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Your assuming that Trump actually planned things out in advance. I don't think he did. I think he's flying by the seat of his pants on this one.
This is really big and if Trump screws it up then he won't be re-elected in 2020. Simple and easy. I don't know if I trust him to not screw it up. I do know he's an ego-maniac and as such, going down in history as "the guy that fixed Korea" is a legacy he'd love to have. He's also a hothead, so when (not if) Kim Jong Un double crosses him, it's going to get ugly. But then again, Kim Jong Un isn't stupid. He knows Trump is a hothead and may think twice about double-crossing him.
It's quite the tangle. You and I are just going to have to sit back and see how this thing plays out. This is Act 1 of a long play.
Trump's impulsiveness might actually work in his favor. With past presidents, if N. Korea reneged on a deal they were reasonably assured that the American president was not going to suddenly attack them. They would get sanctioned and scolded but that was about it. With Trump its always a possibility. And if Kim makes him look bad anything is possible. It could unravel into WW3 or Kim might actually agree and stick to an agreement that he might not have with a different president. I can't imagine Trump just letting it go if Kim screws him on this and I think Kim knows that too.
We spend about 1.4 to 1.5 billion tax dollars a year to maintain our troops in South Korea. Not a lot if divided by every American citizen.
How many scholarships would that pay for?
How many bridges would that repair?
How many homeless shelters would that build?
Why is it our responsibility to play world cop?
1.5 billion to keep soldiers in South Korea.
5.5 Billion to keep Soldiers in Japan.
150 billion a year on Military bases in other countries.
That isn't counting what the CIA spends supporting drug lords and terrorists who happen to be friendly with the USA.
I would love to see Trump tell S. Korea to pony up and pay for our troops because it is our presence in S.Korea that has kept the N.Koreans at bay.
Kim agreed to a vague, non-binding “pledge” with no verification that recycles the language from the early 1990s.
In return, Trump legitimized Kim as an equal and gave a major strategic military concession that undercuts our allies.
There is some vague understanding that they will meet again.
Lord, I hope not.
What will Trump give Kim next time? The Pentagon? Mattis?
Maybe you?
As for legitimizing Kim, that was already done with his last ICBM test shot and his last Nuke test. He didn't NEED Trump to make him anything, he's got nukes and the means to deliver them to the U.S. so sorry to tell you, he HAS to be dealt with in one way or another...
We spend about 1.4 to 1.5 billion tax dollars a year to maintain our troops in South Korea. Not a lot if divided by every American citizen.
How many scholarships would that pay for?
How many bridges would that repair?
How many homeless shelters would that build?
Why is it our responsibility to play world cop?
1.5 billion to keep soldiers in South Korea.
5.5 Billion to keep Soldiers in Japan.
150 billion a year on Military bases in other countries.
That isn't counting what the CIA spends supporting drug lords and terrorists who happen to be friendly with the USA.
I would love to see Trump tell S. Korea to pony up and pay for our troops because it is our presence in S.Korea that has kept the N.Koreans at bay.
Excellent post.
To be fair these countries pay for part of the expense of having troops there.
We need to be out of there and everywhere else. Perhaps it made sense 60 years ago when S. Korea was trying to rebuild their economy after the Korean War. But they are a wealthy country. We can train them to get 25,000 troops ready. Same for everywhere else. We are borrowing money from the Chinese to pay for troops to protect borders from in many cases the Chinese. Why are we in Germany? Is Russia going to invade Germany if we are not there? Come on.
People tend to resent foreign troops in their nation. Imagine if there were British troops stationed inside the USA. So that eventully leads to blow back.
I like your idea. Bring home the troops and put them to work on help with the infrastructure. Or perhaps cut the size of the military?
We spend about 1.4 to 1.5 billion tax dollars a year to maintain our troops in South Korea. Not a lot if divided by every American citizen.
How many scholarships would that pay for?
How many bridges would that repair?
How many homeless shelters would that build?
Why is it our responsibility to play world cop?
1.5 billion to keep soldiers in South Korea.
5.5 Billion to keep Soldiers in Japan.
150 billion a year on Military bases in other countries.
That isn't counting what the CIA spends supporting drug lords and terrorists who happen to be friendly with the USA.
I would love to see Trump tell S. Korea to pony up and pay for our troops because it is our presence in S.Korea that has kept the N.Koreans at bay.
Where's the petition to bring all of our troops home and close down all foreign bases?? I will sign that sucker right now!!
As for legitimizing Kim, that was already done with his last ICBM test shot and his last Nuke test. He didn't NEED Trump to make him anything, he's got nukes and the means to deliver them to the U.S. so sorry to tell you, he HAS to be dealt with in one way or another...
Well you are right. Appeasement is one way to deal with Kim. And right now at first blush it sure seems as if that is all the Donald did. What exactly did Kim give up in exchange for the cancellation of the long standing and scheduled joint military exercises? Now I can understand giving up this one exercise as a gesture of good faith but where is the reciprocity? Perhaps an announcement of the scheduling of a week or two of letting families who are split apart because of the division of the country meet and spend time together. It has been done in the past. Haven't heard a peep about anything concrete coming from the North. So far the myth of the Donald being a "great deal maker" is turning out to be just that, a myth.
Just don't ask Pompeo about verification - he really doesn't like that. It appears the mere act of asking is insulting, ridiculous and ludicrous. His exact words.
Because he said the term "complete denuclearization" covers everything. He's right.
It's funny how the 'experts' are telling Trump what he should have done. The previous administrations were abject failures.
By the way, I heard Reuters just did a poll showing 51% approval rating for Trump and Kim summit. This despite the nonstop negative media as usual. Bitter losers.
The video the Donald showed Kim. The Donald has no concept of who and what the regime in North Korea is. I would bet you dollars to donuts Kim and his crew know full well that if that rosey future for North Korea is to come about it would mean the end for them and their power. However it does show the Donald's child like approach.
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