Running North Korea freakout thread

Because McGovern would've been too busy crawling on his belly to the Kremlin!

 

I did like Trump's joke this last week. "People are worried about North Korea. Sitting down with a madman. Well, that's his problem, not mine."

 

Just kidding!

White House: Never Mind the North Korea Meeting, Trump Was Just Babbling

 

Another official directly contradicted Sanders not an hour later. So who the hell knows?

 

Man, this admin is infuriating. Here's Sanders today:

"They have made some major promises. They have made promises to denuclearize. They have made promises to stop nuclear and missile testing," Sanders said. "We're not going to have this meeting take place until we see concrete actions that match the words and the rhetoric of North Korea."

There's a huge difference between a promise to denuclearize and a promise to stop testing as a precondition for the meeting, particularly if there is to be some sort of independent verification of the former. Kim only agreed to the latter, i.e. that he'd stop testing until the meeting.

However, he didn't agree to denuclearize before the meeting. Even Trump, in trying to fudge it, Tweeted that Kim "talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze." But Kim sure as heck didn't promise to do so. From his perspective, that's a big part of what the meeting is about – dangle the possibility of denuclearization as the carrot and see what he can get. (Then figure out a way to get around any agreement.) He's not going to start denuclearizing before the meeting. That gives up his leverage, and defeats their entire purpose of building a nuclear arsenal.

The problem is that the stated policy of this administration before Trump's Most Exciting Rose (Garden) Ceremony Yet yesterday was half of what Sanders said – that NK must take concrete steps to denuclearize as a precondition for any meeting. Trump either didn't know that was the policy, or didn't care. As President, of course, he has the right to change policy. Except even his senior staff seems to genuinely not know whether he simply wasn't aware what our policy was, or that he consciously changed it. And maybe Trump himself doesn't even know, since what he thinks depends almost entirely on the day and context.

But how bout those tax cuts!

 

Even if NK promises to denuclearize, how will we able to verify a damn thing? You know that they're not going to allow inspectors full access.

Its just Trump engaging his mouth before putting his brain in gear again.

 

Is there a damn soul at the White House who actually knows what's going on?

 

Just keep whatever breaks on DT below the cover and you’re golden.

 

Heh. Like we care if/when the inspectors say, "Nothing here!"

[/Iraq]

 

If Dennis Rodman can't serve as the intermediary, who will?

Planning Begins for Kim Jong-un Meeting Some Trump Aides Believe Will Never Happen

 

Past presidents haven't met with North Korean leadership because the Kims have wanted the opportunity to use such a meeting to establish their legitimacy.

I fear the slip-shod way this has come together and the overall sloppiness of the current administration will lead to disaster. Trump could easily say the wrong thing, make an outlandish promise, agree to something without knowing the consequences, and any other nightmare scenarios.

Yes, negotiations for a non-nuclear North Korea are good. But you'll forgive me for being terrified that Trump is involved.