Historic Opportunity for Real Peace With North Korea
By John Lewallen
President Trump’s June 12 peace agreement with North Korea, and his commitment to end “war games” around North Korea, need peace movement and public support to be effective. It is vital that we insist that the “tremendously expensive” and “provocative” (Trump’s words) annual U.S. and South Korea military exercises completely cease.
The executive accord signed by President Trump and Kim Jong-un declares peaceful relation between the two nations, and calls for prompt beginning of peace talks to discuss the “complete de-nuclearization of the Korean Peninsula” and other issues. As Trump mentioned somewhere along the way, there won’t be any military confrontation leading to war while these talks continue. Soon may they start, and long may the peace talks run, until a complete peace treaty ending the Korean War is reached!
The personal meeting between the two leaders clearly acknowledged, for the first time, that the North Korean government is a legitimate government, not a “regime” needing “regime change.” Before June 12, the stated U. S. strategy was to impose economic sanctions on North Korea until its people overthrew its government. Now we must insist that these efforts to starve North Korea into submission cease!
Ending the Korean “war games” is going to cost the military-industrial complex a lot, so I believe they will continue to sabotage peace efforts for economic reasons. We need an “Industrial Conversion Commission” to transition from these very threatening exercises to, hopefully, better ways to employ people and spend money on U.S. infrastructure and other good projects.
At least the insane game of “nuclear chicken” between President Trump and Kim Jong-un, which terrified me in 2017, now is over, hopefully forever. Nuclear weapons are weapons of suicidal omnicide. All sane nations have signed the treaty banning them.
Peace and friendship with North Korea!
