Goings-on in North Korea

[laklak]

What's the alternative? We could kick his ass, I suppose, assuming the Chinks didn't strenuously object the way they did last time.

[Sean Hayden]

I never thought we'd meet with Kim. North Korea is part of the axis of evil after all. Why bother spinning this? Just accept it's pretty fucking cool man, and not something any of us would have expected.

[laklak]

Because you might get accused of being a Trumpanzee? At this point The Donald could cure cancer, end war, negotiate a treaty with benign reptilian aliens, develop a working FTL Warp Drive, join the Galactic Federation, give every man 2 mo' inches of dick, and it wouldn't make any difference. Trump Derangement Syndrome is a real thing, just watch Robert De Niro. He's literally unhinged.

[Sean Hayden]

I'm not watching that. I've seen it pop up everywhere and I've resisted so far.

[laklak]

Watching the morons on both sides frothing at the mouth, while amusing, is getting a bit tedious. Everybody needs to grow the fuck up.

[Forty Two]

Yes, they have to keep going - a de-nuclearised South-East Asia is far better than the alternative. The propaganda benefits play out at home rather than internationally, and the crazy Rocketman gets to tell his adoring worshipers about how the leader of the world's greatest military force was honoured to meet him and willing to bend to NK's will. In effect, those poor people have just had their oppressive tyrant endorsed by US. And now NK's main trading partners, Russia and China, can get back to businesses as usual.

Well, I'm not sure what one would want Trump to have said to Kim, that he was doing him a favor by meeting him?

The US has been openly not endorsing the Kim regime for 70 years, and that hasn't helped those poor people. Perhaps a better way to help them would be to remove the threat of an annihilating war, and normalize the country's economy to some degree.

[JimC]

Early days, but I accept it for the moment as a tick for Trump...

[Rum]

This apparently (according to the Beeb) is the vidoe Trump had made and showed to the little fat guy as part of their meeting. I'm somewhat - well actually 'utterly' is a better word - flabberghasted if thois is the level at which this shit happens. Jesus fuck.

[Seabass]

Because you might get accused of being a Trumpanzee? At this point The Donald could cure cancer, end war, negotiate a treaty with benign reptilian aliens, develop a working FTL Warp Drive, join the Galactic Federation, give every man 2 mo' inches of dick, and it wouldn't make any difference. Trump Derangement Syndrome is a real thing, just watch Robert De Niro. He's literally unhinged.

Well, when The Donald cures cancer, ends war, negotiates a treaty with benign reptilian aliens, develops a working FTL Warp Drive, joins the Galactic Federation, and gives every man 2 more inches of dick, I'll re-evaluate my opinion of him. Until then, I'll continue to hate him like the lying, duplicitous, corrupt, racist, authoritarian, xenophobic, conspiracy peddling, anti-environment, anti-science orange asshole that he is.

[JimC]

China is onto a good thing with this deal: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-13/t ... ia/9862214

US President Donald Trump called the declaration signed at end of the summit with Kim Jong-un "comprehensive" but it only contained four generalised main points and was very light on detail.

It was more of a statement of intent on denuclearisation, and a commitment to a "lasting and stable peace" with unspecified "security guarantees" to the North Korean leader.

The statement details the two leaders' plans to cooperate on denuclearisation and peace on the Peninsula.
In a press conference at the end of the summit, Mr Trump seemed convinced that "it would be complete denuclearisation and would be verified as soon as possible," and that his deal is very different to any other.

He asserted "it was a bold step to a bright new future" and "only the most courageous can make peace".

Surely the sentiment was there, but it didn't answer many of the concerns or provide the substance of how denuclearisation, stability and peace might be achieved for the region.

At this early stage China is a clear winner.

For the last year the middle kingdom has been calling for "a suspension for a suspension" and in one of the few concrete measures that's exactly what Mr Trump conceded.

He said all joint US and South Korean war games would cease, to match a freeze of North Korean nuclear and missile tests.

It's a signal to China that their demands are being met and raises hopes that China's strategic interests can further be served.

In the coming rounds of meetings and negotiations China will push for at the very least a 'redefinition' of the 28,000 US troops in South Korea to 'peacekeepers'.

Mr Trump himself said he eventually wants the troops to come home.

This is a golden opportunity for China to consolidate its ambitions of dominance in Asia.

The American troop presence in South Korea — with their massive bases — are the biggest projection of US power into the region. With a dilution of that China stands to gain.

Over the years, Radio National's Rear Vision has examined the story behind North Korea and the Kim family.
It could represent the first opening for China that sees itself surrounded by US bases in South Korea, Japan, Guam and Philippines.

China's relationship with North Korea, regardless of what is to happen between the US and North Korea, has been repaired.

So for Mr Trump to return to 'maximum pressure' with sanctions will prove very difficult.

China provides 90 per cent of trade to North Korea and sanctions have only really worked because China turned the screws over the last year on coal, iron-ore, seafood and North Korean labour.

China is already lining up to take advantage of any opening up of North Korea and it is well positioned to do so.

Already three massive industrial/free trade zone areas exist on its border with North Korea and large infrastructure projects like new bridges are ready to go.

China wants to take advantage of the North Korean labour, which will be among the cheapest in the world.

It also want to use deeper economic ties to boost the sluggish economic growth in its north eastern provinces.

So it was no surprise that China's Foreign Ministry called for sanctions to be eased soon after the signing to the joint declaration in Singapore.

[Forty Two]

[laklak]

Imagine that crone in the Oval Orifice.

[Forty Two]

[Forty Two]

[Sean Hayden]

You're still mad at Hillary dude?