Kim Jong Un crosses DMZ to meet Moon Jae-In for historic meeting

[Napoléon]

Trump was incidental.

I think you're getting mixed up with the word 'instrumental'

But the two big impetuses for this outside of DPRK getting nukes have to be Moon Jae-in and his more pacific party getting in over the massive scandal that is right wing Korean politics and China wanting a less unstable vassal state in the northern half of the peninsula.

Ha, and why do you think China wants a less unstable vassal state? Because America suddenly told them it wasn't going to put up with their shit anymore. Which hadn't been the case with previous administrations.

1) Trump's coal deal with China isn't worth much, China get's its coal from Australia not America.  And he has since done a reverse ferret placing much bigger embargoes and tariffs in place which only have one goal, hurt China (though ironically given how cack-handed Trump's economic policy is, they've hurt the EU and the US a lot more than China).

Yes, hundred billion dollar deals are 'not worth much'. China gets its coal from numerous countries, but you seem to have missed the point. It doesn't get its coal from NK anymore. And yes, Trump has applied pressure to China with embargoes and tariffs. That only backs up my point about him applying maximum pressure. And guess what, it worked. Also, do you care to source this claim that they have harmed the EU and US more than China? Or are you just talking out of your ass.

Since Trump took to office he's done nothing but negotiate a BETTER DEAL for Americans with partners across the globe. Yet certain numbers of you are so butt hurt over the fact it's merely Trump you would rather see your own country decline than succeed. Sad.

2) China also didn't ban all imports into the North, they did a partial and targeted embargo of some of the goods flowing in, they tightened the tap rather than stopping the flow.  A full embargo would have had one of two results, the break down of the North Korean political system or the creation of a new enemy for China on their doorsteps, one with access to nukes and unhinged enough to use them.

Heh, nice straw man. I didn't actually say they banned imports of everything. It was fairly clear in that context that I was talking specifically about coal, and the source I quoted right after that sentence specifically is about coal. So nice try.

3) North Korea was never getting much off the black market to fund its nuclear programme, for the simple reason that the regimes supplying the black market didn't want anything to do with them.

I am not sure how you know what a black market does and doesn't want, especially in the face of evidence to the contrary when NK was literally caught red handed doing illicit ship to ship transfers.

4) The tests have not fucked up.  NK has gone from a country with no nukes and no delivery system to a country with 50 nukes (and the ability to build more) and a working ICBM system in the last ten years.  They've gone from Iraq to Israel in terms of military power.

You again seem to be missing the point and trying to build a straw man argument. I specifically said RECENT tests. To dumb it down for you, the point is not about North Korea's overall nuclear programme failing, but that they had clearly had a fuck up with their underground nuclear facility (which I and others in this thread have already sourced if you feel like reading). This would clearly have had a detrimental effect on their nuclear programme and again, would go back to my point about them being in an especially vulnerable state at the moment.

And 5) your unspoken bit, Trump has shown himself over NK that he is so volatile so fickle and so devoid of ideas, strategy or plan that there is no possible way that inserting him into the mix was a good thing.  Do you honestly think angering a dictator just as he's showing you that the has nukes and a way to nuke a good portion of your country is a sensible thing to do?  Or suddenly changing your mind and accepting talks with no preconditions, no agreed framework and where you have gotten rid of anybody who has any expertise in the area (not that Trump listens to anything other than the voices in his head) who could actually guide you to a solution?

The only people devoid of ideas have been the numerous previous administrations that have done nothing to stop North Korea from becoming a nuclear power in the first place. It is rather ironic you would accuse Trump of not having ideas when he's done more in 15 months than Obama did in 8 years on this issue.

On your other point, I think it was about damn time America flexed its might frankly. Trump was basically saying to Kim "don't be stupid kid, you know this doesn't end well for you". And again, you don't have to like it but it worked. Then the media then says "oh Trump's made a U-Turn" when the next month he is talking about peace talks, but in reality he's played you all like a damn fiddle. The liberals and left wing media consistently freak out over some god damn tweets but most people don't honestly give a fuck about that. They care about results.

I hate to ask you this

No you don't.

but seeing as your evaluation of the situation is so lacking in reality, is your real name Bill O'Reilly?  It's the only way I can see you getting everything arse over tits.

Seems to me the person lacking any grasp of reality on this situation is you. I'm here providing actual sources (left wing ones just for you lot might I add), and instead of any rational response I get accused of being Bill O'Reilly. In spite of the fact I'm yet to see you reference anything at all.


But ofcourse, Drumpf din't have nothin' to do wid it. He's a big dumby, anyone who says otherwise is a gun tooting wacist fox news reader.