There’s no military solution

Eight days ago I wrote "It's time to talk" - but I did not hear anything about talks starting with North Korea, despite reading
"Now is the Time for Talks with North Korea" at "Zoom in Korea".

The June 15 All Korean Committee had announced plans to continue
to pursue joint ceremonies on August 15, which marks Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule in 1945 - also didn't happen.
These meetings had been part of reunification negotiations between the leaders of North- and South-Korea.

But I also suggested Plan B:

And here is Plan B:
Doing nothing. Only wait and see.
President Trump does not have to send fire and fury.
He can wait now and see what Kim Jong-un is doing now.

The result: Kim Jong-un announced that there will be no rocket, and there wasn't any.

Everybody would have expected another rocket "test" on the South Korean National Liberation Day.

No rocket on this day. But a meeting between Marine Corps
Gen. Joe Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and
Gen. Fang Fenghui of the Chinese army, chief of China's joint staff happened, a welcome ceremony in Beijing on that day,
on August 15, 2017, two days ago.


But today we got a great surprise. The news reported:

"There’s no military solution, forget it.
Until somebody solves the part of the equation 
that shows me that ten million people in Seoul 
don’t die in the first 30 minutes 
from conventional weapons, 
I don’t know what you’re talking about, 
there’s no military solution here, they got us."

Guess who said it?

If you didn't hear it or read it by yourself, you wouldn't believe me:
Chief Strategist Steve Bannon himself!

Foto: Doug Mills/The New York Times

Is Steve Bannon the only one in the White House 
who has learned his lesson?

As reported, during the presidential transition he read “The Best and the Brightest,” David Halberstam’s book about America’s misadventure in Vietnam, and he managed that everyone in the transition team read it.

Seems to be Steve Bannon is a rationalist.

Did you know that Mr. Bannon opposed the missile strike on Syria after President Bashar al-Assad used chemical weapons on his own people? That he has expressed doubts about sending more troops to Syria or Iraq? That he is skeptical of American military intervention in strife-torn Venezuela, a prospect raised last week by Mr. Trump, who surprised administration officials by speaking of a “military option” there?

Steve Bannon seems to have pacifistic views.
May be he is sick of all the American Adventures worldwide.

But there may be another reason:

To Mr. Bannon, all these ventures distract from his grand project of reviving American manufacturing.
He has devoted much of his time to pushing protectionist trade policies against China and other countries.
Says Mark Landler of the NewYork Times.

War with China instead?
May be there is a relief:

Top Chinese and U.S. military officials met in Beijing and signed agreement to enhance military ties. As mentioned above, on August 15, U.S. Marine Corps General Joe Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, visited China’s defense ministry in Beijing and met his counterpart Fang Fenghui, chief of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA)’s Joint Staff Department. Both top military officials agreed to further develop military relations and build a new communication mechanism to reduce miscalculations.

“Cooperation is the only right option for China and the US, and the two sides could be great partners,” Fang said to Dunford. “The Chinese military is willing to work with its U.S. counterpart to strengthen mutual understanding and trust, deepen cooperation and manage risks and differences in an appropriate and effective manner.”
Let's hope the best!

But anyway:

Yes, it is time to talk!

Latest News, a day later, August 18:

Trump's chief strategist Steve Bannon fired

Why now?
Believe it or not, Steve Bannon was fired just because his Anti War attitude.

Time to Talk

Yes, it is time to talk!

We don't like to be exposed to Armageddon these days.
We like to live peacefully together ever after,
despite experiencing scary dialogues on Twitter between
the Presidents of the United States and North-Korea
about the chances of self-destruction.

President Trump warned  to send Kim Jong-un
“fire and fury, the likes of which this world has never seen before”,
and Kim Jong-un answered with the promise
to attack the US airbase in the Pacific island of Guam
- in late August they will be ready.

This is a first signal for openness to negotiations.

Kim Jong-un did not answer with threatening New York or Washington,
but with threatening Guam, which is much nearer to his rocket base
 - and not immediately. They need some weeks for planning.

What does that mean? Kim Jong-un admits, intended or not,
that he is not able to threaten the US mainland now.

This is a big chance: It's time to talk!

Now Diplomats are needed who are able to seize this situation
and to arrange a meeting between US negotiators
and North-Korean negotiators on neutral ground,
let's say in Switzerland, where Kim Jong-un feels at home.

It is time to start unconditional, open-ended discussions on confidence-building measures.

Not long ago President Trump said he would be prepared to meet him over a hamburger.

President Tramp should stay to his promise!

And here is Plan B:
Doing nothing. Only wait and see.
President Trump does not have to send fire and fury.
He can wait now and see what Kim Jong-un is doing now.
May be he will prepare protecting Guam against the launching of Kim's attack. Kim Jong-un's announcement may look like fair play now.