Guest Post by Antonius Aquinas
After nearly a year of gaffes, provocations, threats, bombings, destabilizing arms deals, and, most recently, the disastrous decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, the sanest member of the Trump Administration, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, appeared to have begun a new and promising diplomatic direction in relations with tiny, beleaguered North Korea.
In a surprising statement given to a Washington think tank on December 12, Secretary Tillerson said:
We are ready to talk anytime North Korea would
like to talk. We are ready to have the first meeting
without preconditions. Let’s just meet. We can talk
about the weather if you want. We can talk about
whether its going to be a square table or a round table
if that’s what you’re excited about. And then we can
begin to lay out a road map.*
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He perceptively added that it was “unrealistic” for North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons program.
Tillerson’s reasonable approach, however, did not sit very well with either his boss or the blood thirsty war hawks within the Administration who now have enough ammunition to force his removal, probably after the first of the year. One of Trump’s top aides reportedly said Tillerson “hasn’t learned his lesson.”**
A couple of days later, and probably after a tongue lashing by the Chief Executive, Tillerson had taken back his earlier statement and was once again pushing the hardcore, neocon line declaring: “North Korea must earn its way back to the table. The pressure campaign must and will continue until denuclearization is achieved.”***
The “preconditions” for any US-North Korean talks was spelled out by the Secretary of State: a “sustained cessation of North Korea’s threatening behavior” and that the “ultimate outcome [of the talks] would be for North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program.”****
As an astute appraiser of the situation, Tillerson understands that the preconditions set by the US will never be agreed to by North Korea. They would be insane to do so. Kim Jong Un realizes what happens to regimes that renounce their nuclear weapons program – their leadership usually faces a grisly demise – see Iraq and Libya.
Why is it that the US should unilaterally set preconditions? Doesn’t North Korea have any say in how negotiations should commence? Wasn’t it North Korea that bore much of the destruction in the “police action” of the 1950s, when 10% of its population perished and only a few buildings remained standing in its capital after merciless American carpet bombing?
The effects of what the US did are still embedded in the North Korean psyche, President Trump, who avoided military service during the Vietnam War due to a mysterious foot ailment, called it “pointless” to negotiate without preconditions which would in effect mean surrender for North Korea.
While anti-immigration proponents and border wall enthusiasts continue to press President Trump to fulfill his campaign promise, illegal immigration is still secondary to that of war and peace. In fact, the two are linked. A de-escalation of tensions in North Korea as Secretary Tilllerson’s path would most likely lead to would mean that the Trump Administration could concentrate more on domestic issues with the first priority being border security.
Secretary Tillerson’s level-headed thinking should be applied to other parts of the world that the US has poked its unwanted nose into. A pull back in its role as global policeman would reduce the massive wasteful defense spending which would leave resources available for the domestic economy.
If, God forbid, war does break out on the Korean peninsula, the blame can be directly placed on the crazed war hawks of the Trump Administration up to and including the Chief Executive himself and not in the more moderate voices like Rex Tillerson. Not only would there be massive bloodshed and destruction from such a conflict, but it might lead to a general world conflagration.
Ultimately, however, even Rex Tillerson’s approach goes beyond what a true America First foreign policy should look like. America has no business being involved in the political affairs of Korea. Non-intervention, free trade, and cultural exchange are the principles of a true America First program. Only when these ideals are adopted will the crisis on the Korean Peninsula be solved.
*Tyler Durden, “After Shocking Reversal Tillerson, North Korea Agrees ‘It’s Important to Avoid War.’” Zero Hedge 12 December 2017. http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-12-12/after-shocking-tillerson-reversal-north-korea-agrees-it-important-avoid-war
**Jason Ditz. “Trump Allies: Tillerson Hasn’t Learned His Lesson.” Antiwar.com 15 December 2017. http://news.antiwar.com/2017/12/15/trump-allies-tillerson-hasnt-learned-his-lesson/
***Carol Morello, “In Reversal, Tillerson says N. Korea must ‘earn’ way back to talks.” The Washington Post, 16 December 2017, A9.
****Ibid.
Actually, the only examples of nuclear powers giving up their nuclear weapons were not Iraq and Libya but South Africa and Ukraine! They did so, not because they were ‘insane’, but because of unrelenting economic and diplomatic pressure by the ‘international community’ and because they were not prepared to use them aggressively anyway.
None of this seems to be true for North Korea. This is a regime that is quite prepared to use nuclear weapons in furtherance of its foreign policy objectives and has no regard for international norms or its own population. It has repeatedly signed the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty and repeatedly violated it. Just yesterday the Australians arrested a Nork agent attempting to sell nuclear and missile technology to anyone with enough money.
Clearly, this regime must not be allowed to develop an operational fleet of ICBMs with thermonuclear warheads. If that means the United States must take it out well, that is what our armed forces are for and we must act soon as time is not in our favor.
South Africa didn’t face the possibility of a US invasion, and didn’t have the benefit of watching US maniacally destroy two allies, Iraq and Libya, that HAD given up their nuclear programs. BTW, Pakistan has more than 200 nukes, and the US has exhibited no concern about them….Mainly because attacking Pakistan is not possible.
BTW, Ukraine never had nuclear weapons….
South Africa didn’t face an imminent threat of an American invasion but it was fighting a Soviet proxy army ( Cuba) in Angola ( and winning) but Western sanctions cast a very dark shadow on its future. De Klerk made a bad deal but the 7 atomic bombs he possessed at the time would not have saved South Africa. He had no Seoul or Tokyo to threaten and without the ability to collapse the world economy, which North Korea very much has, his nuclear leverage could only be used if the Soviets wanted to put an army in Africa.
Ukraine had the third largest nuclear arsenal in the world owing to it being a center of the former USSR’s strategic nuclear force. It did not want the responsibility and expense of maintaining the arsenal and agreed to surrender it in return for guarantees of its sovereignty underwritten by both Russia and the US.
Once again it was a ‘s itty deal’ as, whatever the merits of Russia’s claim on Crimea may have been, it is doubtful Putin would have asserted them had Ukraine been able to incinerate Moscow.
BTW, Pakistan does not have ICBMs and its nuclear arsenal is more a ‘equalizer’ in its struggle with India than an attempt to upset the international scene.
Bravo Antonio! Well said!
United Nations Should Vote to Disolve and Restructure on Thursday – Andrea Iravani
Hey Andrea, do you head up Antonius’s ass?
The UN should vote dissolve – board up the building, and turn off the lights. Actually the US should stop giving it any money.
“Antonio” is a bought and paid for idiot. He writes an article about North Korea, and in that same article he tells you all that matters in an American First foreign policy is free trade and “cultural exchange”. Fuck you, “Antonio.” Guys like you are past their sell by date.
Why do people write this drivel? For attention?
with tiny, beleaguered North Korea. WTF Antonius, take your head out of your ass and come up for some air. Starving it’s citizens to death. Human rights violations. Lobbing missiles. They are responsible for the Wanna Cry virus. I don’t think anyone gives a fuck about NK – there’s nothing there to want. Kim is a tyrant.
Antonius, you are a fool.
“I don’t think anyone gives a fuck about NK”
The People’s Liberation Army of China does!
“China has been bolstering defences along its border with North Korea in preparation for a potential crisis in the region, including the possibility of a US military strike”
http://www.janes.com/article/72621/china-bolstering-defences-along-border-with-north-korea-says-report
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“……. the disastrous decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel”
Exactly why is it disastrous?
Explain that (with something other than pro Muslim antisemitism) and I’ll read farther.
It does appear to be intentionally provocative. It’s a classic Trump negotiating tactic, but this is not a Manhattan real estate deal. People may die.
Excellent. Look, I can tell you how he can end this entire problem. Rex or Donald needs to say to Kim, “Look. Let’s be friends. As a gesture of friendship, you can come attend any NBA game you want, as often as you want, even including the Finals. We’ll get you a box seat, or courtside for that matter. In return, just stop development of nuclear weapons.” Problem solved. Kim loves, LOVES, the NBA. He’ll be all over that. Offer to play an exhibition game in North Korea – he’d love that. All this bellicose rhetoric, what does it get us. Nothing. Be friendly.
The answer is obvious.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DmYLrxR0Y8