Trump ' s Tough Talk at the United Nations

Trump ’s threat to “totally destroy North Korea” at the United Nations this week generated concern inmany corners but a round of applause from many hawks here in the United States. Former ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton, for example, called it “the best speech of the Trump Presidency, ” praising Trump for his tougher approach to North Korea’s nuclear program. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also voiced strong support for Trump’s approach. In aNew York Times oped, Abe wrote that, “I firmly support the United States position that all options are on the table.”Abe ’s choice of the phrase “all options are on the table” was not accidental. As Figure one indicates, the phrase has steadily gained in popularity since the September 11 attacks, with its use spiking in the first year of the Trump administration, as tensions with North Korea have risen. Figure One: The Rise of “All Options on the Table” Data source: Factiva Top U.S. newspapers database.The meaning of the phrase, at least on paper, is clear: the United States is willing to use military force should diplomacy fail. And as tensions rise, as they have over the past months with North Korea, one would expect to hear the phrase more often.The problem, however, is that despite occasional protests to the contrary, it is increasingly obvious that the Trump administration is ready to take the most important option off the table: diplomacy. By repeatedly arguing that, “talking is not t...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - Category: American Health Authors: Source Type: blogs