Live Blog: A murderous Dictator and an Aspirant met up in a bar in Singapore with no one watching …
Posted: June 11, 2018 Filed under: Kim Jung Un, Live 24 CommentsHi Sky Dancers!
We’ve been together over 10 years and what a long strange ride it’s been. I struggled with the idea of putting up this as a live blog because while I’d really like to give peace a chance, I know that the seeds of poisonous fruit never grow anything but more poisonous fruit. So, here’s some links. I’m actually in no mood to join hands to sing Kumbayah. I admit to hoping a very focused natural disaster hits a specific location on an island in Singapore.
Emad Hajjaj / Jordan
or “Murderous Dictator Meets Dishonest President Behind Closed Doors. “How will the American public know what they actually said? They may not.”
The first-ever North Korea-United States summit will start with a one-on-one meeting between a brutal dictator known for breaking his word and a president famous for his daily dishonesties.
With two unreliable narrators in Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump, how will Americans know what they actually said and agreed to with each other?
“We won’t,” said Jeffrey Lewis, director of the East Asia program at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies. “The whole Trump team has been an unreliable narrator throughout this process. It’s like ‘Rashomon,’ but really stupid.”
In Akira Kurosawa’s classic movie, the murder of a samurai is told through the vastly differing recollections of a handful of witnesses. For the meeting scheduled to begin in Singapore Tuesday morning ― Monday night on the United States East Coast ― there will only be two witnesses: each nation’s translator.
“And I don’t think either interpreter will be in a position to correct the record if the self-reporting by Kim and Trump doesn’t reflect what was actually said in the same manner and tone,” said Jenny Town, assistant director of the U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University.
The White House said it does not believe there is any cause for concern about getting an accurate description of the two men’s words.
Trump, nevertheless, on almost a daily basis says and writes things that are demonstrably untrue ― sometimes doing so even though he knows what he is saying is untrue.
Even White House press secretary Sarah Sanders has been forced to acknowledge, multiple times, that information she received from Trump and relayed to the public has not been correct.
Tom Nichols, a Russia scholar with expertise in Soviet Union-era arms control talks at the Naval War College, said Trump’s propensity for falsehoods makes getting an accurate rendering of the conversation essentially impossible. “There will no way of knowing what happens in that room, unless it’s being recorded ― knowingly or otherwise,” he said.
On top of Trump’s habit of untruths is Kim’s record of failing to honor his word.
Other links:
Dave Lawler / Axios: What to watch: Trump’s crucial minute draws near
Ken Dilanian / NBC News: U.S. won’t bring up North Korea’s human rights issues at Singapore summit
Jonathan Allen / NBC News: Trump turns up the heat on Kim while lowering expectations for a deal
Los Angeles Times: Trump becomes first U.S. president to meet a North Korean head of state
Other news:
Evan Halper / Los Angeles Times:
Trump administration moves to block victims of gang violence, domestic abuse from claiming asylum
Tonda MacCharles / Toronto Star:
What led to Trump’s outburst against Trudeau: Behind the scenes at the G7
Here we go …
peej
Carissa
ecocatwoman
grayslady
mablue2
NW Luna
peggysue22
quixote
skydancingguestblogger
Mona (aka Wonk the Vote)
Sky Dancing 
I need a shower …slutfest
https://twitter.com/Newsweek/status/1006358054680645640?s=19
My guess (and I’ve been wrong about lots of stuff, eg thinking Melania’s disappearance had to mean she’d left the Dump), but my guess would be that initially the Little Pieface just wanted to be seen at the Big Boyz table.
But inch-thick icing on that would be if he could humiliate the Big Pieface at the same time.
I think we’ve seen whiffs of that already in the summit-no-summit, leave-early runaround.
Trump has practically written on a glowing orb that he’s desperate for a “win.”
So Little Pieface either makes the Big one look like an obvious needy loser (shouldn’t be difficult). Or he lets Big Pieface open a McD’s with a miniature golf course in Pyongyang and this is heralded as the biggest diplomatic achievement since the end of the War of the Roses. In return, General Electric gets to sell him engines for nuclear submarines.
Something like that.
/*endless screaming*/
Yeah. That’s My thoughts too.
Something like that.
Just got back from a hike. Saw over 2 dozen different wild flowers in bloom, including a type of rein orchid, which one I’m not sure (they are often hard to identify and I didn’t have a hand lens with me). Deities, I hate getting back to town and looking at the news.
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm. /*blissful*/
(The first part. Not the town part. I haven’t figured out how to deal with the town part either.)
That sounds wonderful, Luna.
The cartoons should be good this week:
In the Canadian Parliament on Monday, Prime Minister Trudeau received accolades from both the Conservatives and the New Democrats and a unanimous, rousing ovation for his handling of the G-7 and stance on Trump Tariffs. Thank you, Donald, for raising the stature of our P.M. and the esteem in which he’s regarded beyond anyone’s wildest dreams. In the 46 years I’ve lived here, I have never seen all parties, right, left and centre, so unified. (I am so offended when Donald refers to world leaders by their first names! I know, I know; he’s blowing up the world as we know it and I’m offended by bad manners.)
Glad to see Trudeau get acknowledged for his management of the G-7 (G-6 + 1) summit, and for standing strong against odious Trump. I hadn’t scrolled up to see your comment when I posted that clip from the WaPo on Trudeau. I’m envious of how unified all the Canadian parties are when faced with Trump and his bullying behavior. And I’m envious of your PM.
I’ve read that Trudeau may face some serious challenges in the next election. Do you think his handling of the G-7 summit has helped to alleviate that?
Ironically, I think the election of tRump-alike Conservative Doug Ford, here in Ontario, is what will stand Trudeau in best stead in 2019. Historically, it’s rare for Ontario to vote the same way Federally and Provincially. That it happened in 2015 was a result of deeply desired was the political demise of the Harper Government. (Harper had a majority with 38% of the vote; Ford has a majority with 40% … a downside of having a 3-party system.)
Damn! … was the result of the deeply desired political demise of the Harper Government!
Now that Canada has had a more personal acquaintance with Drumpf and his awful policies, a reasonable candidate makes a very attractive choice! My impression is that Canada has far fewer nutwing deplorables who vote against their own self-interest compared to the US.
Lots of deplorables in Alberta
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/a-great-honor-in-a-bid-for-history-trump-flatters-north-koreas-totalitarian-leader/2018/06/11/22a4411c-6d8e-11e8-bf86-a2351b5ece99_story.html?utm_term=.b9b2335c7c18
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/americans-launch-thankcanada-campaign-after-trump-attacks-trudeau/2018/06/11/943ce982-6dc0-11e8-b4d8-eaf78d4c544c_story.html?utm_term=.2eb5a14ec4ae
Interesting: Approval of the US has gone up 25% in … Russia. Not so in the rest of the world.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2018/06/08/its-not-just-the-leaders-citizens-of-g-7-countries-have-also-soured-on-america/?utm_term=.5f50a254991d
I am mourning the loss of my mother. Her funeral will be held later today. I honestly believe my Mom, at age 85, had had enough of this world and did not want to live to see The Depression 2.0, WWIII, or both. I do not understand how this man could upend centuries of democracy in the U.S. and decades of diplomacy, relative good will among our allies in 18 agonizing months.
My deepest condolences on the passing in your mom – may she Rest In Peace. ❤️
My condolences, Jackie.
{{{hugs}}}
I’m so sorry for your loss, Jackie. I hope you’ll be surrounded by loved ones today.
Jackie, I am so sorry to hear that your mother has died. This is a horrible time — the US’s loss of respect and goodwill across the world, and its change to an autocracy. Hard to see, and I think harder still for those later on in years, wondering if this will continue to worsen for the rest of their lives. To see Social Security, and Medicare destroyed so the 1% get another dollar. To see women, POC even more under attack.
Sending you hugs and love.
I’m so sorry to hear that! I wondered if something was going on since we hadn’t seen you for a bit. That is just the most difficult transition to face! Xoxo
My condolences as well. So sorry For your loss.