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Trump, Kim begin their 2nd summit in Vietnam

31 Comments
By Soyoung Kim and Jeff Mason

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31 Comments
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Like it or not, good or bad, people like Kim are world leaders and must be treated as such. It's not about 'legitimizing' them, it's about trying to minimize the damage they might cause to the world.

Minimizing the damage means not legitimizing them. The stronger their power at home, the more ability they have to be aggressive with other countries. The less solidified their power at home, the more energy they have to direct to maintaining their power at home, leaving them less to be aggressive outwardly with.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

So we should just ignore them and let their aggression go unchecked...? That doesn't sound very smart, as ignoring the Kim regime for so long has proven.

Um no, do you really think there are only two options to a situation? Presidents meet or else do nothing? You cannot consider any other options in between? You couldn't find any research which provides any other options that everything or nothing?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

No, it's not. Meeting with dictators gives them propaganda to legitimize themselves with propaganda for their people, strengthening their position, making it harder to unseat them.

Any president could have met with Kim. Any of them. Even Bush wasn't stupid enough to do so.

So we should just ignore them and let their aggression go unchecked...? That doesn't sound very smart, as ignoring the Kim regime for so long has proven.

Like it or not, good or bad, people like Kim are world leaders and must be treated as such. It's not about 'legitimizing' them, it's about trying to minimize the damage they might cause to the world.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

making it harder to unseat them.

Give one example where unseating an emcumbent leader result in peace and stability.

Unseating has only ever been a mean for resource grabbing, and not 100% successful for the unseater at that.

As another poster has said, you're showing clear bias.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I'm beginning to think Trump is being out-Trumped by this young upstart!

No tests (missile or nukes) since last summit;

No threat to annihilate its neighbours or USA;

Outwardly expressing wishes to decouple from China.

Not a bad start in my book. Sure, long way to go, but the fat guy has to be assured he is not going to be left high n dry...this requires effort + time.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

a US president having an actual sit-down meeting with the leader of North Korea is an accomplishment itself.

No, it's not. Meeting with dictators gives them propaganda to legitimize themselves with propaganda for their people, strengthening their position, making it harder to unseat them.

Any president could have met with Kim. Any of them. Even Bush wasn't stupid enough to do so.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

the US had not had talks with NK and missiles were flying over Japan before Trump. Look past your biases and give credit where its due

Trump enraged Kim into firing off more missiles tests in 2017, than NK fired off during Obama's entire presidency.

You're giving Trump credit for Trump standing down the problem Trump created. And he only had to make concessions that left the US in a weaker position than it was prior to Trump.

Credit where it's due.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Amazing how the far right laud Trump when he hasn't actually achieved anything.

And no, I'm afraid I don't count the bromance as an achievement.

You're right that he is getting a little too much credit and nothing significant has been achieved from these meetings yet. However, a US president having an actual sit-down meeting with the leader of North Korea is an accomplishment itself.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Cool! Trump for Nobel Peace Prize!

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Amazing how the far right laud Trump when he hasn't actually achieved anything.

And no, I'm afraid I don't count the bromance as an achievement.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

mmdkw:

If what the News commentators says is true, then Trump's actions have amounted to nothing. Something concrete needs to be forthcoming ...

You mean the the fake news peddlers at CNN et all? In that case I assume that was a sarcastic remark. In the event, concrete things HAVE already happened. Have you noticed the NK rocket firings have stopped, and the North Korean propagada has shifted by 180 degrees from non-stop talk about war to peace and denuclearization? They forgot to mention that at the CNN news, didn´t they.

As for a complete solution to the NK issue of course that is not achieved in one, two, or three high-level meetings. First the groundwork needs to be laid. But Trump has already done better in one year than 4 previous administrations.

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

It is amazing to see how the so-called "left" has turned into the party of warmongers and supporters of the military-industrial complex. Ending the stupid war in Syria and solving the North Korea situation? Oh the horror! Lets bash Trump.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

the US had not had talks with NK and missiles were flying over Japan before Trump. Look past your biases and give credit where its due

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Cult of personality redux. Fortunately in the US the trump cultists remain a minority.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Two sociopaths striving for peace! Oh, the irony ...

3 ( +3 / -0 )

The man is a joke.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

So, Cadet Bonespurs finally made it to Vietnam -- hurrah! 50 years late, but -- never mind. He didn't try to avoid going this time because, of course, -- no bullets flying now!!

2 ( +3 / -1 )

We long for peace, change and diplomacy is great, just watched it now: https://youtu.be/x4RFF7Cv79g

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I'm beginning to think Trump is being out-Trumped by this young upstart!

If what the News commentators says is true, then Trump's actions have amounted to nothing. Something concrete needs to be forthcoming ... not merely a declaration of peace (yeah right). But something tangible for those of us within the region, and then, and only then, can Trump have his Nobel peace award placed on his head - heck , I'd do it myself, if it really meant an end to the threat of being Nuked by N.K and others over seemingly historical squabbles of personal "dick" importance.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Kenji Fujimori, South Korea and Japan also used the old China method of exploitation of people for economic gains, a slander against hardworking east Asians. Do you know why Japanese are smart, as all the other people in the region ? It is DNA.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Vietnam and North Korea both communists, yet nothing has changed. Aside from Vietnams development on the backs of exploitation of cheap labor, fake currency devaluation, the old China method of exploitation of people for economic gains

1 ( +2 / -1 )

By pivoting back to China, Vietnam has become a small China like 2000 years ago. Only time will prove that Vietnam is a real China again, by faith and by genetics.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

"Vietnam is thriving like few places on earth. North Korea would be the same, and very quickly, if it would denuclearize," Trump said on Twitter ahead of his meeting with Kim.

Maybe the US could denuclearize, too. As a gesture of faith.

Nobody wants either of these countries to descend into conflict.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Don't give away the farm, Trump. Listen to your people.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

Trump is doing good work here.

Better foreign policy than domestic - but what’s new for a president with a divided Congress!

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

Caption to photo above...

Trump: And I hope we can make a deal Mr Dear Leader, because my ___ is going to be handed to me today when my personal attorney goes before Congress and dimes out all my crimes for the past 14 years. I need to change the subject...

Kim: Oh that's too bad, are you going to have him executed in public?

Trump: Hadn't thought of that, but's it's a good idea - need to get my man in at the FBI first...

Kim: Well, I'd like to make a deal too Mr President - I'm running out of cognac...

Trump: Good, the deal will be great, mark my words, mark my words....

Kim: What did you say? Mark my words? It's over - time to leave. Darn, I had such high hopes - he used the same words about Mexico paying for the wall...and we know how that deal turned out...

0 ( +5 / -5 )

@jumin Any congressman who votes against a peace treaty for Korea would have their ass handed to them in the next election with the possible exception of Nancy Pelosi, Maxine Waters and Adam Schiff, who are all California representatives, lol.

-8 ( +3 / -11 )

Japan. You tried kissing S. Korea behind for decades now and they hate you the most. With dozens of apologies and compensation paid multiple times.

Try and see if you can have better relations with the North. You wasted energy, time and money on South with the result of S. Koreans hating Japan more than anyone else on Earth.

They hate Japan more after every apology and compensation paid, they see an easy punching bag/atm.

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

Even if he wanted to, my understanding is that congress would need to ratify the peace treaty. Too many warhawks on both sides to happen.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Well this is good to see.

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

The tone had changed from America , no getting rid of all nuclear plants ???. Trust trump ???.He is probably selling arms to Kim at this moment.

-4 ( +4 / -8 )

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