It’s time some world leaders grew up and put aside petty name calling and barbed threats of violence to sit down around a negotiating table.
The two most vile exponents of these bully boy tactics are US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Trump is obviously used to getting his way by shouting long and hard at people.
He continually provokes Kim by calling him ‘rocket man’ – a reference to North Korea’s continuing testing of inter-continental ballistic missiles and hydrogen bombs.
Kim heads a reign of terror where even his closest friends fear execution if they upset him.
Military strength
Kim wants to nullify the USA’s military strength as a bargaining chip by aiming his own missiles at the US and allied territories.
He has clearly learned that the US will take on regimes without nuclear weapons, but is fearful of provoking those that can strike back. The cases of Saddam Hussain in Iraq and nuclear power Iran prove the point.
The rhetoric is interesting.
Trump threatens to destroy North Korea and insults Kim.
Kim returns the threat and calls Trump a ‘dotard’ – someone with restricted mental and physical capability due to their age.
Risk of nuclear war?
Although the image of Kim and Trump sitting opposite each other across a negotiating table hurling names at each other is amusing, it also shows how poor these two are as internationals statesmen that they stoop so low as playground name calling and tantrum to get their own way.
Is North Korea putting the world at risk of nuclear war?
Probably not. Kim and Trump are both the bonkers side of normal, but not so stupid as to hit the red button and fry each other’s countries.
More likely, Trump is trying to press China’s button to encourage them not to trade with Kim. The move in Beijing to limit oil exports and textile imports shows they will act to turn down the heat if the Chinese government feels the war or words is getting too hot to handle.
The US president also announced further economic sanctions against North Korea, including efforts to cut off military supplies and finance for developing weapons.