Trump unleashed ridiculous insults against North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. He appointed the off-kilter John Bolton as national security advisor, and then Bolton suggested that the US will overthrow Kim after he denuclearizes. Now Kim says he’s unhappy about this and is no longer sure whether he wants to meet with Trump to discuss giving away his nuclear weapons. So why is the media calling HIM “erratic”?
Takes One Erratic Madman to Recognize Another
Ted Rall
Ted Rall is a syndicated political cartoonist for Andrews McMeel Syndication and WhoWhatWhy.org and Counterpoint. He is a contributor to Centerclip and co-host of "The Final Countdown" talk show on Radio Sputnik. He is a graphic novelist and author of many books of art and prose, and an occasional war correspondent. He is, recently, the author of the graphic novel "2024: Revisited."
42 Comments. Leave new
Certainly, points 1-4, above.
The most crucial, however, is a point not mentioned.
While Jong-Un certainly understands the notion and technique of non-binding, public bluster he has recently,no doubt, noted the concrete example of the treachery and intrinsic untrustworthiness of US foreign policy as His Hairness unilaterally pulled the US out of the multi-party nuclear agreement with Iran.
If there ever is a Korea(s)/US summit, will the media report the US response when Jong-Un asks why he should trust anything the US has to say?
The worst part is why the fuck is the US involved at all? South Korea is an independent nation. South Koreans have FAMILY, which actually matters to Asians, in the north.
The removal of US troops after a unification scares the US. China and Russia are scraping away US power worldwide.
North Korea has mineral wealth that South Korean industry needs.
That brings Russian and Chinese industrial involvement as well.
A toon should be drawn asking why the fuck the US is involved at all and why should anyone in the US care about what TWO NATIONS THAT SHARE THE SAME HERITAGE do.
Oh yeah, and South Korea is incredibly corrupt. Every year there is some business or political corruption case.
It’s like fucking Italy.
They do make some fine films though. Check out The Wailing or Castaway on the moon.
And for a long time they stole the action reigns from HK, but China is making an action comeback. Admittedly it is mostly historical MA action but hey who cares when the US puts out such shit.
Yes REIGNS as in rule(s). SK Ruled action and romantic comedy when HK faltered. About a decade or more. And they do some damned fine soaps. Just watched Black on Netflix. Kind of choppy, but stunning revelations throughout. The ending is damn fine.
Little strange on the holiday confusion.
Kim Young’un was raised on international politics, where Trump is a total newb. Just like Putin, Kim’s playing Trump like a harp from Hell. (gratuitous movie reference)
MAGA!
CrazyH
Do you really think these people don’t have advisors who make the actual negotiations?
That would be like allowing Henri to makes decisions for the French part of Sweden.
Real politics means the Chinese, Russians, both Koreas, and the US are hammering out deals.
Everyone needs the resources North Korea has.
China is maneuvering to be the regional power.
Russia has interests as well.
The US wants to keep troops in SK.
In the end, Koreas unify. China gets the upper hand, may take a decade. Russia gets whatever it wants. And the US is forced to remove troops. Again within a decade.
Once troops leave Korea Okinawa is next.
They fucking hate the US. Troops rape and kill Okinawans on a regular basis. And the ones that make the news are the ones who either have not been scared or bought off.
Smart move if Trump starts removing troops from around the world. Something like 21 TRILLION dollars cannot be accounted for in the military budget.
Until Trump the BIGMIL plan was to have enough bases that the US could be anywhere within six hours.
Possibly that has changed, too much Russian and Chinese firepower, so the main focus is on Africa.
Yemen is kicking Saudi ass. And Syria/Russia ended the fake ISIL threat. Iraq elected the anti-US guy to some powerful office recently. Pakistan is aligning with China and Russia is selling India weapons.
China already invested big bucks in Africa, so we will see just how far the US encroaches on those plans.
All we need is a major US disaster that allows the US to draw back and the circling birds of prey to capitalize on that weakness.
I’m thinking Cascadia Subduction zone. Not only earthquakes but tsunami and waking up volcanos.
Yellowstone could be set off by that, or just blow.
New Madrid is due for a quake.
And I’ve read theorizing on an underwater Hawaiian landslide causing a tsunami.
Lots of pieces in play.
> Do you really think these people don’t have advisors who make the actual negotiations?
I really don’t think that the Duh Donald is aware of that. 😉
CrazyH
You really have no clue how Trump is playing everyone?
After a year and a half you don’t get he just tosses shit out to baffle them with bullshit.
Meanwhile he gets his agenda done.
I swear he has the best first year in office since maybe Reagan.
He also plays on the SJW ( and Conservative) bias and childishness,
Think stage magician combined with O’Tooles Henry IIfrom The Lion in Winter.
Add to that he is rich, has a series of magnificent trophy wives, successful children, media star, admired, feared, hated, loved all at the same time.
Henry II: I’ve snapped and plotted all my life. There’s no other way to be alive, king, and fifty all at once.
@Wiz –
Yeah, I remember the same argument from the Bush era. “He’s really smart, he just plays dumb because [mumble]” … and look how well that turned out – a trashed economy, eternal war, global animosity and oh, yeah, 9/11.
Nope, I think both of ’em are at least as dumb as they act. The only thing Trump is good at is being a con man. I see him more as Zero Mostel from The Producers, except he really does profit from failure.
But the companies he runs still fail. That does not bode well for the US of A.
So, yeah, look at all his accomplishments. The ACA repealed; a big, beautiful wall built; tax cuts for the common man; the coal economy is booming; ISIS is defeated; he personally negotiated better trade deals for the entire planet and Made America Great Again!
or nah.
You forget Bush/Cheney got EVERYTHING they wanted with NO OPPOSITION.
Cheney even shot a guy in the face and MADE HIM APOLOGIZE.
Bush was a failed businessman. Then Poppy ran him and Jeb for governor.
The idea was Jeb would be pres.
Cheney and his evil cabal convinced W to run.
W did just to stand up to Poppy.
And he got two terms to Poppy’s one.
You keep looking at personality, not results.
Trump stole the nomination from Jeb even though it was his time.
Then he stole the election from Hillary even though it was her time.
Big name R’s and D’s opposed, Trump. At one point the Koch brothers had a minion aiding Hillary.
Hillary is still winging and the Bush’s shut the fuck up, mostly.
Neither the Clintons nor the Bush’s have the ability to build a dynasty.
Trump doesn’t care about a dynasty, just another success under his belt.
Obama doesn’t have the dynsaty potential either.
2020 Trump wins, unless he dies in office.
2024, anyones guess. Most likely an AI.
“But the companies he runs still fail. That does not bode well for the US of A.”
They don’t fail. They go bankrupt and restructure.
Do you under finance?
Even my GF went bankrupt.
“The New York Times rates 61 of Donald Trump’s business deals, concludes 40% failed”
That would mean 61% are successful.
More than half of SIXTY ONE were successes and making a PROFIT.
Why didn’t you cite that?
Sorry SIXTY percent. Brain freeze stuck on the first number.
And Trump may get a REAL Nobel prize, not the consolation cause you are half Black upper middle class one Obama got. Then proceeded to fuck up with nation destruction.
And if it looks like he pulls off the Korea thing, that’s legendary.
But I already explained the complexities of that move.
https://www.nationalreview.com/magazine/2018/02/05/donald-trump-accomplishments-since-in-office-impressive/
As President Trump finished his first full year in office, he could look back at an impressive record of achievement of a kind rarely attained by an incoming president — much less by one who arrived in office as a private-sector billionaire without either prior political office or military service. As unintended proof of his accomplishments, Trump’s many liberal opponents have gone from initially declaring him an incompetent to warning that he has become effective — insanely so — in overturning the Obama progressive agenda.
Never Trump Republicans acknowledge that Trump has realized much of what they once only dreamed of — from tax reform and deregulation to a government about-face on climate change, the ending of the Obamacare individual mandate, and expansion of energy production.
Different article Washing Times
Here are a few other things that Mr. Trump has done:
• Appointed Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch and more than 75 other constitutionally sound federal judges, 30 of which are serving.
• Reinstated an expanded Mexico City Policy blocking foreign aid from being used for abortions.
• Cracked down on illegal immigration and “sanctuary cities.” As Attorney General Jeff Sessions put it: “The lawlessness, the abdication of the duty to enforce our laws, and the catch and release policies of the past are over.”
• Issued an order killing two federal regulations for every new one. In actuality, 16 were cut for every new one in his first year, saving billions.
• Engineered a historic tax cut that will save money for more than 80 percent of American households.
• Withdrew the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement, ending the threat of U.S. governance by international bureaucrats.
• Reversed onerous Obama environmental rules that gave the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ham-handed authority to destroy the coal industry and abrogate landowners’ rights.
• Kick-started America’s energy sector by curtailing regulations, facilitating the Keystone XL Pipeline and opening up vast federal areas to oil and gas exploration.
• Presided over an economic and stock market boom, lowered unemployment and brought manufacturing jobs back to America from overseas.
• Rebuilt the nation’s military, destroyed ISIS and faced down North Korea’s “Rocket Man.”
• Issued an order enforcing First Amendment protections for religious liberty.
• Restored the freedom of military chaplains to espouse biblical morality, and essentially reversing Mr. Obama’s transgender military policy.
• Revoked the Education Department’s order that public schools allow gender-confused males access to girls’ restrooms and locker rooms.
• Cracked down on sex trafficking. President Trump signed a law allowing states to move against sex-ad Internet sites, and the Justice Department on April 6 seized and shut down Backpage.com, which carried ads for prostitution, including trafficked children.
• Overhauled the mismanaged Veterans Administration and giving veterans more health care choices.
• Replaced Obamacare incrementally, beginning with a repeal of the individual mandate.
• Imposed sanctions on Venezuela’s socialist dictatorship and revising Mr. Obama’s deals with communist Cuba.
• Recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and repairing damage that Mr. Obama did to the U.S.-Israel relationship.
• Worked with Central American nations to crack down on MS-13 gangs.
By the way I don’t agree with any agendas that don’t include legalized gambling, prostitution, and drugs. Second amendment right up to purchasing missles.
Put a tank in your yard and see if the neighbors fuck with you, Real SAMCRO shit.
But I can tell where my preferences get in the way of unbiased observation.
Consider that Batman had plans on how to take down everyone in his universe if they ran rampant.
Unbiased, like Sun Tzu
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War
@Wiz –
I like you, I really do. I’m gonna cut you terrific deal on This Genuine Rolex Watch!
It’s just a terrific deal, just terrific, people say that to me all the time. In fact, I like you so much I’m making an even better deal – two for the price of three!
Act now and get the steak knives for free!
CrazyH
The reason people of your ilk winge is that you can’t accept the reality in front of your face. You want the Maple you keep bumping into to be an Apple so you can get some fruit. yet it stubbornly remains a Maple.
I try to remain objective regarding politics. Yes I would love a different world, but we will never get one.
Everyone from the founding fathers, fuck that the Greeks and Romans, to Carlin, understood the masses ALWAYS get fucked by TPTB.
But the all could recognize “winning”.
Trump is winning. Bush/Cheney won. Obama and Clinton won.
What they all won was not good for the genpop. But their donors and special interests got paid off.
Will you still be calling Trump a loser at the end of his second term, after winning a nobel peace prize and building his wall. After giving his base more than any of the other previous three have?
I still maintain he gives Single Payer in his second term. Automation and rising prices will force him into drastic action to cover the elderly retirees with not enough money. Medicaid for all probably.
Interestingly, I live in one state my pain management doctor is from another but keeps an office in my city. Usually what Medicare does not cover Medicaid picks up. Except him being from another state there was no coverage.
Then in November, they received word to start accepting Medicaid.
I think it is the start of the push for Medicaid for all.
Slowly so as not to piss off the anti-Socialist base.
Or maybe there are just so many people on Medicaid the economics forced them to start accepting.
It was a statewide mandate which changed their billing.
Time will tell.
It would be amusing, were it not so terribly sad, to see the reporting of so-called «reputable» US newspapers like, e g, the New York Times – which, nota bene, otherwise never give Mr Trump a break – on how the DPRK «provoked» him by responding to comments made by Messrs Bolton and Pence on the «Libyan solution» to relations between the two countries. Reminds me of the manner in which Israeli murders of Palestinians are always a «response» to a «provocation» by Hamas or some other dastardly organisation….
But of course, the worst deception is the oft-repeated claim that the negotiations between the US and the DPRK centre on the complete and verified denuclearisation of the latter, rather than on the goal enuciated by the two Korean leaders, Messrs Kim and Moon in the Panmunjom Declaration was that of : «… realising, through complete denuclearisation, a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula», i e, the removal of all nuclear-weapons systems and a ban on their being redeployed on both sides of the DMZ….
Say what one will about reporting by the corporate press in the United States, when it comes to international affairs, if it is not content-free, it is simply false….
Henri
Froggy looking for a princess
But what does the French press say? Does Granny Macron actually use the anti-aging cream? Is the price of baguettes rising?
Will the Corsicans and Basques ever be free to govern themselves?
How many Courics do you weigh?
«But what does the French press say? » Given your IQ of 50, my dear «StupidWizardGlick» I’m hardly surprised that you can’t read the French press for yourself, nor, indeed, that you are unable to utlise translation services that would help you access it. That you haven’t been able to understand that I’m not French and your fatuous remarks about the eating habits and military prowess of inhabitants of that country are meaningless in the context of your attempt to respond to my pointing out the ignorance underlying your pomposity is no more remarkable….
What is most amusing to observe is your evident compulsion to post on matters of which you haven’t a clue – but on the other hand, were you required to constrain your comments to matters on which you did possess a modicum of knowledge, your keyboard would be forced to take a long – and well-deserved – rest…. 😉
Henri
Faux Toad, well real Toady
At least I’m not pretending I’m from two irrelevant nations.
Sweden is most famous for the Bikini team and France for it’s fries ( which the Quebecois modified into the mush more interesting Poutine) and French ticklers.
And I know both Corsica and the Basque want their independence.
I figure you sit about 70 Courics.
«At least I’m not pretending I’m from two irrelevant nations.» You hardly need to pretend, my dear «[Stupid]WizardGlick» ; you’ve allready demonstrated that you’re a complete and utter fraud. But that hardly comes as a surprise in one with an IQ of 50, now does it ?…
Pathetic….
Henri
Oh poor toady faux frog
I’m guessing about 75 Courics after your latest tedious banter.
Yawn.
The only thing more dangerous than being our enemy is being our friend.
Sweden and France kiss US ass.
Just ask Henri.
«Sweden and France kiss US ass.» Indeed, they do, «[Stupid]WizardGlick», and will continue to do so as long as they experience the US as the preeminent world power. But once that crown slips – and it certainly seems to be slipping – matters will be viewed in a different light ; just as when the Swedish government switched its allegiance in 1943, after Stalingrad showed that Germany would lose the war, from the latter to the United States and began to stockpile US war materiel on its territory….
But one really can’t demand that a fatuous fraud with an IQ of 50 grasp such matters, now can one ?… 😉
Henri
Kim Jong-un should explain to Trump that a well regulated Militia [under whatever name it goes by, and armed with weapons of the day], being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people [of any nation] to keep and bear Arms [to deter unprovoked aggression], shall not be infringed [by feckless violable treaties].
The Parkland, Fla. students fatefully accepted the condition of being disarmed as necessary to life in a modern “civilized” world, and so they were unprepared to deal with a violent madman.
I’m sure reasonable people will agree that disarming will not deter an unprovoked attack any better than being armed.
> The Parkland, Fla. students fatefully accepted the condition of being disarmed …
Dude, are you seriously suggesting that high school students should be armed?!
That does not strike me as a good idea.
Good idea or not, AT says that this is the reality in his school.
And anyone who has been paying attention knows this to be the case in many schools.
More people who point guns at others survive than those who have guns pointed at them, because bullets mostly go where guns are pointed.
Physics is Beyond Good and Evil.
Dude, are you seriously suggesting that high school students should be armed?!
Without arms who feeds them?
Glenn
21 foot rule dude.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BNkOTTRW9o
@Glenn –
hmmm, maybe. If a particular student had had a gun rather than a flying sub, this world be a better world today … >;->
@CH
Are you calling for my assassination?
@Awesome Teacher –
> Are you calling for my assassination?
Oh, no, not at all – merely searching for an excuse to use “flying sub.”
You’re the one who believes a well-armed society is a polite society. Ergo, a well-armed student would obviously be more polite than Namor the Sub-Mariner. (see what I did there?)
@CH
Be careful, Crazy Horse.
A ninja once jumped in my bathtub and tried to strangle me. I strangled him.
Ah, the word assassin. The Arab contribution to European languages. A murderer high on hashish.
«Ah, the word assassin. The [Sic !] Arab contribution to European languages.» Note the use of the definite article in the second phrase. Only a lard-arsed and lard-brained would-be US football coach could be so ignorant as to imply that the Arabic contribution to European languages was limited to this one word. A more accurate view – and a far longer list – can be found here….
Henri
Let us try again : the list is to be found here….
Henri
@Henri
I see that the list is one great, big, blank space.
Not surprising, not surprising at all.
Henri
I never use wikipedia as a source. And I teach my students not to do so.
Forty percent of English words come from the Norman. The greatness of the English language comes from its flexibility and simplicity, one aspect being its ability to absorb words from other cultures.
Arabic lacks that capacity and will never be a world language. Most muslims cannot read the Koran.
Al Salaam Alaikum
«I see that the list is one great, big, blank space.» And I, my lard-arsed and lard-brained friend, see six sublists and addenda for specialised vocabularies on the page. Perhaps «Coach», with her/his putative six-figure (in Indonesian Rupiah ?) salary can pass the hat ’round his charges and collect enough money to pay for a new pair of spectacles ?…
As to your «teach[ing your] students not to use Wikipedia as a source» – have you ever taught students at all ? – that’s just the sort of fatuous remark one would expect from a poseur like yourself. The task would be to inform students how to use Wikipedia rather than to ban its use ; can you point to any words on the lists found in this particularl entry which are claimed to be of Arabic orgin but which you can demonstrate are not Thought not…..
What a fraud !…
Henri
@Awesome Teacher
So … we’ve got a six-foot, four inch, ninja-killing boxer who is three hundred pounds of solid muscle.
Who is also completely unable to control a petulant 17 year-old and is scared to crawl out from under his bed in the morning unless he’s carrying multiple deadly weapons.
I can’t quite put my finger on it – but something just doesn’t add up here …
@Crazy Horse
Al Salaam Alaikum. Nice diverse touch, huh?
It all adds up. I exercise restraint.
You, on the other hand, name yourself after the Lakota, one of those poor, unfortunate Amerindian tribes who didn’t even have the wheel.
Why don’t you call yourself Julius Caesar or Johnny Rebel?
@Henri
Read the entire missive.
You’re being to bore me.
«You’re being [Sic !] to bore me.» Turn about’s fair play, my dear «American Teacher» ; you’ve been boring readers of these threads for quite some time now. But what can one expect of an illiterate lard-arsed and lard-brained troll who thinks (I use the term loosely) that the Arabic contributions to European languages stop at the term «assassin» (while defining the term as a «murderer high on hashish» !) and that Arabic lacks the capacity «to absorb words from other cultures». So now our self-proclaimed US football coach has been transmogrified into an accomplished Arabist, who pronounces his/her doom over that language ! Mr Thurber must be green with envy…. 😉
Pitiful….
Henri