Goings-on in North Korea

[Brian Peacock]

Kim Jong-undercover: North Korean security bars onlookers from snapping leader

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... _clipboard

[laklak]

This is gonna be interesting as all fuck.

[Forty Two]

Good luck to The Donald and all of his support personnel in Singapore. The table is set, and the opportunity to end the Korean War and stop the needless brinkmanship over a tiny peninsula is here.

I think that we cannot expect Kim to give up nukes for free, so we must be prepared to compromise and give Kim substantial concessions in return. Among those concessions, I think, will be denuclearization of the entire peninsula, and not just the north, and I think it may mean pulling US forces out of South Korea. That should not be a deal-breaker for us. I think we have too much of our military invested in South Korea now, and for decades. A large portion of South Koreans do not want our military there. While the presence of American forces does provide a significant deterrance to North Korean aggression, I think there are other ways to reliably deter them. Also, there will have to be financial concessions, lifting of sanctions, and the like.

I would envision a graduated path to denuclearization, where reasonable stepping stones (milestones) are reached. They do X, we do Y, they do A, we do B, they do C, we do D. Verification all the way, on both sides. And, ideally, there would be a dispute resolution system in place to quickly identify issues one side has with the other, and then get them heard and resolved.

Anyway, whatever the solution is, best of luck to all concerned. I want only the best for the Korean people on both sides of the border, as well as the best for the United States. If a reasonable deal can be worked out, it will also benefit the entire world as a whole, as one of the most dangerous flashpoints can be doused with a metaphorical fire extinguisher.

[laklak]

Yeah I wish them luck. I'm all for drawing down troops worldwide, it's an enormous expense and a thankless task. I certainly wouldn't want German or Russian or Chinese bases on U.S. soil, so I don't blame other countries for wanting us gone. The flip side is they'll likely need to up their defense spending, but that's long overdue IMO.

[Forty Two]

Well, the North Koreans are broken. They have a powerful military, but just powerful enough to make their defeat and the death of the Kims a bloodbath on two sides. They aren't going to invade South Korea again, and the best way forward is to make both the South and the North have more to lose by a war than to gain by a war. That means: trade and economic interdependency. Open up trade, and get goods and services flowing North. Improve the lot of the North Korean people.

[laklak]

Hard to keep 'em on the collective farm once they've had a Big Mac.

[Forty Two]

[Brian Peacock]

I see Trump is having his picture taken with increasingly senior members of the delegation on his way to meeting Lil'Kim.

[pErvinalia]

They just met. Kim looks nervous. CIA might have spiked his wheaties.

[Tero]

Are they having erections yet?

[Brian Peacock]

The historic meeting was a great success, really great, top of the line, really good. Bolton must be furious.

[Scot Dutchy]

Nothing was agreed. Just propaganda and the Orange Scrotum's hope of a Nobel peace prize.

[pErvinalia]

Basically - Trudeau, bad guy; Lil' Kim, good guy.

[Scot Dutchy]

In the Orange Scrotum's mind.

[Scot Dutchy]

Here is an analysis of what has been signed: not much.

What have Trump and Kim signed? We read between the lines

Document hailed by US president as ‘very comprehensive’ does not go much further than existing denuclearisation agreement