Guest MINDSETTER™ Clifford: From “Little Rocket Man” to “Honorable” Man. How Come?
Sunday, April 29, 2018
Donald Trump has gone from insulting, condescending, and totally undiplomatic bombastic language, threatening to exterminate the entire nation of North Korea, to now saying Kim Jung- un is an “honorable” man. What gives? Trump and the establishment were so bellicose and threatening they convinced South Korea that there would be a war on their peninsula. Senator Lindsey Graham thought a war with on the Korean peninsula would be “worth it” and did not think this was a big problem because “If thousands die, they’re going to die over there. They’re not going to die here. And [Donald Trump’s] told me that to my face.” Apparently, that was not too convincing to Koreans.
South Korean leader, Moon Jae-in, saw war coming and decided to take matters into his own hands and get the issues resolved before the US precipitated yet another war. He reached out to North Korean leader Kim Jung-un and was greeted by a very willing North Korea. Tremendous progress has been made, and Trump and the establishment, who formerly thought Kim Jung-un was irrational and evil, panicked.
Why panic? Several bad scenarios became evident to Trump and the establishment. The peace talks were proceeding smoothly and at a very rapid rate and the US was playing absolutely no role. Settling long-standing differences, formally ending the Korean War, and bringing peace to the peninsula, would mean a devastating blow to the military-industrial complex. If peace is secured there would be no justification or need for US troops and 15 US military bases in South Korea. The US never leaves military bases and the thought caused panic in the US.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTThe second scenario, even worse, is that once bases were out of the peninsula, it would only be natural for a united Korea to look to their neighbor, China, for peace and leadership. The entire Korean peninsula might decide their future was no longer hinged to the US and its military, but it would be better served having a regional powerful and friendly ally on their border; China.
Both these ideas are anathema to the US establishment and so Trump was, in a sense, forced to join the party, for if he did not, the US would be completely left out of any talks and settlement issues. So, suddenly Trump changed his tune, became Mr. Nice Guy, and agreed to meet with Kim Jung-un, thus abandoning a long-established US policy of never talking to, or agreeing to talk to, North Korea. Trump and the establishment have been cleverly manipulated into a position of having to come to the table and talk, by someone we formerly described as an irrational, crazy, madman.
Who knows where it will lead but one thing is for certain, the US will desperately do all that it can to destroy unification of Korea and preserve military bases. Even though we have over 900 bases around the world, you can never have enough in the eyes of the military-industrial complex.
Joe Clifford is a lifelong Rhode Island resident who currently resides in Jamestown. He taught history at Scituate High School for 32 years and now writes a weekly column in an online Oregon newspaper.
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