You’re looking at it from a Western viewpoint.
More western involvement leads to exposure to the west, and ultimately a glimpse into what the rest of the world looks like.
All of which degrade Kim’s grip on his country- by keeping his people in the dark and scared, without exposure to what’s “normal”, he keeps absolute power.
The LAST thing that Kim wants is for his people to realize that there’s a better way out there- because that’ll ultimately lead to his downfall. Keeping his nukes is the ONLY way he can guarantee that he keeps his grip on power.
Put simply, not only does these types of proposals not help, they have the potential to actually harm his ability to stay in power.
Trump gave up a lot, in return for vague promises. And the Kim line of rulers haven’t been known to honor their word. We’ve had much more comprehensive deals in place with the Kim dynasty leaders- and they’ve never held up their wnd of the bargain.
I’m not sure how an even more vague promise from NK will lead to any better results. The ONLY thing we got that was concrete was a promise to return remains of soldiers/POW’s.
And yes, I realize that details can be worked out later. Usually, the details are worked out BEFORE a meeting.
So, we gave up doing military exercises with S. Korea (which terrifies our allies in the region), promised to ease sanctions without having a clear plan on how denuclearization will work and elevated Kim in the international community- and did all of this ONLY for the promise of future actions, and receiving the remains of some of our old soldiers. Those are certainly great things- but this does appear to be a horrible deal for us.
I’m not sure what else we could’ve expected given Trump’s utter lack of preparedness. And lack of understanding of what truly drives NK.
Remember, Kim met with Jin-Ping of China, and he’s meeting with Putin soon. And I’d bet he’s been talking to Putin, even though he hasn’t met him face to face.
If anyone knows how to play Trump, it’s Jin-Ping and Putin. All three leaders (Jin-Ping, Putin & Kim) are all playing the long game. And Trump is playing the same game with a transactional, immediate situation approach. I’m not sure that’ll bode well for us in the end.
I want to note that I would LOVE for this to resolve peacefully. I really hope it works. But I just don’t see how this works out. And, meeting with him is certainly a positive step- it’s harder to nuke someone you actually know. And, I’m all for new approaches- ones that trust, yet verify (like Ronald Reagan once famously said).
I’m pretty sure if any other president (either side) would’ve done this, most folks (either party) would’ve said that we got hosed in the “deal”.
It amazes me how the cult of Trump reflexively defends everything he does. It’s not surprising at this point. Again, i feel for folks like Noodle & Aloha on here.
