Guest Post by Scott Adams
Prior U.S. presidents framed the North Korean nuclear program as a problem between the United States and North Korea, with China as an unhelpful third party with its own interests. That framing was weak and useless. North Korea did whatever it wanted to do.
President Trump recently changed the frame. Now it’s not so much a problem between the United States and North Korea as it is a branding battle between China and the U.S., with North Korea being the less-important part of the equation. President Trump has said clearly and repeatedly that if China doesn’t fix the problem in its own backyard, the USA will step in to do what China couldn’t get done.
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See the power in that framing? China doesn’t want a weak “brand.”
With the new framing, we already see China talking tougher about North Korea. They stopped buying North Korean coal, which is something they said they would do before Inauguration Day. But by then, Trump had already reframed the situation the way I described. And he was weeks from being Commander-in-Chief when he did it.
The only thing lacking in Trump’s reframing was a credible threat that he would launch a decapitation strike against North Korea. That problem was solved over chocolate cake at Mar Lago when the visiting Premiere of China, Li, observed Trump give the order to send 59 Tomahawk missiles into a sovereign country that had pissed him off just a few days earlier.
Then Trump ordered an “armada” of American warships to the vicinity of North Korea just to remind Li that we have options.
Trump also suggested that our trade negotiations with China will go a lot better if North Korea is no longer a problem. Trump didn’t go so far as to suggest adding a “North Korea tax” to Chinese imports, to pay for our military presence in South Korea, but I like to think it is an option.
This is the sort of thing I was hoping to see when the Master Persuader took office. His reframing on North Korea is pitch-perfect. We’ve never seen anything like this.
Some of you will be tempted to argue that nothing has really changed. But I think the face-to-face meeting between Li and Trump, and the movement of North Korea to a branding competition between superpowers is a big, big deal. It would be hard, if not politically impossible, for Li to go easy on North Korea from this point on.
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In related news…
This has been a good week for President Trump. So far, we have seen:
1. Sean Spicer (accidentally?) caused the opposition media to argue that Hitler analogies are ridiculous.
2. The Syrian attack established Trump as a measured and decisive leader. His popularity will rise. Even many of his critics supported the attack.
3. Trump solved for the “puppet of Putin” allegation by attacking its client state, Syria.
4. Trump’s Supreme Court nominee succeeded, albeit the hard way.
5. The healthcare issue is moving forward after the initial trial-balloon that was more of a negotiating step than a real proposal.
6. Tax reform is now on hold for healthcare reform, but no one thinks that is a bad way to go. The savings on healthcare are part of any budget and tax plan.
7. Relations with China look good. Trump and Li had good chemistry.
8. China is putting the pressure on North Korea like never before.
9. The economy is good, and optimism is high, in part thanks to Trump. (Mostly the optimism part.)
10. Iran is probably a bit more flexible this week after watching the Syrian attack.
11. News coverage had already mostly evolved from “Trump is Hitler” to “Trump is incompetent.” The Syrian attack and the North Korean situation moved Trump to “Effective, but some of us don’t like what he is doing” I wasn’t expecting that to happen before the end of the year.
You can tell me other presidents have had better starts. But I doubt that is the case. Keep in mind that Trump started in the deepest hole of any president, ever. He’s already halfway out of the hole and establishing himself as a strong leader on international issues.
Trump tells the Bear and the Dragon to do as I say or I’ll put my foot in your ass. If you tell someone that, they’ll figure they better get in the first punch and make it a good one. Whatever happened to the more Godly wisdom of walk softly but carry a big stick? And what are the American workers and soldiers; just pawns to be used up early in a NeoCon chess game? I want the Trump who campaigned against entangling treaties and wars. Somebody please tell him to get his head out of Kushner’s ass because Trump was elected to work for US, the Americans; and if you keep working for the NeoCons: You’re fired.
Stop it, RHS. Bad read in lots of ways. Kushner is a housepet. Trump hasn’t entangled us in anything. Stop projecting. Looks to me like Trump realizes the most important thing he can do is reign in rougue nuclear proliferation, and potential terrorism. Right now it’s pretty easy. The bad actors have benefactors, who want to have spheres of influence. The deal is pretty straight forward. Reign in the bad actors, and we’ll pretty much leave you alone. Want a multi-polar world? Clean up your house.
Explain to me how toppling Assad makes any progress towards reigning in terrorism. We have been down this road with Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and others. At least with Iraq and Libya, these places were ruled by strongman type dictators, and there were no terrorists. If reigning in terrorists, fighting ISIS, whatever, was the actual goal, we would leave him in place and be happy to do so. After Assad, you will have a fractured country rife with sectarian violence and a migrant crisis far worse than we see now. While this would certainly be a win for Israel, I fail to see how the US, and US citizens, would benefit from this.
You’re right, Gator. It has dick to do with terrorism. This guy, Washington, a bit of a libtard, but a good history blogger has something on it:
http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2014/07/57-years-ago-u-s-britain-approved-use-islamic-extremists-topple-syrian-government.html
Stop projecting. He hasn’t toppled anybody. If he wanted to topple Assad, he would have cruise missiled his house.
That is not the MIC way. Only prolonged, drawn out periods of carnage with US troops on the ground are acceptable. Again, the one an done method is not haw the MIC rolls. Lack of profit and tyranny in the one step method.
I am not so naive and gullible as you believe most Americans are.
ISIS cheered the US attack. The US supported and assisted Saddam in his use of Gas in attacking the Iranians. The US did not sanction Iraq when he gased the Kurds. Sanctions were proposed but did not pass since it would affect corporate business interest The US sanctioned Iraq in the 1990s preventing food and healthcare to be sent to Iraq and over 500,000 children died in Iraq from the lack of food and healthcare.
The US has no problem killing civilians as long as Gas and Barrel bombs are not used. My brother Col. Robert F Marino M.D., MPH, served in Iraq in 2003-4 at the age of 48 and was awarded the bronze star. He was fortunate to come home but a 19 year old girl from the National Guard of Wisconsin was not so lucky. When she arrived at my brother’s base in Baquoba she was crying everyday and on the phone with her Mom holding onto a teddy bear. She was killed by a roadside bomb while traveling in a HUMVEE that lacked protection. The Military requested better protected Humvees and Rumsfeld responded by saying “THIS IS THE ARMY WE HAVE AND NOT WHAT WE WANT.” Senator Mitch McConnell was asked by a reported in 2004 at the Republican Convention that over 500 soldiers were killed in Iraq and wanted to know hat he thought since he had said before the unprovoked invasion that no more than two to three hundred would die, he responded “IT’s NOT THAT MUCH WHEN YOU CONSIDER HOW MANY DIED ON THE NORMANDY BEACHES.” My brother who was 48 left behind his wife and 3 children to serve since he was in the US Resrves but could have not gone since he had knee surgery and high blood pressure but told me he couldn’t live with himself since what example would he be for his children. His daughter Diana graduated from the University of South Carolina with the highest honors and was the recipient of the WOMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD, that was given to students representing the best ideals of the University. She received the award in a football stadium in front of 80,000 people. My cousin General Luciano Portolano from the Italian Army was the General in charge of the NATO troops in the western region of Afghanistan and the recipient of the Legion of Merit Award given to him by President Obama. My Uncle Charles Molfetto was a Lt. Col and served in Southeast Asia and a CIA counter insurgency specialist. My cousin Tom Marino Esq, served in Iran during the 1970s as a captain in Special Forces Green Berets. My Dad Vincent Marino served with George Patton. Normandy, battle of the Bulge. He drove a half track that was positioned between the tanks and saw the death and destruction. A tank directly behind him was hit and the soldier came out like a HUMAN TORCH.
The war in Iraq was for oil and testified by General Zinni and General Clark.
The USA is following the Brits and the Romans before them. Greed and corruption is bringing down our once good nation. My Dad in a letter to Mom in August 1945 at the age of 25 said MANY YOUNG MEN DIED BECAUSE OF GREED AND CORRUPTION AND MANY MEN SHOULD HAVE BEEN BORN ANIMALS INSTEADOF HUMANS.
NOTHING HAS CHANGED. The Marino family and General Portolano – a cousin, comes from Sicily. As does a cousin Anthony Peranio a former professor of engineering at Israel’s Technion U. and a Lt in the US Army during WWII. He was written up in the Jewish Press in 1974 as the 20th Century Jeremiah. Cousin Dominic Marino DVM was written up in the NY Times in July of 2012 for train in the US military on how to care for dogs in Afghanistan. My Uncle Charles Molfetto is my uncle form my Mom’s family from Barri, Italy. He was a Major in WWII and O.S.S. He was the military governor of Northern Italy.
My family leads by example. Trump and many Presidents before him with the exception of Kennedy, George HW Bush and Eisenhower know what war is like. If Trump wants to prove he leads by example, his children should be on the front lines . George Bush’s Daughter’s were partying during the Iraq war.
I’m starting to have serious misgivings about Trump. If Bannion is being eased out what does that say about Trump’s character? And if his daughter and son in law have an out sized influence on his policy decisions, what does that say about his judgement?
Who gives a fuck about Bannon? Bannon sinks or swims on his own merit. If he can’t cut it, he’s got to go.
Still withholding judgment, however I must admit that the Chinese not siding in fact, actively sanctioning N Korea is something I would not have believed would happen. Remember, they are both still communist nations. Kind of strange to see one soft communist nation against one hard core communist nation led by a fat little warmonger. Maybe China has seen the light, and maybe Trump made Xi an offer if he takes care of the fat half twit and his threats. Time will tell.
I was not a fan of the bombing either, however the damage was minimal, and i it ultimately works in our favor, then I will have to say it would be a win for Trump.
As I sit here in Carolinas medical Center waiting for these doctors to get their shit together I am becoming disgusted with Trump..He is doing exactly what he said he would not do.Get us involved in overseas Wars.He has created even more hostility with Russia.Well I guess I’ll just Watch …The West Side Story…. It’s on Turner Classic Movies right now. Only channel Worth watching.
I wonder how long it will take for Scott Adams to admit that Trump is an incompetent, ignorant, corrupt, lying piece of shit?
His daughter and son in law should not be in that white House .What policy experience do have in the Middle East .None . That’s the answer.What experience in government .None . That’s the answer.They have no experience at all.And the way he has treated the nationalistic elements of his inner circle is disheartening but Trump is still much better then any Democrats .I hope Trump isn’t stupid enough to throw away his voting base.
Get real! China is not putting pressure on North Korea. North Korea follows China’s orders.
Scott…..you are right. Most Americans still are paying attention to the main stream media with the belief that they are getting the truth when in fact it is a projection of what they want you to believe. The perfect snap shot of this is the Wizard of Oz. Until the Toto the dog, while getting loose in the secondary pulled the curtain back for all to see the not a wizard but the controller of information. Even fox is now in that camp and is pretty much useless with it panels of pimps……Except for Mollie Hemingway and Laura Ingraham. Apologies for spelling……
Wait. You can add one more great thing that went Trump’s way this week. Here’s number 11.
He learned that he can make his poll numbers jump by bombing some defenseless country. And that jump was when it involved just a few decrepit, long distance fart bombs. Imagine the towering poll numbers if he used nukes. Americans would be orgasmic.
Not sure why this is getting the down votes. It looks like a completely factual statement to me. Wag the Dog all over again.
Anyone who thought Trump would carry on the useless ‘Six Party’ talks that Obama wasted his time with or continue ‘John Kerry’ style diplomacy in the middle east just wasn’t listening.
Kim Jong Un is between a Chinese rock and an American armada and his nation will be squeezed until a Nork General puts Kim before a firing squad. Putin has been shown up and marginalized too. Doubt Xi even takes his phone calls now.
My biggest problem with Scott Adams is that his framing revolves around one singular fact: Trump is several steps ahead of everyone.
In order for Scott to be right Trump has to be an absolutely brilliant political manipulator who has no qualms when it comes to gambling with human lives. If Scott is right in this assessment, then we are one tiny misstep away from WW3 declarations, because eventually the brilliant manipulator will misjudge an outcome and set off a giant problem.
I don’t believe Scott is right. I think that Trump took advantage of disenfranchised voters and ran his mouth at media elitists that nobody likes. I don’t think Trump ever really had any plan in place once he “hit the big time.” His debates with HRC were weak affairs, a serious presidential candidate would have trashed her. He did not. He ran his mouth capturing the hearts of middle America with a lot of easy slogans, and has even managed to implement a few of them….but anything that requires real planning he has had nothing.
The dude is spinning plates on sticks, and the world just keeps handing him more. When they start to fall him, his family, and his newly created swamp will all be fine! They will live and thrive free of their sins while me and mine suffer.
Trump identified what was pissing people off, and exploited it. After that? The dude is chasing what he always has: Money and Attention.
Good post brother. I’m afraid you’re right. I’ll remember today as the day I realized Trump was a pipe dream. I’ve always considered myself as “street smart”. Maybe not so much now.
Old S.A. really has to double down on his Trump support… spouting off b.s. like the people are believing the MSM and not awake to actual events and while in cases that may be true, but looking at his list he is just making up his own opinion and b.s. on things as well because he NEEDS to see them that way.
Real thinkers admit when they are wrong and have been duped and dont make excuses to serve their own ego. S.A. got it from the left for suggesting Trump support and now cant back out of it LOL!
The only “winning” that has been done is on a few minor points that are easily reversible without the need of congress.
And now we get a 180 on NATO…now why would NATO suddenly become a necessary partner? You like war Scott? You like authoritarianism, cause THAT is what we are seeing while the masses of morons are cheering.. “winning”. The EU is going to now jam migrants down countries throats, OR ELSE…
Here is a great scorecard via another poster that seems to ring true (and when Gorsuch turns out to be another Kennedy, will people wake up then?)
Trump’s score card:
Re-negotiating NAFTA – FAIL
Dismantling or Reforming NATO – FAIL
Immigration Ban – FAIL, then PASS (C+)
Kicking Out Michael Flynn – DOUBLE FAIL
0bamacare “Repeal” and “Replace” – FAIL
Attacking the Freedom Caucus – FAIL
Tax Reform – FAIL
Kushner’s Promotion – FAIL
Bannon’s Demotion – FAIL
Letting the Clintons and the Foundation go free – FAIL
Draining the Swamp – FAIL
Not Rescinding 0bama’s Executive Order on Sharing “Raw Intelligence” – FAIL
Well… Judging by all the fuck-ups above, Neil Gorsuch might turn out to be another TURD, just like Anthony Kennedy (appointed by Ronald Reagan).
We’re only 80 days in. In ’93 Bubba was pushing a stimulus package that went nowhere (despite a democrat congress) and his chief of staff – Mack McLarty was in way over his head. We’ll see where things go. I’ll tell you one goddamn thing, though. If Paul Ryan doesn’t fund the Wall THIS Year, Trump should fire off 59 Tomahawk missiles at Janesville, Wisconsin.
Quick!
Get Dennis Rodman on a charter flight to Pyongyang with a cabin full of American porn and couvosier and calm corpulent Kim down!