The Key to Trump's Success in North Korea

[Right_in_Virginia]

The Key to Trump's Success in North Korea
American Thinker, Jun 13, 2018, Karin McQuillan

<snip>

Our president is devoted to one thing: winning for America.  He does listen to our military and work with its members to achieve the possible.  He does understand how power works.  Korea could thumb its nose at us because it was protected by China.  So, first, Trump removed that protection by going after China.  The astute Sundance at Conservative Treehouse has been pointing out for months that the trade pressure on China was the prerequisite to movement on Korea.  Our expert diplomats and analysts still don't talk about this big picture.  Trump is obviously a strategic thinker, as you have to be in the business world, as in the military.

It's not all that complicated.  Kim came to the table because Trump forced him to.  North Korea was made to understand quite thoroughly and clearly that its grandstanding with nukes was over.  Being clear was the first step to success.  Trump has no toleration for a nuclear Korea, period.  When communicated forcefully, through actions, not words, that was the game-changer.

Trump reversed Kim's motivation 100%.  Kim thought the nukes were his one ticket to security.  Trump showed him that the nukes are his ticket to oblivion.  That is why there is reason for optimism that this is not going to be the useless nuclear diplomacy we have had since Clinton.

Kim was shown he had two choices: give up or be destroyed.  His only open question was how North Korea would be destroyed – slowly through devastating economic sanctions, or suddenly, by U.S. military might.  The timetable would be chosen by President Trump.



More:  https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2018/06/the_key_to_trumps_success_in_north_korea.html

[Oceander]

[Right_in_Virginia]

This is a long article ... so here's a wee bit more ...

Past presidents put economic sanctions on North Korea – kinda, sorta.  Only so far as China allowed, which was just far enough to keep Korea misbehaving.  Trump doesn't do kinda, sorta.  For the first time, we enforced sanctions.  All it took was the balls to stand up to China.  That was another Trump first.

When the usual Chinese businesses continued to support the North Korea economy, China found its biggest banks threatened with exclusion from the American market.  Two small Chinese banks were shut out of the U.S. as a sign of seriousness.  That was the end of China thumbing its nose as our sanctions.  The Chinese central bank sent out the message to obey U.S. sanctions on North Korea.  Funds propping up the North Korea economy were shut off.

[Right_in_Virginia]

TTTT

[Jazzhead]

Very interesting article.  Thanks for posting it, RIV.   The key to solving the Korean crisis has always been its patron, China.   The carrot and stick approach must continue as negotiations continue.   Giving up next spring's military exercises as a gesture of good faith is a carrot.  But China will now proceed to seek an easing of sanctions before the deal is done.  Trump needs to recognize that maintaining leverage is key.