The Fly in the Ointment

It would be amusing were it not so serious, that people actually believe that Donald Trump, the real estate cheat, is behind this, and that the "agreement" with North Korea was ever his idea. He is challenged to complete a simple, declarative sentence

The change in national policy toward North Korea has been in the works for a long time, for many reasons: not least the costs of the current stalemate and of military forces, which now can be diverted to their Iran problem.

It consisted of high level discussions, proposals, and position papers created at State, NSC, FBI, CIA, Pentagon, Defense Department, and other entities we probably never heard of. There has been input from think-tanks and important members of Congress. Positions have been revised and statements re-written and hypotheticals resolved, re-written, added to,, argued, debated, examined in detail, and submitted up the ladder, in the highest secrecy.

This is the pattern for policy changes that the U.S. government has followed for a long time. No single man, not even a president with a dictatorial temperament, changes national policy.

Trump is basking in the spotlight of false glory. His job was only to play the part that they had scripted for him. And it never could have been done without the cooperation and input from progressive South Korean President Moon.

The government sent the Chief Negotiator to North Korea first: CIA Director Mike Pompeo. The deal was done then. That it helps the Republicans pass their reactionary laws, and perhaps win the next two big elections, is the icing on their cake, and the fly in the ointment