Two spoiled, narcissistic, self-deluded bully boys — US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un — are playing a game of nuclear weapons ‘chicken’ at the world’s expense. This game could cost the lives of hundreds of thousands if it finally leads to war.
Two spoiled, narcissistic, self-deluded bully boys — US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un — are playing a game of nuclear weapons ‘chicken’ at the world’s expense. This game could cost the lives of hundreds of thousands if it finally leads to war.
It is time that someone puts an end to this outrageous folly.
But who? Who would have the political stature, the authority and the credibility with both the United States and North Korea to take such a stand?
The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, might be an obvious choice, but both Trump and Kim have shown their disdain for the United Nations, and the UN Security Council has already taken a number of unproductive steps to deal with the crisis.
Russia’s Putin might be willing to give it a try, but given the ongoing investigation into Russian interference in the US presidential election, he has no real authority in the United States. There is also no reason why he would have much leverage in North Korea.
The recently re-elected German Chancellor Angela Merkel comes to mind because of her obvious political authority. But the role that she might play in Europe does not easily transfer to East Asia where she would probably be seen as too distant from the problem.
Hence, Chinese President Xi Jinping stands out as the clear choice. But this cannot simply be in the role that the US has continually pressed upon him — namely to force Kim Jong-un to agree to US terms.
Instead, the true ‘adult in the room’ would have to stand separately and independently between the two boys to point to the extremely dangerous absurdity of the tensions they are fuelling.
