Unfortunately watching the President playground shout at North Korea is proving how inept he is.
The greatest strategy the US has is to utilize the weight of the world to apply pressure on North Korea and isolate it. We are seen as the leader in how to address the 'NK problem'. Trump's rhetoric, however, is driving a wedge between the US and its allies and has, impossibly, ceded some of the leadership over to China, the very country we don't want leading.
Trump's rhetoric has also provided cover/motivation for NK to ramp up their weapons program. They are launching more missiles and are threatening an atmospheric hydrogen test. They are able to do this because they can claim Trump is forcing their hand. It is not entirely true as they would want to regardless of his words, but his tweets and off the cuff comments provide the cover to do it in a way that they might have been reluctant to under previous administrations.
And finally, Trump's f'n stupid ass tweets are causing a problem. As reported today the NKs are taking his recent tweet as a declaration of war. They can then claim anticipatory self defense in striking US bombers. While that principle is unsettled in international law, the US has long argued it's a right and has employed it frequently. In essence, the North Koreans are using the US philosophy on defense to box in the US.
It really is watching someone play chess against a checkers player. The North Koreans are getting what they want and then some while the President is just happy he's getting on the news. It is sad and dangerous.
The greatest strategy the US has is to utilize the weight of the world to apply pressure on North Korea and isolate it. We are seen as the leader in how to address the 'NK problem'. Trump's rhetoric, however, is driving a wedge between the US and its allies and has, impossibly, ceded some of the leadership over to China, the very country we don't want leading.
Trump's rhetoric has also provided cover/motivation for NK to ramp up their weapons program. They are launching more missiles and are threatening an atmospheric hydrogen test. They are able to do this because they can claim Trump is forcing their hand. It is not entirely true as they would want to regardless of his words, but his tweets and off the cuff comments provide the cover to do it in a way that they might have been reluctant to under previous administrations.
And finally, Trump's f'n stupid ass tweets are causing a problem. As reported today the NKs are taking his recent tweet as a declaration of war. They can then claim anticipatory self defense in striking US bombers. While that principle is unsettled in international law, the US has long argued it's a right and has employed it frequently. In essence, the North Koreans are using the US philosophy on defense to box in the US.
It really is watching someone play chess against a checkers player. The North Koreans are getting what they want and then some while the President is just happy he's getting on the news. It is sad and dangerous.
