Ignore Him, and Impose Sanctions

by Deacon Blues

I don't mean to minimize the North Korea problem the United States now faces, but allow me to say that all the hyperventilating right now is useless because the solution is relatively simple: Trump needs to work with like-minded allies to impose targeted economic sanctions on Pyongyang, and those who still do business with them, including China.

There is no reason to reward Kim Jong-Un with chest-thumping and warlike actions, when the little bastard clearly acts up only to get respect and be invited to the big table. And yes, Trump clearly had no plan of his own for dealing with Pyongyang other than hoping that he could talk China into dealing with the problem for him, in exchange for him going soft on trade with Beijing. Well, that didn't work.

I'm not in the mood right now to hear from Obama administration types about what should be done, because they had 8 years and Obama couldn't be bothered to actively engage. Nor am I in the mood to listen to BS from China and Russia about backing off in exchange for no further tests, because that only enables those two countries to keep doing little and getting away with it.

If Trump can resist his worst impulses, he has the chance to actually pressure Kim Jong Un, put him in a box, and have the world ignore him until his patrons can move him towards an opening. My fear however is that Trump is exactly the type of loon who sees a war as his best way to become the dictator he aims to be. Let's hope I am wrong and Trump seizes the opportunity in front of him to ignore the little bastard and deal directly with him and his enablers through economic means.