Imagine the catastrophe of juggling ICBMs.‘some of the most modern military equipment in the world, a nuclear arsenal and a healthy dose of paranoia!
Amid the flood of revelations about the Donald Trump investigation, one went unnoticed this week. Last spring, he spent seven hours answering questions from New York State Department of Justice prosecutors in a civil fraud case against him and his company.
When asked about his authority within the Trump Organization while in the White House, Trump responded that he views the presidency as “the most important job in the world, saving millions of lives.” According to the New York Times, he added: “I think there would have been a nuclear holocaust if I hadn’t taken care of North Korea.”
WORDS IN THE AIR
If he were not swept away by his ego’s delusions of grandeur, the former president would agree that he has, at best, temporarily slowed North Korea’s cavalcade toward nuclear power.
Kim Jong-un, North Korea’s paranoid leader who failed to secure the lifting of sanctions he demanded by attending summits with Donald Trump, continued to fuel a mood psychosis in the Far East.
This psychosis has reached its peak in recent days with military exercises by South Korea and the United States in the region. Pyongyang responded by firing short-range ballistic missiles into the sea to demonstrate that the North can strike anywhere in the South.
Kim Jong-un perpetuates the myth that his small country will face a joint military invasion by the South Korean army and American forces at any moment. As if the United States wanted to find itself in a new quagmire after dragging itself out of Iraq and Afghanistan with pain and misery. And as if South Korea wanted to risk remarkable economic development and one of the highest living standards in the world to get to its underdeveloped, poor and hungry northern neighbor.
AN ALARMING SPIRAL
However, we find ourselves in a worrying spiral: Washington and Seoul are stepping up military exercises to counter the threat from the north; Drills that raise fears of Pyongyang responding by firing more missiles, proving itself more dangerous and pushing the United States and South Korea to step up their defense preparations.
Earlier this week, the White House warned that these tensions were preparing to spill over into Korea. North Korea and Russia are reportedly negotiating future arms supplies for Moscow in the war against Ukraine.
It is hard to imagine anything worse than collaboration between a leader, Vladimir Putin, who initiated an unwarranted conflict, and another leader who had his generals carry out a simulated nuclear strike that would turn South Korea into a “scorched earth.” Two extremists with whom dialogue unfortunately proves impossible.
THE TWO KOREAS, INCOMPARABLE
Flag of North Korea (left) and flag of South Korea (right). Photomontage
Population
- In the north: 26 million
- In the south: 51.8 million
Life expectancy
- In the north: 71 years
- In the south: 81 years
purchasing power
- In the North: 118th in the world
- In the south: 14
Defense budget
- In the north: $4.5 billion
- In the South: $42.1 billion
Active armed forces
- In the north: 1.2 million
- In the south: 555,000
