09-25-2017, 07:15 PM -
(09-25-2017, 06:42 PM)Frank Underwood Wrote: Sorry, I read it as if you meant Clinton, etc should have done something. My bad
It looks weaker when the President says he'll wipe NK off the face of the Earth and they thumb their nose and he does nothing other than rely on the UN (and as an extension, China and Russia) to increase sanctions. It's much weaker to ratchet up the rhetoric and continue being as ineffective as he is being. He's playing himself into a situation where he as to attack or look weak on a world stage. Previous Presidents avoided that by not making threats they have no intention of keeping.
They did do things, but only indirect. Sanctions, increase drills, fly-overs etc. and that's all that Trump can do too.
You say his rhetoric has diminishing returns and I agree, but so does NK missile "testing" and they know this. Trump being as brash and ridiculous on the world stage is an unfamiliar challenge to NK and I'm interested to see if it works.
Also, on the threats, I could be wrong but doesn't Trump always frame these threats in a "If NK throws the first punch we'll do X" way, which would actually be in line with US policy on NK (military drills at least publicly are stated as defensive against NK invasion etc.), it just hasn't previously come from the horse's mouth.