NEW SANCTIONS ON N.KOREA: NOT A YAWNER THIS TIME
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION, SEPT. 22-24, 2017) — In his first address to the United Nations’ General Assembly, President Donald Trump told world leaders that North Korea will be “totally destroyed” if it attacks America or any of its allies. There’s no wiggle room in “will” but you can drive a tank through diplomacy. THE PLANET has done it many times, though not in an international scale.
Asked Thursday prior to his luncheon meeting with the leaders from Japan and South Korea if he would continue diplomatic efforts to ease tensions with the DPRK, Trumped rhetorically asked, “Why not?” One reason “why not,” critics say, has been the failure of diplomatic efforts to get Kim Jung Un to halt his country’s nuclear arms development. THE PLANET sees the logic of this argument, but we would counter that thus far, diplomacy has prevented Kim from a suicidal push of The Button.
Kim will never start warring with the nukes. He knows Trump’s threats to vaporize the North are real. He looks to amp up his country’s nuclear capabilities because of a genuine belief that the U.S. and South Korea of planning invasion and regime change. In doing so, he employs a strategy honed in the Cold War, peace through deterrence.
Walk a mile in Kim’s Guccis for a second. Why would you think the U.S. can and will invade? The Korean “Conflict” has never ended. Hostilities ceased on July 27, 1953 with an armistice, not a peace treaty. A state of war still exists. The U.S. has 28,000 troops and incalculable amounts of materiel and firepower at or in striking distance of the 38th parallel.
Therein lies the key to peace on the Korean peninsula. For this crazy 67-year stand-off to end, the U.S., in its role still as the world’s Big Brother, must take bold action. President PLANET would do two things:
- Initiate direct, face-to-face talks with Rocketman, Trump’s great nickname for Kim.
- Offer a peace treaty on generous terms. Those clauses, like Santa, won’t matter because other than on a piece of paper, they will not exist. Their life will be found in the hearts, minds, and actions of the U.S. President. We’ll still have the power to annihilate the North 28 times over. That will ensure a lasting peace. Those terms would be a concession to the DPRK. The simple act of the “Great America” taking the first step in offering peace would allow Kim to claim victory. We would rest assured not because of such facetious and facile claims but by reason of security in knowledge that we have been the leading actor in this melodrama since Day 1 of America’s involvement there.
Trump backed his commitment to conflict resolution through peaceful means by announcing Thursday new economic sanctions on the DPRK. By tightening even further the grip on North Korea’s cash flow, Trump will force global companies to choose between doing business with the United States or with the practically destitute North Korea. As a trader and investor, where would YOU sink your money? The new sanctions will affect the DPRK’s textile, fishing, information technology, and manufacturing industries. Oil, for now, has been left alone, leaving a mighty big Trump card in the President’s hand.
The President’s back-channel negotiations with China also seem to be working. At the same time the U.S. announced the new sanctions, China ordered its central bank to “strictly implement” the sanctions imposed by the U.N. Basically, China has told its companies to stop doing business with the North. While the moves do not affect oil imports, they do represent a significant, perhaps definitive step forward.
Trump also accomplished something of a miracle into smoking out Kim into making an unprecedented, first-person reaction to the President’s U.N. speech. Kim said Trump was unfit to lead a sovereign country and called him “mentally deranged.”
Though much of America and media are loathe to admit it, Trump has acted presidential, scoring a battle victory.
Have a great weekend, everybody.
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” No blossom stayed away / In gentle deference to me, / The Queen of Calvary” — Emily Dickenson
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
The Usual Disclaimer.
I cannot agree more with your suggestion to diffuse this powder keg.
Go back to red hair
? WTF? cork it, loser.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBPZ65uPmfA
HAHA….Thank’s I needed a good laugh! That nick-name is perfect for him.
25 million people live in North Korea! If we annihilate North Korea with U.S. nuclear weapons, Donald Trump will kill twice the number of people compare to Hitler’s Holocaust.
We killed over one million Vietnamese people in the year of 1968 alone. During the U.S. conflict in Vietnam, we killed over 5 million Vietnamese people. That is one million people less than how many Jewish people were exterminated in Hitler’s Holocaust.
During the Iraq Wars that the two Bushes ordered, we killed well over one million people in the Middle East.
Let us add up the number of people we have killed in Vietnam, Iraq, and Trump’s threat to annihilate North Korea. That number comes in at well over 31 million people killed!
How are we any better than Hitler? The U.S. War Machine kills people! Let us not forget that when Trump threatens to annihilate North Korea, that we will kill over 25 million people!
– Jonathan Melle
It was part of LBJ’s great society program.
No mention of Stalin’s murders or Mao’s? LMAO.
Stalin’s war machine killed more people than Hitler’s war machine. Stalin even killed his own Veterans when they returned home to Russia after World War 2.
Governments have always had war machines that kill millions of innocent people!
War is Hell!
Don’t forget to credit Japan with killing 12 million Chinese.
Trump will prevail without a shot being fired.
Let’s hope mpga.
The Golden Shower Treaty.
We are not going to nuke him…..the US has weapon systems that are 30 years ahead of the stuff we know about. Do some research on kinetic weapons.
Dan the best.
The dear leader of North Korea is a clown. I’m glad Trump put him in his worm hole place.
Hindscis picking his ears p,nose, rubbing and itching his beard, reading his coffee cup, all the while bootlicker is telling how great he is for bringing in the cultural dollars.
A beard with a bald head looks odd.
Thank you to Senator Hinds for all the cultural Dollars you are trying to bring in, as well as Rep. Tricia Falrey Bouvier.. Thank you again for the Cultural Dollars.
whose job is it to enforce these sanctions?
Changing the subject briefly
Does anyone know what the digging marathon on Merrill Road is about? The road is a damn mess.
One of jungs missiles landed?
One of jungs missiles landed?
I think it is part of the mayors plan to “slow traffic down”.
Here we go again……http://www.berkshireeagle.com/stories/mayor-seeks-580k-forlti-growth,520042?
Trump’s only motivation in this matter is his hope that the fallout dust in North Korea obfuscates the text on Muellers indictment documents
I hope all the trials are televised. Will Ivanka wear the fuchsia snuggle to court? Will Donnie Jr get that smirk taken off his smug puss? Will large Donald wear a MAGA hat while testifying? will Putin be a character witness for the Donald?
No Russians voted for Donald Trump. Sorry, but Americans voted for Trump. Fake news.
Buy many illegals voted for Hillary.
Trump campaign and subsequent election was based on a Wall,Health Care, and jobs. The Deal Maker has no Art.
Selling donated Art to appease the New Yorkers who benefit most from the Museums Exibits is not the way to go, find another solution of substainting the Museums finances.What kind of message does it send when donated gifts like Rockwell paintings are used to be auctioned off because of more mismanagement at Institutions like the Museum. Nobody will donate anymore.
Well they certainly are not getting any of my stuff. I have an extensive collection of thirteenth century Inca pottery that I am sick of looking at but I will give it to the Goodwill before the local museum gets their hands on it.
I’ll take them! Put them next to my Holy Grail.
Rockwell personally gave the paintings to the museum. Selling them is kind of like selling your Christmas presents. TFB came out if favor of the board’s decision this morning and told us not to name call and to be respectful. Good advice. Interestingly the Planet has been totally hands off on this, Pittsfield’s hottest topic for the past month or so. It was all over the Pat Muraca story (4 columns) and the trash can debacle, two stories that most people don’t care about.
T. More, selling those works for cash is more like saying ‘ to hell with the museum industry’ and cutting ties from larger resources such as the Smithsonian Institution than pawning the fondu gift.
Good luck Berkshire Museum, it was good knowing you. Spend that $40 million well, it may be last you ever see.
I wonder if the Planet can see through the tea leaves concerning Rep. Bouvier’s comment s in the Berkshire Eagle? The heading says she Backs Board? Now, there could conceivably mean two things. It could be theUseu s Board, but also be the Massachusetts Cultural Council who is against the sale. Rep. Bouvier is taking the low road, but the heading leads you to believe it could be either entity, which if you read the article makes it very clear which entity supports the. On sale. The other very disturbing and baffling g comments when she says she would like posters on-line and editorials to the media to be more Ivil. She also states the the Museum stands with the youth and the children and the families.
My points here are,a total disregard of the intent of these paintings such as Norman Rockwell, as they were donated, not to be resold,and if there are documents to show that donated paintings weren’t for Public Auction, it would be illegal anyway. Management evidentially has dropped the Ball again, figure something else out. the Paintings and any other Art Work donated should never be sold.
Donated Art belongs in the Museum that it was intended for, not a private sale.
Trump is a Giant Gold Goliath,who is interested in the Extinction of Countries.
People should take notice if Steve Filliault ever runs for any kind of office again. I believe in Steve was the jingle, no, for real, but honestly. I think he would make a difference in this City. Hope he runs for office again.!
Dan, I think these comments on the museums’ planned art sale are spot on. The Kapanzis’ turn their lonely eyes to you, the voice of the little guy, to expose the Berkshire Museum’s back room plan that allegedley but didnt really have input from 400 community members, for what it is – a sham. How about demanding the museum lay their cards on the table and show us how many employees they have and the salary for each position, names not required? I have to give the boring broadsheet credit for a great story on the the museum directors’ shoddy tenure down south, which just shows that he should never have been hired here, but they are not demanding the museum open the books to the Kapanzis’.
It’s just P E D A more money for a new Manager while the old one just lingered in mediocrity for years. throwing more money to entice better candidates hasn’t worked here, ever, name one?????
You have to laugh at these bullies and complainers that are out in the Public media and people of some authority in this shitty City.one that comes to mind is the for Sheriif, who in my opi ion is a wuss and always has been, people bow at his whim, he would last one day in basic training, what the hell was Jim doing when he took this pain in the ass under his wing. Another is the Bootlicker on P C T V,the people over attheradio radio station couldn’t stand him, who the hell is he, who the hell let’s him trash certain citizens, like he was some kind of Importantance, I ‘ve seen him twirling his cane. It’s like someone cares what he thinks, he worked In a prison for crying out loud. Anyway, it is time for the Citizens of Pittsfield to reject our Leaders who keep letting these people dictate any Public or Media policy,they’re simply irrelevant. retire!!!!!!!!!
Agree,MD,the only one who tells the truth and is not For Himself,is the Planet.
Well the trash cans are out on Tyler street for your viewing pleasure. I hope the local metal recycling place has been notified to call police if someones tries to sell there for scrap.
No reflection on the workmanship mind you but in that area you might consider chaining them to something.
School choice has been the downfall of poor cities all across Ma.Ma. is being run at the state rep level by elitest like Bouvier who sent her kids to Lenox so he did not have to associate with the lower class people of Pittsfield.
Bouvier has not brought 1 job to Pittsfield.Please dont vote for her again.
I promise to not-vote for the Congress-Critter again.
This city council is Killing people with taxes.We are poverty stricken city and even the School Superintendent a doctor of education cant comprehend our poverty.You want 5th graders to read and understand and we want them to look at numbers and think criticly then the Doctor of education should do that with his budget….he must look at the numbers.
Behnke makes 120k as a Assistant superintendent…hello.She has a staff of 9 yes i said nine.
Who counts the cash at the staff room stores in the buildings.I thought all cash generated in the schools goes into general fund.Mccandless needs to know who counts cash in his buildings.
The bellicose behavior belongs to North Korea. They export nuclear and ballistic technology to any and all of our enemies willing to pay, and they murder our citizens. In addition, since we are still at war (no thanks to either Kim), now is a better time to attack than later, if for no other reason that later will cost more life than now. Appeasement is appeasement, whether you call it victory or diplomacy.
Some, as represented by J. Melle, don’t get the historical significance of the Holocaust ( annihilation of a complete people, including the newborn, from the Atlantic to the Ukraine and the destruction of their literature and cultural artifacts), but they should understand WW2’s lesson that sleeping while the enemy quietly seizes opportunities and space to become formidable and incompatible with our way of life is unbelievably costly.
To the UN, Kim asks for ‘deterrence.’ Sounds fair and reasonable. In Korean, at home, I suspect he talks bigger.
I understand that Hitler’s Holocaust was a Genocide of the Jewish People. It was totally evil!
– Jonathan Melle
J. Melle, thank you for clarification. I misunderstood you.
3 million Poles were killed by the Nazis, so it wasn’t totally a Jewish thing.
Perhaps you would like to sit on a hill in South Korea and watch the Donald punish North Korea?
Ad hominem? Has North Korea become kinder and gentler since 2001?
Why did Obama give them billions of dollars which North Korea has now used to build all of these sophisticated weapons?
Dusty, it’s true that N. Korea holds hostage the South and other neighbors, but it’s not acceptable that they include the U.S. in their portfolio. The U.S is only 20 minutes behind South Korea from a Korean missile. How about one launched from a closer site? The Soviets tried to install them in Cuba. Think the North Koreans wouldn’t try?
He calls the prez a dotard,he continues to defy Trump’s warning, we are dealing with a war mongrel.
Football players should stand for the National Anthem. These are multi-millionaires who have been treated extremely well by our country. Why can’t they honor our country by treating the National Anthem with respect? Why do they hate the country? Would they rather have an Anthem sung that honors another country? The end result of making football political will be to ban the National Anthem at games. This is what the Progressives want. What do other countries think when they see the lack of respect shown to our country by our own citizens?
First the activists on the left took over college campuses, the media and they always had Hollywood in their back pockets. This has let them control culture and form the young minds in society. This is what they want. The result is young people who want to protest everything even things that respect and have always respected their own country. The activists on the left don’t want anybody to think too deeply about what is happening; so teaching critical thinking skills on campus is out because young people would quickly figure out they are being taught a bunch of garbage.
All the divisiveness caused by those players disrespecting the National Anthem proves it was the wrong thing to do and did not help matters one iota. They were purely selfish acts by spoiled professional athletes who have no right to protest anything except the preferential treatment they’ve rec’d their whole lives because they can play a sport extremely well.
Freedom of speech does not apply to the workplace and when they are at the game they are at work. If it did apply to the workplace then enforcing a dress code would be unconstitutional as would certain codes of behavior.
Rather than doing something real and positive they engage in a hollow pointless act that only makes things worse, not better.
What do you know about what’s being taught on college campuses? You’ve never been near one. What do other countries think when they hear the president of the US use the term “son-of-a-bitch” on national television? Probably the same thing clear thinking decent Americans think regardless of their political stripe. What do deep thinkers like yourself think?
Trump was right. RESPECT for our country is VERY IMPORTANT. We all KNOW what is being taught on college campuses…radical ideas. Most Americans feel the way Trump does. Only radicals think it’s okay to reject the National Anthem. What’s next? Removing the American flag from public view?
The people espousing these radical ideas are NOT deep thinkers. They just skim the surface of most subjects and go with the herd. The football players have no idea why they reject the National Anthem, more than likely, except that it’s hip and cool to do so because they learned it from their radical friends and teachers in college. I have heard no logical reason why they reject the National Anthem. Someone PLEASE enlighten me.
I’ll say it again Pat, you’ve never been on a college campus. You use your silly name to complain about everyone on earth that has more than you. Its the progressives that are responsible for your miserable life, not yourself.
Huh? I have a great life thank you very much. Stop attacking the messenger!!!!
America stands for Freedom and Democracy. When the President treats fellow Americans the way he does, then there is a problem.
You are right. There is a problem, but the problem is coming from the radical ideas of the left. Why reject the National Anthem? What is the point? If the football players want to have bad feelings about this country in their private life, that is their business, but on the job in front of fans and the world, that is disrespectful.
Pat. That is ludicrous a tatement as the new garbage recepts are on Tyler. Trump is simply a vulgar individual. He has met his match, Jung will not back down. Period.
You are making this about Trump which is a way of deflecting from the issue of disrespect for the National Anthem.
I was talking with a dejected fisherman . He was out in his boat on lovely Onota Lake all day and didn’t even get a nibble. He told me he thinks all the fish have gone to a school in Lenox.
The fish are quiet in all Berkshire County. They are either plotting, hunkered down, or both. Makes me nervous. Saw an ahinga on Laurel Lake, so they are out there.
As important as these national and international issues are I’m hoping we can. Start talking about the council races. At large White, Mazzeo and Marchetti will most likely get reelected. Persip is a Krol Kronie which means he’ll be just another Tyer rubber stamp. He’s got a ton of signs out. He had them out very early. I wonder who contributed money to his campaign? Council candidates have to disclose funding to the city clerk office and that information can be made public. Then we have Ed Carmel. Who the hell is Ed Carmel?????? So the only one left is CG. I’m going to take a chance on him. He certainly isn’t perfect. But no one on the council is. He is the only one who will try to bring change to this city. Probably the only at large candidate with the exception of Mazzeo who has the interest of the taxpayers at heart. ( I give her a passing grade in this regard. But like it or not I think we should give CG two years. He won’t be any worse than the rest of them and he’ll be a change agent.
I agree with you on Persip. With White, Marchetti the rubber stamp quota has been met. The newcomers to the local races are not looking promising either.