Cognitive Dissonance – “The state of having inconsistent thoughts, beliefs, or attitudes, especially as relating to behavioral decisions and attitude change.”
Photo | Michael Reynolds/EPA
Trump Nominated For Nobel Peace Prize … Seriously!
Proving once again that satire is no longer possible in the Age of Trump, a group of House Republicans has formally nominated Donald Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize because of his role in solving the North Korean nuclear problem.
The fact that the North Korean “nuclear problem” has not been “solved” did not seem to faze the 18 very conservative Congressional supporters who endorsed the idea.
Rep. Luke Messer, R-Ind., made the suggestion in a letter Wednesday sent to members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee.
Granted the rules for nominating someone for a peace prize are relatively loose, but come on!
Trump is the same guy who just recently ordered American bombing in Syria.
Trump is the same guy who wants to back out of the Iran nuclear agreement.
Trump is the same guy who wants to keep Muslims out of the country.
Trump is the same guy who called Haiti and African countries “shitholes.”
Trump is the same guy who wants more American nuclear weapons.
If a lasting peace can be brought to the Korean peninsula and North Korea gives up it nuclear weapons, then yes, Trump may be worthy of having bumbled and stumbled his way into receiving the prestigious award.
But anyone who knows a thing or two about North Korean understands how remote is such a possibility.
“The United States’ diplomatic goal – the denuclearization of North Korea in the near future – is far beyond what is realistically achievable,” warns James Acton of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. In a worst-case scenario, according to Acton, a failed negotiation could even act as “prelude to war” as tensions would invariably escalate in the aftermath.
Not only is talk of Trump and Nobel Peace Prize in the same sentence way premature, it is also ludicrous.
Perhaps all this buzz of Trump receiving the Nobel Peace Prize has something to do with his predecessor receiving the prize his first year in office. Ya think?
Photo | abcnews.go.com
Kim Jong-un – The Rodney Dangerfield of Despots
North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, gets no respect.
Try as he might to make himself the most feared dictator in the world, he just gets nothing but insults and ridicule.
Donald Trump famously called Kim “Little Rocket Man” after his umpteenth ballistic missile test in November.
Last week, the UN Security Council unanimously voted to apply new, tougher sanctions against the rogue nation. Led by the U.S., the measures included reducing the import of refined petroleum products into North Korea by almost 90 percent.
Kim declared these latest sanctions an “act of war,” adding that the US and other nations which supported the strict measures will pay a heavy price.
Last September, Kim, referring to Trump, declared, “I will surely and definitely tame the mentally deranged US dotard with fire.”
But is anyone taking the man seriously? No, not with his long Trumpian history of idle threats.
During Trump’s 12-day tour of Asia, Kim called Trump an “old lunatic.”
Trump responded with a tweet:
Why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me “old,” when I would NEVER call him “short and fat?” Oh well, I try so hard to be his friend – and maybe someday that will happen!
Interesting that Trump was offended by the word “old” but not lunatic. But I digress.
It appears the only way the North Korea dictator can gain the respect he craves is by actually starting a nuclear war!
Our narcissistic, bully of a commander in chief is just the guy to egg him on to such a disastrous decison.
Did you hear the joke about Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un walking into a party together? Trump asks the gathering to “say hello to my little friend,” in his best Tony Montana accent … of course.
Kim Jong-un gets no respect.
Photos | crainsnewyork.com; thesun.co.uk
Trump Talk Of War Could Morph Into Something More Than A Distraction
There is an old saying that goes something like this: “ Nobody needs a war more than a politician who is low in the polls.”
And boy are Trump’s numbers down! Multiple surveys have found Trump to have the lowest approval ratings of any President in the last 70 years at this point in his presidency.
Of course Donald Trump does not actually want war with North Korea. But he does want to distract Americans from the serious consequences he and his regime face from the ever-tightening noose otherwise known as the Mueller investigation.
So he resorts to name-calling, something he is particularly good at. Calling North Korean leader Kim Jong-un “Rocket Man” follows in a long line of pejoratives he has used to smear his opponents. There is “Crooked Hillary,” “Little Marco,” “Lyin’ Ted,” “Crazy Bernie,” and “Low-energy Jeb,” just to name a few of Trump’s greatest hits.
But Kim Jong-un is an unknown entity. It doesn’t appear he is taking Trump’s taunt lightly.
Today North Korea’s foreign minister, Ri Yong-ho, accused the United States of declaring war on his country.
“Since the United States declared war on our country, we will have every right to make counter-measures, including the right to shoot down United States strategic bombers even when they are not inside the airspace border of our country,” said Yong-ho.
There is another old saying … “Loose lips sinks ships.” In other words, beware of loose talk.
A spokesman for the head of the UN correctly warned that fiery talk could lead to fatal misunderstandings.
Trump may think strong talk against North Korea is prime meat for his base and a distraction from FBI special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into his links with Russia. It could also inadvertently lead to World War III.
It is way past time for the adults in the White House to reign in our toddler-in-chief. This is not a game. This is not a reality TV show.
Photo | express.co.uk
Trump Challenges Kim Jong-un To A Game Of Golf
In an effort to de-escalate tensions between their respective countries, Donald Trump has invited North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, to a friendly game of golf at his Mar-a-Lago resort.
“I’ve always said some of my best deals have been negotiated on the golf course,” boasted Trump. “The fake news media gives me such a hard time with all the golf I’ve played as president. What they don’t tell the American people is that I’m actually working while I’m golfing.”
The idea of using sports to improve relations with an adversary is not new.
When Richard Nixon sought a thaw in American relations with China in the early 1970s, he resorted to table tennis. In what later came to be known as “Ping Pong” diplomacy, the two countries that had not had diplomatic or economic relations for nearly 20 years, finally broke the ice. Nixon’s gambit turned out to be successful, resulting in opening the U.S.-China relationship and leading the U.S. to lift its embargo against the People’s Republic of China on June 10, 1971.
Already Trump’s attempt to find common ground with North Korea through the game of golf is being called “Fairway Finesse.”
Someone on the White House staff brought up the fact that there is only one golf course in North Korea and Kim is not known to be a player. Wouldn’t Trump, a lifelong golfer, embarrass a man who has probably never held a golf club?
“That’s nonsense,” snapped Trump. “From all I hear Kim is a natural athlete, like his father Kim Jong-il. I heard Kim is a big hockey fan … that he played a secret exhibition game with some of the NHL’s biggest stars and notched a Gordie Howe hat trick in his first time on the ice. And he did it while playing goalie!”
Legend has it the elder Kim was perhaps the greatest athlete of his time. It is well documented he shot five holes-in-one in his first try at golf, only to be followed by a perfect 300 game in bowling … on the same day!
Whether Kim takes Trump up on his offer remains to be seen. But, in an encouraging sign, it is being reported that the legendary golf instructor, Butch Harmon, will be accompanying Kim’s good friend, Dennis Rodman, on his visit to North Korea next week.
The Pentagon, as the entire world, is hoping Kim accepts Trump’s invitation so that our skilled golfer and negotiator-in-chief can work his magic in getting North Korea to give up its nuclear program, making our world that much safer.
Asked for further comment, Trump said, “We’ll see what happens.”
Photo | express.co.uk
Caution – this could be fake news!