Trump and Kim Opened Their Second Summit

[ThunderBlade + 231]

U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, leaders of two nations with a long history of hostilities, opened their second summit Wednesday with smiles, hopeful talk and a friendly dinner that will set the stage for more difficult talks to come about curbing North Korea’s pursuit of nuclear weapons. Facing widespread skepticism about what they can achieve, the two men exchanged a warm handshake before a phalanx of alternating American and North Korean flags before disappearing for a private, 30-minute pre-dinner chat. “A lot of things are going to be solved I hope,” Trump said as dinner commenced. “I think it will lead to a wonderful, really a wonderful situation long-term.” Kim, for his part, said that his country had been “misunderstood” and viewed with “distrust.” “There have been efforts, whether out of hostility or not, to block the path that we intend to take,” he said. “But we have overcome all these and walked toward each other again and we’ve now reached Hanoi after 261 days” since their first meeting in Singapore. “We have met again here and I am confident that we can achieve great results that everyone welcomes.” For all of the optimistic talk, there was broad concern that Trump, eager for an agreement, would give Kim too much and get too little in return — perhaps a peace declaration for the Korean War that the North could use to eventually push for the reduction of U.S. troops in South Korea, for example, or sanctions relief that could allow Pyongyang to pursue lucrative economic projects with the South.

[pinto + 293]

Now, it’s been 457 days without a missile launch from North Korea...

[Pavel + 384]

Just now, pinto said:

Now, it’s been 457 days without a missile launch from North Korea...

And, we're not any safer.

[damirUSBiH + 327]

1 minute ago, Pavel said:

And, we're not any safer.

The threat is real, but I appreciate the efforts to keep the world safe

[Illurion + 894]

3 minutes ago, pinto said:

Now, it’s been 457 days without a missile launch from North Korea...

Hopefully Kim will come around,  and turn over his missiles,  and disband MOST of his Army in exchange for the USA removing our troops,  and South Korea agreeing to finance development in North Korea...

The war will finally be over...

Edited February 27, 2019 by Illurion

[pinto + 293]

4 minutes ago, Illurion said:

Hopefully Kim will come around,  and turn over his missiles,  and disband MOST of his Army in exchange for the USA removing our troops,  and South Korea agreeing to finance development in North Korea...

The war will finally be over...

Stake is really big. We will have decades of peaceful coexistence if Summit succeed..

[ThunderBlade + 231]

Say no armament.

[Dan Warnick + 6,100]

The bigger picture here, folks, is that China has the nukes and the delivery systems already.  Little Kim and his forefathers were just out there doing China's bidding, and testing and tormenting, so that China could sit back undisturbed and docile-like.  If South Korea is ready to live with the North, then the time has come.  Trump has brought this on, don't think he hasn't.  The talking heads will never give credit where credit is due, in this case and others.  The Korean peninsula could turn into paradise on earth and they would still find the flaws.  No other human being, think about that, has gotten the world to this point with North Korea and I for one am thankful for whoever facilitates it.  If it had been Barrack or even Hillary, I would have been just as happy to see it come to pass.  Fact is, my father served in Korea and my father will be 88 years old this year.  It is time for this thing to end.

 

[Dan Warnick + 6,100]

Some folks don't like Fox News, but I found the linked reporting to be pretty good.  Give it a read.  The overwhelming press barrage is led by CNN et al about the leaders not allowing all the reporters to attend the meal between the two leaders, and especially 2 that had been yelling questions about the day's Cohen news, but I don't see how that is even reality given that all but a few reporters were not allowed in for the lunch.

Trump praises 'special relationship' with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un at start of Hanoi summit

(Excerpts)

When asked if he would formally declare an end to the Korean War, Trump simply said, "We will see."

Kim also echoed Trump's sentiment.

"Those 261 days [since we met in Singapore] were the days during which a lot of painstaking efforts were necessary and a lot of patience was needed. As I see you here today…that gives us a hope that we will be successful this time…" Kim said, according to his personal translator, to which Trump replied, "That’s nice, that’s really nice, thank you."

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Trump and Kim arrived in Hanoi Tuesday just hours apart for their second summit — eight months after the leaders made history for their first meeting in Singapore. Prior to Wednesday evening's meeting, the president said he "will try very hard to work something out on Denuclearization." He also mentioned making North Korea an "Economic Powerhouse," but did not elaborate on what the U.S. plans to do to help the country.

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Several other topics are expected to come up during the two-day summit, including bringing back the rest of the remains of U.S. soldiers killed in the Korean War. North Korea turned over 55 boxes of presumed remains of U.S. soldiers killed in the Korean War as part of the agreement from the June summit.

There’s also growing speculation that Trump may offer an announcement of peace and a formal end to the Korean War if he can convince Kim to commit to denuclearization. The Korean War ended in 1953 with an armistice, essentially a cease-fire signed by North Korea, China and the 17-nation, U.S.-led United Nations Command that was supposed to be replaced by a formal peace treaty. But both sides instead settled ever deeper into Cold War hostilities marked by occasional outbreaks of violence.

Edited February 27, 2019 by Dan Warnick

[Dan Warnick + 6,100]

An interesting question posed on Quora, and an interesting answer from a fellow Quoran:

Could America and the world survive a second Trump term?

Al Nolf, former Senior Chief (E-8) at United States Navy (1968-1989)

Answered Tue

Of course. The Democrats have been shouting “THE SKY IS FALLING” for nearly three years now. Through Falling Unemployment numbers, Falling Welfare and Food Stamp costs..they bellowed and cried.

They warned us all as manufacturing came back to the US, and Jobs returned. Even now, for the first time in US history there are more jobs than workers to fill them, and Democrats are yelling about incompetence! LOL Government regulations were cut and taxes were cut for the middle class… oh how the Democrats whined!

Democrats have been crying for 20 years: “Bring our Boys Home!” We have no business fighting over there…making the Big Corporations Rich, and stealing their Oil.. President Trump listened and is bringing our troops home. Except now, the Democrats are calling him a “Traitor to our Allies”…

President Trump Met with Kim Jong Un and made arrangements for the return of our war dead from the Korean war. 65 years later, and they are finally coming home to their families. Democrats Scoff at meetings with kim..they say “Trump Loves Dictators”.

Democrats have been ranting about Russian Collusion for two years, and calling President Trump “Putin’s Lap Dog”…. in spite of the fact that Russia announced today that they can strike the USA with a nuclear missile in 5 minutes, and provided a list of targets which included the Pentagon, the White House, and Camp David.

Did you watch the Kavanaugh hearings? WHO were the aggressors? In your mind, was it really the Conservatives who were doing all the “Bullying”?

Things are not as they seem in your little neatly folded, liberal world. If you look around just a tiny bit, with your own two eyes, you’ll find that there are some pretty good things going on in this country right now. ( Hint: Take a look at your 401(k) and compare it to the amout of money you made when Obama was president. )

The US will not only “Survive” it’s going to “accomplish”. You can choose to be part of it, or keep your blinders on and listen to your friends. Where will you be in five years?

[Dan Warnick + 6,100]

Looks like the talks are over with a walk out by the U.S. Administration over the lifting of all sanctions in place:

As Reported by CBS News: Trump press conference after no deal with Kim Jong Un: "Sometimes you have to walk"

[John Foote + 1,135]

The DMZ might be the most tense place I've ever been, but the threat of a major war was always very little. North Korea would be obliterated, and Seoul as we know it destroyed. No winners, but big losers. We just raised the profile while doing little. But in the end just admitting the north exists and isn't the end of humanity is a good thing. 

Go google the height differences between the populations of the north and south. They haven't even been able to feed themselves enough for generations. It would be nice to get them into the world. 

The south would love to embrace the north, but doubtful the north power structure wants all that means.