would only operate by reasonable means of decency toward their own people and the safety of the world.
Kim Jong-un is a third generation thug who has spent what meager resources he has to try and threaten the world and America ever since the end of the Korean War and he has gotten away with it. Every time he or his family predecessors in power made threats of aggression, be they today's nuclear activities or other, America provided incentives if they would stop, yet they took the incentives and then violated the agreements. We gave them billions in food and technology aid to improve life in that country, only to watch them thumb their nose at America repeatedly.
I remember President Bill Clinton giving a speech saying that his provision of billions of dollars in aid would result in the end of the threat by North Korea for all time, yet it surfaced again quickly. And it wasn't just to Democratic leaders, George W. Bush made the same misjudgments and, of course, Obama continued on that path as the North enriched their nuclear capacity while her hungry people were reduced to eating grass. Torture and all forms of pain and suffering continued as the order of the day and young Kim even made a public display of killing one of his very own relatives by strapping him to a bomb and watching the explosion literally blow him to bits.
And then along came Donald Trump, a businessman with lots of international experience in dealing with many unsavory types and he decides to change the story. After watching the bellicose Kim continue to fire off rockets to test delivery capabilities for a nuclear warhead, all headed toward or over Japan, our ally, the President decided enough was enough. Responding with a show of force, he then offered Kim a seat at the table to discuss ending his nuclear ambitions in return for the opportunity to become part of the world community. There is no doubt that Trump would economically help him do so, but such help would come with tough measures unlike his immediate predecessors. The old Reagan "trust but verify" concept of action would be absolute and the verification would be ongoing, not lip service that was never to be really enforced.requirement would be and absolute requirement with routine oversight. If Kim wants to act like a sensible man and bring his people out of mire and the darkness (see satellite picture at the top), he must behave.
When, after agreeing to a meeting, Kim reneged on the preparatory stages with silence and continued to talk about America as a nation that should not be trusted, Trump just pulled the plug, saying that Kim would get no quarter acting that way. Trump did what a good leader would do, yet still left the door open if Kim wants to cooperate. And Trump also tied the actions taken by Kim to China, since Kim's posture changed after his recent state visit to Peking.
Will a meeting ultimately be held? We don't know, but we do know that our President will put our nation first in any decision or action. Unlike some before him, that is his prime responsibility. You made the right call at this time, Mr. President, and I salute you for it.