Buckle
up.
In
response to a provocative missile launch yesterday by North Korea, Secretary of
State Rex Tillerson reiterated in staccato political speak that we are no
longer interested in diplomacy in dealing with the North Koreans. Of
course we have not had diplomatic relations with North Korea for decades.
However, as everyone knows, the diplomacy aspect of the Korean Peninsula
problem is with the Chinese.
So
what does it mean? A proclamation that we (the US) will no longer "talk
about North Korea" is effectively announcing the planning of military
action.
The
likelihood that this posturing will lead to actual military conflict is
enhanced by a President who is mentally obsessed with short-term popularity. He
is fully aware, for example, that waning opinion of George W. Bush in 2001 was
reversed by 9/11 and continued to rise dramatically up to Bush's "mission
accomplished" speech on the USS Lincoln in March 2003. You know the
rest of the story. I don’t believe Trump cares about the rest of the story.
There
is good argument that increased diplomatic pressure on the Chinese, to the
point of threatening economic relations between the US and China (which
nether country wants), is in order to compel China to neutralize North Korea.
This would include allowing the Chinese to use military measures over the North
Koreans. However, the negative global aspects of Trump/Tillerson starting a
unilateral hot war on the Korean Peninsula are profound.
American leadership today in comprised of
self-serving amateurs. Don't be surprised if their personal interests guide our
Ship of State directly toward oncoming torpedoes.
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