With Trump and Putin on vacation, it was left to Kim Jung-un to ramp up the rhetoric about his immediate plans for the future. In the past 24 hours, we have had numerous claims and counter claims between all those involved, the only thing polite about it is that at least they are both telling us what they are about to do.
North Korea
Bowed by no one the leader of North Korea has vowed to launch a missile strike near the island of Guam in the Pacific Ocean by the middle of August, saying further that the President of the USA is "senile and bereft of reason", and that only, "absolute force will work on him".
No doubt smarting from yet further US sanctions placed on the country by the UN, Kim is now so far away from any attempt at compromise, it is safe to say that any hint of negotiation, is off the table. Quite understandably everyone in the region is becoming increasingly jumpy. Japan has held nuclear drills for the first time in 20 years. Russia has moved vast amounts of hardware to its southern border, and South Korea has sent out strong, yet diplomatic messages to its neighbour. As to the millions that live in the shadow of the DMZ, one cannot begin to understand the terror they must be suffering, while the rest of the world asks; what is it Kim actually wants, apart from the assured destruction of his country and an end to his own regime?
The USA
True to his old self president Trump warned North Korea that they face 'fire and fury, and frankly, power the like the world has never seen,' a statement that was not about to settle the nerves of any world leader. Likewise, his administration seems their old confused self with one Secretary playing down the situation only for another to break his silence with harsh words, and so ramping up the war of words to new heights.
No matter the tensions, which are increasing every hour, and China's apparent lack of action in this escalating situation, and even the Doomsday Clock stands at 2 1/2 minutes to midnight, 1/2 a point drop since January; no one seems unduly concerned about what could possibly happen. As we have seen by now Mr Trump is a non-diplomat, why try to diffuse a situation when one can get a little more mileage out of it, but unlike those in the DMZ, it is not his life that is currently on the line.
With threats and no possibility of dialogue, one can only ask, what is it that Mr Trump actually wants?
With time running out and with only angry words rather than any diplomatic solution in sight, one can only hope that someone somewhere sees sense and divert these two ego driven men from this course of action before it is too late. For all our sakes!
