At last, a long, cool, intelligent analysis of North Korea

I have been unusually reticent on the subject of what to do about North Korea for the very simple reason that I do not have a clue - but I know a man who does!  Or to be exact, I know of a man who does and his name is Nicholas Eberstadt and happily he has written a long but what seems to me to be a highly intelligent essay on the subject for the National Review.  

I will not attempt to précis his fairly long and detailed strategy which covers a multitude of activities but I do urge you all to read it.  I only wish President Trump would put down his Twitter gadget and read it himself.  Alas, I doubt that he will and, alas, I suspect that not many of his squabbling entourage will read it either.  

So my advice is don't stop digging that trench in the back garden!

 

Comments

[TheBigHenry]

David,

What part of Mr. Eberstadt's intelligent analysis are President Trump and his foreign policy advisors not aware of? You should make all of them aware of this magical analysis, which has escaped consideration by all of the Administrations, from President Truman to the present one. Shame on our ignorant leaders (most especially our Nobel Peace-prize winners Carter and Obama, both of them Democrats).

[AussieD]

A very interesting article Duffers. Thank you.

[David Duff]

Tad grumpy this morning, Henry, not like you! Obviously I have no idea what the Trump administration is, or is not, aware of. However, given some of Trump's honkin' 'n' hootin' remarks towards North Korea, I suspect he knows or understands very little of the complexities. My faith in Generals has never been strong and since they seem to dominate the White House I do not have much confidence there, either! If I am wrong - again! - I will be very relieved. However, please do not try to convince me that Trump is a 'born again' Talleyrand!

[backofanenvelope]

Is there such a thing as a Twitter gadget? How else is Trump to communicate with the American voters? The media is in the hands of his opponents, who are more or less deranged with their hatred of him.

[Whitewall]

Who knows, maybe soon we'll see a surprise photo of Fat Boy Kim and Trump playing golf in Scotland?

[backofanenvelope]

Maybe that is what Trump should do. Invite Fatty to Florida for a game of golf, and make sure he wins. Once his place in Florida has dried out. He could then invite Putin over for a game or two.

[Whitewall]

BOE
This will be the spot:
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/trumps-caribbean-villa-one-of-few-to-survive-irma/ar-AArL3XA?li=BBnb7Kz

[backofanenvelope]

Well Whitewall - fortune favours the brave!

[TheBigHenry]

Speaking of "grumpy" ...

"However, please do not try to convince me that Trump is a 'born again' Talleyrand!"

Hyperbolize much, David?

[TheBigHenry]

David,

If Mr. Eberstadt was President Trump's Secretary of State, what would he advise the President to do about the North Korean problem?

[25 words or less, please. I have no time for a long dissertation or a link to a long dissertation. Just give me the good stuff that the United States has overlooked lo these many decades.]

[David Duff]

Henry, Henry, you are giving every appearance of a man looking for a fight! Alas, you will not get one with me on this subject. I urge you to re-read the, er, deathless prose contained in the first line of my post, and in the first line of the second paragraph.

Instead, I would ask you to quote any lines from President Trump on this subject that indicate his awareness of the complexities of the situation.

[TheBigHenry]

It is easy to criticise attempts that have failed to solve a difficult problem. It is harder to figure out why an attempt has failed. It is much more difficult to propose a fresh approach that has the potential to solve a long-standing problem. This is why everyone (myself included) is a critic. Not so many people are analysts. And there are damn few people around who are capable of generating fresh ideas.

Everyone has experienced problems in their lives at one time or another. Some problems are minor. Others are more significant. Problems involving nuclear weapons are existential. They have the potential of destroying entire nations, as well as the human race.

The greatest achievement of human endeavor was not the invention of agriculture. Nor was it the Manhattan project. Nor even landing a man on the moon. It was the avoidance of a nuclear holocaust between the Soviet Union (continuing as Russia) and the United States, both of which super powers have thousands of nuclear weapons in their stockpiles.

The North Korean problem, which has vexed the United States, as well as the rest of the world, for decades is not as huge as was the confrontation between the Soviet Union and the United States. But it still qualifies as an existential problem. Because nuclear weapons.

[TheBigHenry]

David,

I have no desire to have an argument with you or anyone else. My only interest here is to express the opinion that the analysis of a problem is not the same thing as offering a potential solution that has not yet been tried.

It is not part of any American President's job description to publicly assure the world at large of "his awareness of the complexities" of any situation. His job description is:

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

[Andra]

Where are the hitmen of yesteryear?

[TheBigHenry]

Andra,

They are sleeping with the fishes, no doubt.

[Bob]

David,

Your being a sophisticated Brit with a fancy accent doesn't give you the right to suggest our President hasn't thought it all out. You'll have to think of a better reason than that. Twitter gadget, indeed.

[TheBigHenry]

Bob,

Who claims that our President or anybody else's President has thought it all out? If anyone had thought it all out, there wouldn't be a problem anymore.

Even the great thinker, Constitutional scholar, and Nobel Peaches-prize winner 0bama hadn't thought it all out. He couldn't think his way out of a brown paper bag.

[Bob]

Henry, why would Obama be in a brown paper bag?

[TheBigHenry]

Bob,

I have been told that brown paper bags are sometimes used to roll a joint. It tends to dull a junky's thinking.

[Up2L8]

Henry: If anyone had thought it all out, there wouldn't be a problem anymore.

That I can agree with, after all, they've had seven score and 11 years to figure them out.

[Bob]

Henry, technically you didn't think Obama in to a brown paper bag, only some "mary jane" or "reefer".

[TheBigHenry]

Bob,

Poetic license. You're getting too technical about a joke :)

[TheBigHenry]

I was also riffing on the expression "he can't fight his way out of a paper bag".

[Bob]

You're not the only one who can josh, Henry. :)

[TheBigHenry]

Acknowledged.

[JK]

https://www.city-journal.org/html/land-no-good-options-15441.html