Continuing to make statements that conflict with what everyone else in the administration is saying, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson today downplayed the idea of a North Korean war starting any time soon, insisting Americans should “sleep well at night” knowing the situation is well in hand.
This couldn’t be further from the narrative coming out of everyone else, with President Trump threatening “fire and fury” yesterday, and as Defense Secretary James Mattis talked about the total destruction of the North Korean people earlier today.
Tillerson did, at least, appear aware that what he’s saying contradicts what everyone else says, and insisted that the reason President Trump’s talk on North Korea was composed exclusively of threats of a massive war is because the administration believes that North Korea “doesn’t seem to understand diplomatic language.”
President Trump, however, has repeatedly insisted diplomacy in general is a failed policy, and there really hasn’t been an example of the Trump Administration even approaching North Korea with diplomacy in mind, let alone an example of it failing.
How can anyone sleep well at night knowing our government is in the hands of the unstable and the unbalanced.
Looking back on the economic and military catastrophe of the last 30 years, when the government was in the hands of the putatively “stable and balanced”, I would ask: What is stable and balanced, who is stable and balanced, and just what strategy — mass murder across the face of the planet as a means, a failed means, of “rescuing” people and installing the godhead of democracy,… vs something… (anything)… else — will give human beings on this planet safety and prosperity? What is this “Presidential temperament” that we hear so much about, that serves as a measure of the qualification for that office? A willingness to calmly commit mass murder beyond our shores? A willingness to convert our own citizens into cattle for the benefit of the wealthy of the world? Is that it? Could this possibly be an error? Could this possibly be the reason our country has been reduced to chaotic bitterness, a looted despotic shell?
Could it be that what humanity needs now — what America needs now — is a loud-mouthed, bullying a-hole who can slap the shjt out of the murdering, thieving, lying criminals who have been screwing the entire world since the end of WW2?
I vote yes. I voted yes. I voted Trump. Maybe he will succeed in his effort to “Drain the Swamp” and “Make America Great Again”. Maybe he will fail. Whatever. But the second American Revolution has begun. The American people have their eyes open now. They’ve had enough, and have declared war on the rigged system. Bernie took it to the enemy, giving his almost-all before falling in defeat. Then Trump, leveraging the smug complacency and corrupt over-confidence of his adversaries swept them away… in his, the first battle, of the Trumpian revolution.
Now we wait to see how the fortunes of war will play out. But the game is on. Battle is joined,… at last. MAGA.
Well I did not mean to imply that in the past the people in our government had been stable and intelligent, in contrast with what they are today. It is just that today, and I speak from personal observation of the political scene for almost seventy years, they are all either mad or their minds have been deranged by their imbibing of the mind altering drug of American Exceptionalism.
I recall Nazi Germany in which they would shout Deutschland Uber Alles and what that led to. so now when I hear someone talk about putting America first, I wince. Incidentally Weimer Germany after WWI was a mess. Runaway inflation, joblessness, a world wide depression was going on, chaos in the streets, Bavaria temporarily was taken over by the German communist Party. Things were bad and then Germany got a loud mouthed, bullying, leader who definitely put Germany back on its feet again, and made Germany a force to be reckoned with. Unfortunately he was too successful and got carried away and brought Germany to a terrible disaster. So I hesitate to look for a strong leader who will shape up this country.
I did not vote for Trump, nor did I vote for Hillary or anyone else. Haven’t for some time. But I realize there is a lot that is wrong going on, and the rich are rapidly getting richer, and in the meantime things for most are getting worse. Now I recall when I could buy a ticket and then walk directly on to an airplane and get a good seat. That was the time airlines were regulated. we never worried about being killed by ISIS terrorists, and most companies offered pensions and good health care for its workers. There were Unions and they, while not perfect definitely, still they offered some protection to their members. Now I believe big banks and international mega companies control our government and our media and I am not pleased by this, but I do know Trump is one of them for all his bluster. He is lowering taxes for the rich and businesses, he is vastly increasing defense spending which is now greater than all the defense spending of the next largest defense spenders, to the benefit of the military/industrial complex, he wants to make health care good for the insurance companies and drug companies and the medical administrators, and he wants to privatize the governmental services. I do not see this draining the swamp. And he is clearly an unbalanced narcississt who will never admit error. So I am sorry I don’t share your faith in Trump, though I think things are bad and getting worse.
Actually, there hasn’t been a POTUS since JFK who put the American people first .. They’ve all been puppets, including Donald Trump. There wasn’t a POTUS who was so admired worldwide as was JFK.
And why was he so admired? He was charismatic, with a great sense of humor; he was courageous; he was trustworthy; and most of all, he was humble. He never bragged about his accomplishments, as Trump has been doing; he wasn’t a coward, as were G. W. Bush and Barack Obama; and he wasn’t an outright liar as Bill Clinton. When he was assassinated, JFK was mourned across the world.
Another thing JFK didn’t do was surround himself with Trotskyites aka neocons as his successors had done .. Even Trump, who had pledged to drain the swamp, surrounded himself with those scum. That’s not draining the swamp, it’s filling it.
Excellent comment!
JFK’s brief tenure in office highlights by comparison how f—-ed up our country has been since;
we have not had a leader who could be trusted and the citizens have been truly screwed as a result for the benefit of the greedy, the powerful, and the zionists.
“Neo con scum” nails it!
Isn’t it exactly what needs to happen? The people who understood Trump and vice versa are done with it all. I remember following Trump campaign — thinking many a time he made horrible mistakes — just to realize later that there was a mega method in that maddness. Even after election, watching the sick spectacle in Saudi Arabia — I could not but rejoyce at the high spirits of Saudi Crown Prince translated into bold Qatar bashing — and shortly thereafter the mighty crown prince, the most loyal friend of CIA, Clintons and Israel — was gone. Releived of all functions. The new Crown Prince on the other hand never attended any Western universities, to avoid set ups that routinelly made young princelings vulnerable to intelligrnce set ups and extortion. All one has to do is read our elite media — and find out how they feel. In this case, all media in unison came down on the new ruler like a sack of coal. He — not the man in charge before him — was responsible for Yemen war, for depleating the purse of the kingdom, he is responsible for the deplorable state of human rights, status of women — get it. The joint Democrat – Republican neoconhood was, in short, deeply displeased. But then, a week later, ultimatums to Qatar were exchanged for principles, and Egypt being targeted by the ire of former Crown Prince — emerged as a winner in this crisis. So, was Trump crazy, clever or just lucky? We have now Gulf Cooperation Council in a more realistic mode.
None of them wants to fight Iran, and all of them were happy to see CIA man in Riyadh go. Oman, Kuwait and Qatar are openly against chaos in the region, Bahrain does what Saudi Arabia tells them, and UAE are as always for sale to the highest bidder. It will take time for Ssudi Arabia to turn a corner — as the young generations are pushing for reforms, and the young crown prince has to confront Wahhabi establishment. Yet, there are many supporters of ousted crown prince that will block progress. Like neocons here, they are demanding “toughness” on Yemen, or in our case, on North Korea, Iran, Russia, China — name it. Trump can OUTTOUGH THEM ALL. Let us see — will Lindsey Graham come up with tougher position on anyone? Can he pull it off? Now are the human rights loving neocons in a quandry — to out-tough Trump, or to condemn his rethoric? Naturally — they love it bloody and belicose (using flyover country kids, of course), but they cannot be blunt, so they are pussyfooting around, in the unpleasant silence.
A very civil and thoughtful response. I thank you for that.
And those that would mot accept results of election and are behaving as a third world coup plotters — are even more bloodthirsty and unballanced. Elephants are struggling for power. Yes, good reason for being scared.
So North Korea “doesn’t seem to understand diplomatic language”. At what point has our diplomatic language contained anything but ultimatums?
In general, “diplomacy” is Orwellian American NewSpeak for “do whatever we tell you to do.”
To Jason: Trump said that it would be his honor to talk to the President of North Korea. As far as I remember, shock waves went fhrough “balanced” Neoconia. The fear that a war, any war may actually end — is a real nightmare for our “stable” elites that are eager to start nuclear war. Even cool Kissinger is disturbed by the prospect of ISIS losing, and rebels going over to Government side.
The resistance to peace breaking out is a remarkable pathology among the leadership class. It’s easy to understand the motivation for the defense industry — financial; and for the military leadership — careerist; and for the political class — fear of “the other” exploited to unite the country behind the patriotic protection by the govt. And I suppose that a large segment of the population actually subconsciously supports war, human nature carrying forward the “fight” instinct — as in “fight or flight” — from a more primitive time.
Still, I find it a bit surprising that the countervailing instinct for cooperation, so broadly and overtly expressed in the desire for peace, is not a more powerful force.
NK announced that she’s not going to use nuclear weapon on any country except USA.
When did they announce that? Last week, the North Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs Ri Yong-ho specified that in the event of an attack on the North they would use nuclear weapons on the US _and its allies in said attack_.
Check this out as your corporatist media is never reporting anything that makes you feel awkward.
DPRK says no intention to use nuke weapons against any country except U.S. – People’s Daily Online
http://en.people.cn/n3/2017/0807/c90777-9252080.html
You might want to read the story you’re linking to:
“We have no intention to use nuclear weapons or threaten with nuclear weapons against any other country except the U.S., unless it joins action of the U.S. against DPRK”
In other words, exactly what I said — the US _and_ any countries allied with it in an attack on the North.