The Trump/Kim Summit - USA v No. Korea - General Discussion

[Foolmewunz]

For those of you living under a cabbage leaf, it has been announced that the little blusterer and the big blusterer are going to get together for a summit.

It is to take place, purportedly, sometime in May.

This merits its own thread and might even belong in general politics(of the Non-USA sort) but most of the people following the story probably find their threads in USA Politics. But move it if you must.

> Will the "summit" actually take place?
> Is Kim pulling one of the famous North Korean feints and will hold the talks come away with a billion barrels worth of oil, six million tons of wheat and a new PlayStation, and then go "Ha ha just kidding, we will destroy you!"
> Is Donnie Johnny in the least serious? Or has he been painted into a corner by breaking events in South Korea and is now politically pressured into putting up a good show? Will he scuttle the whole thing.
> Is there a possibility that either or both sides are sincere about this and not just looking for the photo ops?

 

[Darat]

Don't know if it will happen or not but at least it means armed conflict is less likely over the next few months, which has to be a good thing.

 

[aleCcowaN]

I don't think Trump has created conflicts just to solve them. Trump and Kim will tighten their tacit alliance to exploit their conflict so any better condition will only be the calm parts of the roller-coaster ride both exploit politically.

 

[a_unique_person]

I would bet China is behind this. What will be the quid pro quo? Tariffs? Nine dash line?

 

[lionking]

Doubt it will happen because both will want guarantees they will "win".

 

[smartcooky]

Trump and his advisors need to do some reading, particularly in the area of USA-Japan political and economic relations in the period 1937 to 1941.

 

[lionking]

Trump read?????

 

[ddt]

Trump read?????

Smartcooky said "Trump and his advisors". I think he meant: Trump's advisors have to read (etc.), they'll make a summary and hire a graphic artist who depicts the summary in a one-page comic strip.

 

[The Great Zaganza]

Kim-Jong won't give up the nukes he already has, but he might promise not to make more.
Any actual disarmament would be a big surprise to me.

 

[Arcade22]

Trump is being played by the North Koreans. They want the prestige, status and validation of being seen as an equal to the US which has been it's main enemy. With nuclear arms at least theoretically threatening continental US, having meetings with an American President will allow them to claim that they brought the Americans to the negotiation table.

If a meeting happens it would be a huge propaganda coup for North Korea.

 

[Squeegee Beckenheim]

https://twitter.com/ArmsControlWonk/status/971901314090205184

North Korea has been seeking a summit with an American president for more than twenty years. It has literally been a top foreign policy goal of Pyongyang since Kim Jong Il invited Bill Clinton. (1/3)

I wonder if Trump's "aides" have explained that to him. Or, if in their toddler-handling, they have led him to believe that this offer is something unusual. Or perhaps he imagines that only he can go Pyongyang. (2/3)

This is literally how the North Korean film "The Country I Saw" ends. An American President visits Pyongyang, compelled by North Korea's nuclear and missile programs to treat a Kim as an equal. (3/3)

PS: To be clear -- we need to talk to North Korea. But Kim is not inviting Trump so that he can surrender North Korea's weapons. Kim is inviting Trump to demonstrate that his investment in nuclear and missile capabilities has forced the United States to treat him as an equal.

 

[Squeegee Beckenheim]

https://twitter.com/W7VOA/status/971916749494013952

“At this point we’re not even talking about negotiations,” just a meeting between the two leaders.

 

[The Great Zaganza]

Yep, that is the message Trump is sending: if you want the US to deal with you on an equal footing, make the president come to you, threaten the US with WMDs.

 

[Squeegee Beckenheim]

https://twitter.com/r0wdy_/status/971917043686563840

Holy Jesus, we're not even going to negotiate anything, just meet?

That's somehow even worse. You don't meet with a regime who feeds newborns to dogs just to chat.

https://twitter.com/bungdan/status/971905012883312640

US position for 20 years been that no direct talks with N. Korea - ever - until they had verifiably stopped their nuke program. Trump just gave that position away to buy a 24 hour news cycle free of Russia and his porn star mistress. #MAGA!

 

[Norman Alexander]

Trump is being played by the North Koreans. They want the prestige, status and validation of being seen as an equal to the US which has been it's main enemy. With nuclear arms at least theoretically threatening continental US, having meetings with an American President will allow them to claim that they brought the Americans to the negotiation table.

If a meeting happens it would be a huge propaganda coup for North Korea.

This.

Kim is under no pressure whatever to do anything but smile and look leaderlike for the Nork cameras. Donny will be edited to look like a bumbling capitalist fool...not a stretch. The footage will be shown globally behind their ace newsreader lady, proclaiming the greatness of Kim and NK in strident tones. Yet again.

Meanwhile Donny will have yet another PR disaster on his hands, having been shown up as the art of the bad deal maker yet again. Hey look! China!! Mexicans! Muslims! Beautiful big wall!

 

[aleCcowaN]

The secret weapon of Trump's is a post-it with "I hear you" written in it.

 

[fuelair]

Dumpf dumbf trumpf!!!! What is it called when two raving ******** meet???????

 

[Craig4]

I'm curious about where this will happen. North Korean leaders are famed for never flying, always traveling on an armored train. Will Lunch Box go to the South? I doubt the DoD or Secret Service would support a meeting at the DMZ. Vladivostok is an option as are a couple of cities in China. Of course the Russians and Chinese would want something to use their territory.

Kim can't go to the South, give up anything to the US and then return. The loser always goes to the victor.

 

[Mark F]

Of all the presidents we have had since 1950 who could have met with the leader of North Korea, why this one?

 

[TragicMonkey]

Don't know if it will happen or not but at least it means armed conflict is less likely over the next few months, which has to be a good thing.

I'm thinking there has never been an event more likely to trigger a nuclear war than those two malevolent narcissistic toddlers meeting.