In one of his greatest achievements he planned and implemented Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy, which proved to be the turning point in that war, leading to the defeat of Nazi Germany. He was an example of what a true leader is, calm in the midst of a crisis, resolute about his mission.
Does Mr. Trump remind us of either of these two giants of history? Does he have any of the characteristics of these strong leaders? FDR and Ike had their faults, to be sure, and some of their decisions were criticized, but they knew how to act when it was necessary. The America of today does not have those kinds of leaders.
How in the world is this crisis ever going to be resolved without a deadly war erupting? There are two scenarios that come to mind when trying to determine what will happen.
The most viable solution to defuse this rapidly escalating situation appears to be the one that many experts on this matter, together with Russia and China, are proposing. What just might convince North Korea to enter into negotiations would be a promise by the U.S. to remove its 28,500 troops out of South Korea, cease its joint military exercises in that country, and remove various weapons systems from the Korean Peninsula. That would assuage a great deal of North Korea's paranoia relative to U.S. military power.
This is, without a doubt, the best solution. Does the U.S. need that military presence in South Korea and the Korean Peninsula? Absolutely not because it has unlimited air, ground and naval power located within striking distance of Korea in any number of bases in that region.
If Trump and his military advisers totally reject this proposal then they are not only foolish but grossly incompetent. They will be giving Kim Jong-un and his military even more incentive to escalate the development of their nuclear program and build a nuclear arsenal.
If that happens, i.e., the U.S. refuses to remove those troops and weaponry from South Korea, historians will record that the most powerful nation and military in world history could not prevent North Korea from becoming the 10th nuclear power on this planet.
Michael Payne
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