I couldn't be happier with the outcome of this summit. No one is talking war in Korea anymore. So Trump gave away future military exercises on the Peninsula and characterized them as provocative. So what? In exchange we have a North Korea feeling a little less threatened. The idea of a denuclearized Peninsula could lead to a minimal or even nonexistent US presence along with a complete dismantling of the North's nuclear weapons program. That would be grand. There will be a lot of fault found in this summit and its outcome, but I don't care. This was a bold and courageous move on Trump's part. Some may think it was a courage born out of ignorance, but it was also born out of a willingness to try something new, a willingness to deal with KJU as a partner. This is refreshing. Trump done good and the world is better today than it was a few short months ago.

Perhaps Trump can apply this same reasoning to other military deployments and exercises. Recognize their potential provocativeness and withdraw. Withdraw from Syria. Withdraw from Europe. Apply the same type of conciliatory engagement to Iran, Cuba and others that he showed to North Korea. Now that would be a legacy.

TTG,
Trump is blowing holes in old paradigms. The concepts he's applying aren't particularly genius; rather just sensible, but he's the only one who seems to be able think outside the box enough to even consider making a try for a new way. I'm sure that a lot of prep work went into this historic meeting; lots of wheeling and dealing. However, the simple yet elegant, idea behind it all is that it's better for all parties to be friends than enemies. Trump has transcended all the moralizing that holds back others (e.g."But North Korea has gulags!"). He realizes that redemption of bad actors is possible through friendship and prosperity. An adversarial relationship fixes nothing unless an actual existential war is waged and one winner emerges from the carnage- and war is costly. This kind of acting on cost/benefit analysis is one reason why some of us voted for a businessman as opposed to a career pol. Glad you are able to give credit where it's due.

Eric Newhill,

Now if Trump can just blow holes in the old paradigms concerning Iran and Cuba. Now would be the time to do it. Obama was doing that in the case of Iran and Cuba and the neocons and Republicans gave him holy hell for daring to question those old paradigms. If Trump could get over supporting anything Obama supported, I believe he could carry these policies of reconciliation to fruition despite the opposition. He's like the honey badger. He just don't give a f#ck. And that's just what the situation calls for.

The ultimate paradigm that needs holes blown into it is Israel's parasitic relationship with the US. I've said it before. The sooner Trump realizes our policies regarding Israel are a cost center, the better off we will all be.

TTG,
IMO, he'll get there. First he needs to build momentum and trust. He has to prove himself to the world. NoKo is a great place to start. The neocons and borg are less invested in certain outcomes there - therefore the probability of sabotage is lower. Trump has to deal with both the external powers as well as the internal (I think the internal are the bigger barriers to success). I don't think he really gives a flying f###k about how Kushner or his daughter feel about Israel. He tossed Israel and the US rightwing a bone w/ the embassy move. That's as much as they'll get from here on out if they get too pushy. Despite some Islamic quarters making big noise about it, I don't see them actually doing anything more than protesting and getting shot for it. We've annihilated Iraqi uniformed forces twice in recent history. That serves as an object lesson to the rest of the countries in the region. So a cost free bone toss by Trump as far as he is concerned.

That is a fantasy.

Hello TTG,

I agree largely with your post, however I just cannot see how it can lead to further withdrawals, simply because it kind of implies the US is there for the benefit of others and not for themselves. They could pull out of Europe now. Pretty sure everyone knows Russia is not going to invade Europe, right?

But yes, Trump has shown good faith, and lets hope NK reciprocate. I think they will. The idea that Kim wants his country in its current state is just ignorant.

Explain to me how the presence of US forces in Europe or Syria benefits the US.

I'd say the same reason why the US has bases all over the world. Please excuse my ignorance, I am just a lay man with a keen interest.

Why have bases in Japan? Or indeed anywhere? Hegemony, no? Why not pull out years ago? Genuine questions.

The US seems to want to check EU growth - why would they pull out their military presence there? Or, say, Japan?

There are no "allies", just overlapping interests, right?

Since Commodore Perry's mission to Japan in 1853, what has US gained except war and unemployment in her interactions with Japan?

Would it not have been a superior policy to leave Japan alone to wallow in her brutal feudalism and delay or prevent the unleashing of that brutality on the rest of East Asia?

Yes.

One could say the same about all empires I guess. The pursuit of power and domination seems to cloud all judgment.

So, in your opinion, should the US have any bases outside of the US? I am from the UK, so there are still bases lingering from our own days of rule.

They really just kept as forward operating positions, right? For example, the UK base in Cyprus used for ME operations.

The two Cyprus bases are just springboards for adventurism. IMO we should abandon NATO as a vestige of the Cold War and leave you Europeans to your own devices. Korea? We should leave as soon as Trump can arrange it. Australia? Why are we there? So that we can meddle in Asia? Where else? I can't think of anywhere we should stay that is off our own territory.

I think England and Portugal, being small poor kingdoms, had much to gain by their Imperial Projects.

Spain also gained land as well as gold and silver as she expanded in the Americas.

Both the Ottoman Empire and the Roman Empire enriched a certain social crust through taxes, war booty , and land.

I cannot see what US has gained from ruling over such places as Cuba or the Philippines.

What has US gained since 1991 in terms of actual wealth; her cities are dilapitated compared to those of continental Europe, her population is dependent on government dole (45 million souls) and the Americans enjoy little protection againt problems of health.

What I have understood is that US can drop a few thousand soldiers quickly anywhere on Earth. Her leaders, evidently value that higher than anything else, and so does her electorate, it seems to me.

It is not my place to recommend base closures to US.

I would think that US would want to keep a base or two in UK ; the unsinkable aircraft career.

LeMoore00 "Hegemony" as a goal or reward has no value except to the collective ego of the Borg. If there was some economic value derived from these commitments and deployments there would be some basis for your remark but there is not.

Agree. But the"benefit" part of my comment was from the perspective of said Borg, not the people. So I think we're in agreement here.

And the benefit is a psychological benefit.

So is Trump genuinely trying to extricate the US from these situations? There is a view amongst the commentariat that perhaps he is trying to alienate allies in order for them to begin cutting lossening ties with the US, causing the very isolation Trump made a significant part of his campaign. Thoughts?

It was hard to find any exact numbers on overseas bases but this discussion mentions $100-150 billion a year. So some profit potential there for suppliers.

"Basically, no one has looked at this total cost. I was able to find that Congress asked the military to on a yearly basis calculate the total costs of maintaining troops and bases overseas and they would come up with a figure of about $21, $22 billion every year.

And the only other global estimate that I was able to find was one from an economist that showed a total of $250 billion a year. So this is a huge spread between about $22 billion and $250 billion, and so I decided to really try to dive into the Pentagon’s numbers and look for spending that they might have been ignoring in their reports to Congress.

And by my calculation, and this was a very conservative estimate, we’re spending around $100 to $150 billion, billion with a b, every year maintaining troops and bases overseas. And I used the pentagon’s congressionally-mandated methodology in my calculations. And this more money than any government agency except the Pentagon itself."

Speaker is Michael McNerney, an associate director of the International Security and Defense Policy Center and a senior international/defense researcher at the RAND Corporation.

http://www.talkmedianews.co...

I wouldn't mind spending the money if there was a need, but the US has no enemies today other than the damned jihadis. All the BS about Russia and Iran is just that, a reflection of our own inner psychological problems and the control that Israel exerts over US policy in the ME.

North Korea will not denuclearize...

US bid for Caesarism, in the absence of a new Peace to replace that of Yalta, will only make nuclear war more probable, in my opinion.

Yes, Trump might have reduced tensions on the Korean Peninsula but the fundamental insecurity of North and South Korea remains.

Who will guarantee the continued existence of the North Korean state?

There will be no reunification. Nobody in SK really wants anything to do with the North, if it means actually having to pay for things. It's a nice, politically correct thing that matters for nothing. Having said that, from our (US) perspective, having some wherewithal to settle things with NK is a good thing, so that, when the day comes, we can pull out honorably. KJU seems much less volatile than his father or grandfather, who'd try something crazy and push the envelop whenever there was something being negotiated. While there is no good reason that either NK or US will hold up their respective end of the bargain--assuming there was any actual bargain rather than just a meeting (but just a meeting is far more important than any bargain, precisely because there is no good reason to expect bargains to be kept)--I have a nagging suspicion that KJU will behave far more "diplomatically" than previous NK leaders.

Seeing is believing.

We have seen this show 5 times already.

The necessary framework for nuclear disarmament or re-unification is a Global Peace - a la Peace of Yalta - is lacking; in my opinion.

We have entered a period of Warring States - waiting, I suppose, for the Shi, Hwang Ti moment - but until such time a multipolar world does not make itself conducive to such strategic settlements - certainly not with NATO still existing.

When one considers the fact that Arms Control is dead, NPT is dead, Peace of Yalta is dead, JCPOA is dead then one cannot rightly expect a strategic settlement on the Korean Peninsula between US and DPRK.

No doubt, for what can the NK leadership conclude when they have seen a consistent foreign policy -be Republican or Democrat- of destroying any nation whose policies are seen as a threat by the US? There is no basis of trust.

Thanks TTG,
I fully approve and share this happiness

(ex Charles Michael according to disqus)

Today the world has seen a historic day...

Trump deserves huge credit for the way he handled himself with a man who has been demonized by our propaganda ministry media and the deep state criminals who have been trying to pull a regime change in Washington since January 2017...

I have to admit I gave up on Trump quite a while ago...today changes everything...

Is it surreal that President Trump is the most moderate and sensible voice not only in the room but in the entire country...?

This is what the people voted for...and this is what 'presidential' looks like...Trump is headed for the history books in a very very large way...

I have to believe that he is consolidating control of the machinery of state...I was actually first surprised by Pompeo's breakthrough and surprise visit to DPRK...and even Bolton has turned out not to be the spoiler I had feared...

What in the world is going on here...?

Did the universe just turn upside down...?

All of the questions Col Lang asks are relevant, but just the huge success that this day has become overshadows everything for now...

What next...will Putin and Trump finally get together and really start putting the screws to the enemies of mankind that are besetting both men...?

Let us dare to hope...

Great day for North Korean diplomacy.

Which enemies of mankind would that be? Climate change, famine, water scarcity? THAT would be miraculous!

Gregory Copley is interviewed by John Batchelor in these two episodes explaining the whole thing in geopolitical terms:

How will Trump strategically transform North Korea and North Asia?

https://audioboom.com/posts...

What do Tokyo and Moscow want strategically from the Trump taming of Kim?

https://audioboom.com/posts...

Very enlightening. Very hopeful.

This seems to be the meat of the summit from the George Stephanopoulos interview:

G: Did you talk about pulling troops out? U.S. troops out of South Korea.

T: We didn’t discuss that, no. But we’re not gonna play the war games. You know, I wanted to stop the war games, I thought they were very provocative. But I also think they’re very expensive. We’re running the country properly, I think they’re very, very expensive. To do it, we have to fly planes in from Guam -- that’s six and a half hours away. Big bombers and everything else, I said, ‘Who’s paying for this?’ I mean, who pays, in order to practice.

Apparently the South Koreans were caught by surprise (again).

I'm assuming canceling war games once in a while is fine....but what happens to readiness if they are cancelled over a long time and how important (and specific to a North Korean context) are these games? Experts...please weigh in? How long would it take North Korea to take over South Korea with conventional troops and weapons?

Kim invading SK, its 600,000 effectives (3mln reserves), 30,000 US servicemen & nukes & Carrier strike group, on the eve of a diplomatic breakthrough that could end up with engraving his name in gold throughout history...

Sounds a bit like Assad gassing his civilians right on the brink of a strategic victory. But on a devastating, enormous, monumental scale.

I wasn't thinking he would do it right away...and he sure would wait til Trump had pulled those expensive troops out of there.

i dont know if you aware that south korean military is estimated 5x stronger compared to NK , and it is a folly to compare the 1950 SK and NK in term of combat strength , readiness and whatnot

Yes, I know that. The small US ground force are just hostages to insure a US nuclear response to successful invasion.

ah i apologizes Col Lang , my above reply was to the question asked by sbnat1ve.. I know (from reading your past articles) that you already mention the south korean military strength compared to Noko's..

I can't help but think that events like this might have occurred earlier in his term if not for this Russian collusion thing.

That is precisely why the Deep State has pushed Russiagate so hard.

It delegitimizes Trump and restricts his freedom of action to do things neocons don't like.

It SEEKS to delegitimize Trump.

william mcdonald,

The key condition that triggered this series of events was NK's development of a nuclear weapon and delivery capability. That put KJU in a position to make conciliatory moves towards SK and the rest followed. However, Trump's disposition to try something new was also instrumental... and fortuitous.

It is inherent in his character, not fortuitous.

pl,

I meant it's fortuitous for us. I agree it's inherent in his character. That's why i think it's entirely possible he and/or his organization conspired with Russians to circumvent election laws and norms to gain some kind of advantage in the election. He would feel no inhibition to trying something new. It's inherent in his character.

Thus fsr you have no proof whatever that he "conspired" with the Russians.

TTG,

I suspect the Chinese may have put the screws to NK over the completion of the NK nuke program. They might well have demanded Kim re-stabilize the situation, and summoned him to Beijing to make sure he "got the message". If so we were fortunate to have a POTUS at the moment who is willing to bust molds.

If the only thing gained is the ending of that button-pushing rhetoric which was being bandied back and forth for a couple months, good enough. As much as could be hoped for, even.

Hurray for peace-making!

Here's a fascinating tidbit on the Trump Teams PR efforts...
White House Created Production Video to Assist Singapore Summit Talks With North Korea…. https://theconservativetree...
Details are surfacing of a video put together by the White House to assist in diplomacy messaging toward Kim Jong-un and the team of North Korea negotiators. According to reports, toward the end of the talks between President Trump and Kim Jong-un the video was shared in both Korean and English languages to the audience of both teams. The video was also shared with the international media audience prior to President Trump’s remarks at the press conference
------------------------

The 4 min video is very well done, and as one commenter pointed out is a great example of positive propaganda.

You can also watch it at YouTube https://www.youtube.com/wat...

As far as propaganda goes, really childish. Makes me think it was not competitively bid. Kim went to school in Switzerland. HE will see through it instantly. The WH Propaganda film team thinks that the NK propaganda for its people applies on its leadership.

One might as well believe the insultingly juvenile propaganda placed in the NYT, CNN, etc., is believed by the US Intelligence branches (or the American public who did not elect HC).

The summit succeeded because President Trump decided to let S. Korea and N. Korea work towards a settlement with himself getting credit. His motivation? Don't know, doesn't matter. If he now largely steps out of the way, then the Koreans can get on with it and it is their responsibility.

As for

Bolton must be "turning and burning."

Perhaps his hiring as NSC chief was a case of "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer." Or as LBJ put it, "Have them inside the tent pi**ing out."

This is the 5-th time we have seen this show.

Seems like Trump echoed what I assume is a N Korean view..no nukes anywhere around the Korean peninsula which, I'd imagine, in the view, would include S. Korea and Japan and perhaps...and in return POTUS gets to build some resorts on N Korean beaches...I hope I'm wrong but that seemed the between the lines message

No more war games with S. Korea??? as added inducement for Kim..to sign an agreement that didn't expand beyond previous agreements with respect to nukes?

"and in return POTUS gets to build some resorts on N Korean beaches." If this is not irony you may actually be too stupid for SST. that would put you in an elite group.

This is the age of Trump...today's irony is tomorrow's reality..http://www.businessinsider.com/tru....