Trump and the Hanoi Summit


Politics is a two-sided coin. To some individuals, it is characterized by fake achievements and loud media coverage of nothing. And to some, it is the source of inevitable power. Therefore, its propaganda of success is always preceded by noise or media publicity. To experienced people in politics, failure to deliver a well-advertised policy is similar to a billion-dollar advertisement of a product that would never see the light of the day. Such is similar to pre-elections promises all over the globe. They usually end in imagination; not reality.

Once, Donald Trump and the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, made so much noise on nuclear weapons and ammunitions of their countries. In fact, in the media competition for the most efficient nuclear warhead, Trump affirmed to Kim that his nuclear button is the bigger one.
Kim and Trump at the Hanoi Summit
Either big or small, are nuclear weapons tools for building global peace or greater economy? If the answer is in affirmative, how many nuclear warheads will be required to reverse the value of the Zimbabwean currency to what it was before 1990 or that of Venezuela? Despite the media coverage of activities in the White House, especially on Twitter, for months before and after the inauguration of Trump, the increase in level of poverty and migration of Africans to Europe through Morocco and Libya has not reduced. So, can anyone understand the futility of accumulating weapons of war or the claim for military superiority?

Weeks before the Hanoi Summit of February 27 to 28, 2019 in Vietnam with Kim, Donald Trump publicized his successes ahead with enthusiasm. His celebration before the meeting in the presence of the media is similar to a soccer player who jubilated a given penalty before it was taken. But eventually when taken, it was not scored.

In fact, before the arrival of Trump in Vietnam, he implicitly described Barack Obama and his predecessor, George Bush, as failures in their foreign policies in putting North Korea under control. But is North Korea a colony?

Despite the unresolved circumstances that surround the death of Otto Warmbier (an American student who was returned to the US after 17-month detention and died few days after his return to the US in comatose), Mr. Trump praised Kim with words that characterize him as a trust worthy leader before the meeting in Hanoi. Would the family of Otto or the CIA say the same?

However, with the extremely and unexpectedly short period of meeting in Hanoi, it is inarguable that Kim, within few minutes into the meeting, showed Trump that the People's Republic of North Korea is not a colony of any so-called super power or an account on Twitter. And that Donald Trump is not the CEO of the Korean people.

To add more to the worry of the man who usually sacks his physically appointed officers on Twitter, his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, has wrapped him up in some circumstances that could lead to his impeachment or legal proceedings. How he would be able to stay afloat in the labyrinth of Cohen’s accusation depends on so many factors – the outcome of Robert Mueller’s investigation which would be known soon, the findings of US Senate Intelligence Committee, the American people and the media.

Eventually, Kim got the only thing he aimed to accomplish at the summit – a handshake. But what did Trump achieved? Empty authorization of a commando without securing his much-heralded deal at the Hanoi summit.

How long it will take the White House, with Trump in it, to “beg” Kim Jong-un is what remains unknown. But one thing is certain, Kim would not kowtow before Trump; each party would claim victory as masters according to their beliefs. 

Akinlolú-Prime Samuelo
writing…

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Psalm 23 of Nigerian Politics

To start your reading attempt of this article, you may have to switch your mind to the popular Psalm 23 in The Holy Bible because the verses below are readable in the same rhythm. Democracy is my shepherd, I shall always loot. It makes me richer than the voters; it places me above the law. It restores my position. It gives me right to oppress for oligarchy’s sake. Even though I campaign in the valleys and ghettos of hardship, I fear no opposition; for all results of elections shall comfort me. It prepares a vault of dollars on my table in the presence of the people’s cry; it anoints my foreign accounts with euro, pounds, dollars, and yen; my milk overflows. Surely, self-interest and wealth shall follow me all the days of my terms. And I shall dwell in the house of failure-politics, forever. Amen! This is the imperfect inspiration that rings without end in the minds of all failure-politicians in Nigeria. Every day, every minute, everywhere and anyhow, they recite...
Read more

The Beginning and an End

Image
Seasonality is a feature that characterises the existences of all things. The reason for this is better known to the master of all creations, Yahweh. Humans, plants and animals all exist for limited times; occupy some positions for certain reasons; authorise their views to accomplish one goal or the other; and execute certain ideas when they are alive and in the positions to do such. The end of everything is a signifier that nothing lasts forever; only God reigns for eternity. The White House When Donald Trump accepted and celebrated the announcement of his victory to be the 45th president of the United States of America in November 2016, I realized that, as a man, he lacks integrity and self-principle. Why? A man of principle and moral stand does not eat whatever he condemns. Before the election, he condemned, dented, mocked, defamed, undermined and stigmatized the constitutional electoral college system, which had been in practice for decades before he was born. In his view, popular...
Read more

A Mockable Fire Service

Image
If Nigerians who are knowledgeable about public services in the UK or/and the US are asked to make comments on the efficiency of the fire departments in the two aforementioned countries, what their responses might be could be guessed. Even if the respondents have never been to the West, a 2013 thriller titled The Call that features Abigail Breslin and Halle Berry is enough to convince anyone that public services in the US or Canada are not for jokers or façade public administrators whose priorities are self-interests and social media posts of imaginary achievements. Here is an important question that requires our attention: Is it logically possible for two fire service trucks to arrive at a scene of a fire outbreak without water two hours after emergency numbers were called? Rescuers at the scene For anyone who lives in France or the United Kingdom or even Egypt, such could be a fiction. But for residents of Lewis Street in Abule Taylor of Alimoso, Lagos, Nigeria, is ...
Read more