Last month, President Trump went before the United Nations and, among other things, essentially threatened to wipe another nation, North Korea, off the map entirely. He resorted to calling another world leader a name, referring to Kim Jung Un, referring to him as "Rocket Man," and suggesting that he was on a suicide mission. If North Korea went through with their threats - and they have made similar direct threats against the United States and other nations for decades, without ever actually going through with them - that North Korea, a nation of over 25 million people, would essentially cease to exist.
Then, in a series of tweets earlier this month, Trump went back to the name calling, and again escalated the situation with North Korea:
"I told Rex Tillerson, our wonderful Secretary of State, that he is wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man...
...Save your energy Rex, we'll do what has to be done!"
Then, in a series of tweets earlier this month, Trump went back to the name calling, and again escalated the situation with North Korea:
"I told Rex Tillerson, our wonderful Secretary of State, that he is wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man...
...Save your energy Rex, we'll do what has to be done!"
Then, this past Thursday, he suggested that before the press that this was the "calm before the storm," although he refused to elaborate on exactly what he was talking about, or what that comment was even supposed to mean. After all, hardly anyone who has paid attention to headlines over the last couple of months - a time when the United States has experienced record storms and a record mass shooting, as well as the headlines that an irresponsible "leader" obviously is intent on making - would suggest that this has been a "calm" time. Frankly, "calm" is not a word that I would use regarding world headlines particularly since around January 20th, and the news has felt unreal ever since. This is especially true of the news coming from the White House, under President Trump. Frankly, "calm" is about the last word that I would use to describe either these times, or Donald Trump, as a man. He is the farthest thing from "calm" that I know. Good and serious world leaders understand the need for calm. Donald Trump does not. Never has, never will.
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders suggested that this trademark guessing game is actually a well-planned strategy during a press briefing yesterday:
"As we've said many times before, I know the president has, as I have from this podium on quite a few occasions, we're never going to say in advance what the president's going to do. And as he said last night in addition to those comments, you'll have to wait and see."
Right.
Now, earlier today, Trump went back to the format that he seems to apparently like best, using his damned Twitter account once again to escalate tensions with North Korea in what he seems to feel is the ultimate high stakes game.
Again.
Here is what he tweeted:
"Presidents and their administrations have been talking to North Korea for 25 years, agreements made and massive amounts of money paid......
...hasn't worked, agreements violated before the ink was dry, makings fools of U.S. negotiators. Sorry, but only one thing will work!"
Now, earlier today, Trump went back to the format that he seems to apparently like best, using his damned Twitter account once again to escalate tensions with North Korea in what he seems to feel is the ultimate high stakes game.
Again.
Here is what he tweeted:
"Presidents and their administrations have been talking to North Korea for 25 years, agreements made and massive amounts of money paid......
...hasn't worked, agreements violated before the ink was dry, makings fools of U.S. negotiators. Sorry, but only one thing will work!"
Trump has suggested that his is a new approach to the office of the President. He assures us that he is in control, suggests that his administration is a well-oiled machine. He brushes aside any and all criticism, usually by suggesting that these criticisms constitute "fake news." And he continues to play with fire, quite literally. He is once again stoking the fears that many people around the world had hoped had been left far behind, using the threat of nuclear holocaust lightly, as a strategy, or even almost like a new kind of bargaining chip, like a terrorist who has hijacked a plane or taken a hostage, and now is making demands and threatening to kill unless his conditions are met by a certain made up deadline.
This is what scares me about Donald Trump: the sense that his unpredictability is actually a sign that he is dangerously unhinged, and prone to escalate dangerous situations with his newfound power and status now that he is president of the United States.
And here is what scares me about his supporters: they agree with President Trump. They think that he is a genius, unmasking some kind of brilliant game plan, as if all of this were indeed just a game, and as if we can come out the clear winners. Remember he promised that under him, the United States would just start winning and winning and winning, to the point that we would all be sick of all of the winning? Well, his supporters actually seem to believe that this guy is a winner, and has their best interests at heart. They believe that he is a man of action, a brilliant strategist and tactician playing a high stakes game, and able to outmaneuver weaker opponents.
The possibility that he is irrational, petty, vindictive, and overly emotional to the point of instability, never seems to cross their minds. No, they feel that he is a cool operator. Wait and see, he says, and they reiterate. He knows exactly what he is doing, you just have to have faith. In the end, he will have the country winning in no time.
Right.
An irresponsible, highly emotional, highly immature world leader with an unbelievable ego is poking his stick into the fire, and loudly threatening a much weaker, much smaller nation in typical bully style. Surely, many of his supporters would feel that this is refreshing, that this is how a "real man" indeed handles things.
Surely, they must be aware that Trump is a gambler, that he has owned casinos and has used high risk strategies towards the building of his egotistical financial empire. They must know what that it is a gamble, but I wonder if they have actually considered the question that many more rational people now seem to be addicted to, should Trump, a man with absolutely no experience with wordly affairs before being elected president, yet with an unreasonable belief in himself and his infallibility, should actually lose this gamble:
What's the worst that can happen?
We can answer that question, of course. North Korea is bordered by both Russia and China, and both of those are very powerful nations, with serious arsenals of nuclear weapons, and other weapons of mass destruction. China has suggested that it will remain neutral, so long as the United States does not actually attack North Korea.
But if it does? What's the worst that can happen?
I wish someone would tell President Trump. Or rather, since surely someone has suggested this, I wish President Trump would listen, and would do something that he has never been known for, and show some restraint and modesty, before he actually does lose his big gamble, and brings the entire world down with him.
Trump Just Woke Up And Implied He Wants To Start A War BY ROBERT HAFFEY PUBLISHED ON OCTOBER 1, 2017
An irresponsible, highly emotional, highly immature world leader with an unbelievable ego is poking his stick into the fire, and loudly threatening a much weaker, much smaller nation in typical bully style. Surely, many of his supporters would feel that this is refreshing, that this is how a "real man" indeed handles things.
Surely, they must be aware that Trump is a gambler, that he has owned casinos and has used high risk strategies towards the building of his egotistical financial empire. They must know what that it is a gamble, but I wonder if they have actually considered the question that many more rational people now seem to be addicted to, should Trump, a man with absolutely no experience with wordly affairs before being elected president, yet with an unreasonable belief in himself and his infallibility, should actually lose this gamble:
What's the worst that can happen?
We can answer that question, of course. North Korea is bordered by both Russia and China, and both of those are very powerful nations, with serious arsenals of nuclear weapons, and other weapons of mass destruction. China has suggested that it will remain neutral, so long as the United States does not actually attack North Korea.
But if it does? What's the worst that can happen?
I wish someone would tell President Trump. Or rather, since surely someone has suggested this, I wish President Trump would listen, and would do something that he has never been known for, and show some restraint and modesty, before he actually does lose his big gamble, and brings the entire world down with him.
Trump Just Woke Up And Implied He Wants To Start A War BY ROBERT HAFFEY PUBLISHED ON OCTOBER 1, 2017
Trump tweets 'only one thing will work' with North Korea by MSN.com, October 7, 2017:
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