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Monday, June 11, 2018

Singapore From the Leftist Point of View

The meetings between President Trump and Kim Jung Un are about to begin.  There is a possibility that something truly good for the USA, North and South Korea and the world could come from this.  We will have to wait and see.  Still, I find it interesting to see some of the commentary from the left about what is happening.

One particular article of interest was written by Peter Beinart in The Atlantic.  Beinart says that Trump is an ignorant boor, but that he may have lucked into a good situation.  The "experts", you see, are divided between those who want constant pressure to wear down the North Koreans (like under Obama -- at least according to Beinart) and those who see the North Korean nukes as so threatening that they want maximum pressure.  Trump (again according to Beinart) is looking for a plan that leads to maximum personal glory; he wants to meet with Kim in order to get the praise of the world.  He's not (supposedly) that interested or even that knowledgeable about the North Korean nuclear program or its dismantling.  Beinart then compares Trump to Ronald Reagan who lucked into progress with the Soviet Union in the late 80's despite Reagan's ignorance of the details of nuclear disarmament and other matters of importance between the US and the USSR.  Beinart finishes by telling Progressives that they must work to support Trump on Korea (even if it is Trump) so that he will continue on his present course.

Beinart's take is hysterically funny.  He just cannot bring himself to say that Trump's policies have moved us closer to the possibility of peace with North Korea than we have been in 70 years.  He also has to elevate Obama's ignoring the problem of North Korea to some sort of "strategy".  And Beinart makes everything that is happening into the result of sheer dumb luck.  Even so, Beinart does recognize that the USA and the world are indeed presented with the possibility of a new peace in Northeast Asia.  He wants to support that without having to admit that Trump knowingly and intelligently brought this about. 

The reality is that we do need to support the President in his moves towards peace with North Korea.  For the first time in my lifetime, the prospects for peace in Korea are real.  They are just possibilities to be sure, but they are REAL possibilities.  Everyone needs to support a move towards peace and away from war.  That means everyone, including Progressives.  If Beinart has to spend pages calling Trump names before he can get to the point of telling his fellow Progressives to support Trump, I'm okay with that.  The key here is that the best outcome for the country and for peace be achieved.

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