Korean Policy Formation in the Era of Trump

 Korean Policy Formation in the Era of Trump

Even to his supporters, Trump’s utterly irresponsible comments made in Japan should be viewed as both dangerously naïve and utterly unconscionable.  His embrace of Kim Jong Un’s depiction of Joe Biden as a low IQ individual is despicable on its face as is his embrace of various dictators around the world, especially in light of his antagonistic relationship with presidents and prime ministers from various democratic nations in Europe and Canada.

Trump’s embrace of one of the world’s most brutal dictators is especially pernicious in light of our leader’s charge of treason against the allegedly 18 angry Democrats who headed the Mueller investigation and against the high-level Justice Department personnel’s investigation of the Trump campaign’s and administration’s relationship with the Russian government.  His refusal even to forthrightly acknowledge Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential election in light of the indisputable evidence that points to its reality is an example of his own effort to muddy the obvious truth when to do so may be perceived by our leader as advantageous to his narrow political benefit. For Trump to refer to anyone as “low IQ” is an irony that could be long savored if he were simply the host of a reality TV show. Instead, he has turned much of our public life into the Trump reality show, which speaks as much to the pathologies of this nation’s political culture as well as to his own.

 While others even in his own administration have taken issue with it, the policy-challenged president blithely tweeted, “North Korea fired off some small weapons, which disturbed some of my people, but not me.”  Why not, one may ask.  Response: “I have confidence that Chairman Kim will keep his promise to me.”  Offering further analysis, our leader supposed that the Chairman may have initiated the test because he “wants attention.  And perhaps not.  Who knows?  It doesn’t matter.”  Accent on the last astounding statement.

 Recall previous statements where Trump said that he and Kim fell in love—an amazing statement in its own right—assuming somehow through his own personal magnetism, our leader is going to persuade the North Korea Chairman to unconditionally denuclearize. There is not one shred of evidence that North Korea intends to move in the direction and plenty to argue that Kim is masterfully playing to the obsessions of our commander-in-chief’s pathological ego, which exhibits many of the core symptoms of clinical narcissism.  For those who doubt that, consider the president’s behavior over these past several years in light of the symptoms listed by the Mayo Clinic. Of the 13 listed, among the most important are that people with this psychological disorder:

  • Expect to be recognized as superior even without achievements that warrant it (“I’m a stable genius.”  “I know the biggest words.”  “Only I can fix it”).
  • Exaggerate achievements and talents (see above).
  • Be preoccupied with fantasies about success, power, brilliance, beauty or the perfect mate (Consider the infamous Hollywood Access Tape, in addition to 30 years of National Inquirer stories and Howard Stern hype).
  • Believe they are superior and can only associate with equally special people (“I’ll hire the best people”).
  •  Monopolize conversations and belittle or look down upon people they view as inferior (no comment needed).
  • Expect special favors and unquestioning compliance with their expectations (ditto).
  • Take advantage of others to get what they want (Trump University, to name one example).
  • Be envious of others and believe others envy them. His explanation of the two-year Mueller investigation, the well-documented critical new stories of him in the mainstream press, and what he has revealed to the public through his words and his actions.)

Trump simply dismisses the stream of criticism coming from these sources. On what grounds, you might ask.  According to our leader, it is for the singular reason that the “Democrat” Party, the press, and high-level associates of the national security apparatus have nothing better to do than to attempt to bring down the president simply because of their collective jealousy at Hillary Clinton losing the election. This, my fellow citizens, you are asked to believe for no other reason than our leader and Fox News says it is so.

I’m not a psychiatrist and our leader has not had a formal diagnosis, as far as I know, but Trump checks the box on all of these symptoms. These, in turn are exacerbated when a pathological narcissist is under duress, in which the person “[r]eact[s] with rage or contempt and tr[ies] to belittle the other person to make themselves appear superior.”

 Given the severity of these personality flaws and its significance for someone at the head of the world’s most consequential nation, perhaps Speaker Pelosi was not far off the mark in suggesting that our leader’s family needs to do an intervention.  It’s hard not to fathom that Trump’s compulsive need for self-confirmation is the underlying motivation in shaping his policy with his professed lover, Kim Jong Un.

 Gives you a warm, fuzzy feeling in our leader’s capacity to make America safe again.

2019 

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