# North Korea suspending missile testing and closing nuclear site; Trump the statesman? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [April 20, 2018, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-suspending-missile-testing-and-closing-nuclear-site-trump-the-statesman/812829 "2018-04-20T23:09:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2018, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-suspending-missile-testing-and-closing-nuclear-site-trump-the-statesman/812829/21 "2018-04-21T11:58:28Z")
> [@Troy\_McClure](#): > > What are the odds that the test site they are so magnanimously closing is this one? > > [http://time.com/4981037/north-korea-damaged-nuclear-test-site/](http://time.com/4981037/north-korea-damaged-nuclear-test-site/) Absolutely 100% North Korea haven’t run a nuclear test or launched ICBMs for several months. Now unilateralists seem to be awarding them brownie points for saying they’ll do what they have already done. Why they stopped? Dunno. Maybe they think they don’t need further tests or they are running short of resources. They are certainly down one launch site. Whether/when they plan to resume is outside my ken but not getting what they want (which is the disarming of South Korea **before they consider** any disarmament of North Korea) in any upcoming talks is pretty likely trigger point. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2018, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-suspending-missile-testing-and-closing-nuclear-site-trump-the-statesman/812829/22 "2018-04-21T12:06:54Z")
> [@Icarus](#): > > They have achieved their goals, which is “a seat at the table”. So, in a sense, we are playing into their hands, if that is your perspective. If news reports are accurate, Trump plans on meeting with Kim Jong-un, which in the old view of these type of things, elevates him on the world stage. And Rush Limbaugh [is selling this](https://twitter.com/mattyglesias/status/987019849833607168) as a yuuuuge accomplishment on the part of Trump, that none of his predecessors were able to pull off. Hard to tell whether Limbaugh is being dishonest or just stupid, isn’t it? As you imply, any one of Trump’s recent predecessors could have met with whichever Kim was the NK dictator at the time, because a one-on-one meeting with the POTUS would have been a big boost of international status for Kim. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2018, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-suspending-missile-testing-and-closing-nuclear-site-trump-the-statesman/812829/23 "2018-04-21T12:38:39Z")
If I were a Republican, I would point out that North Korea hasn’t done a bunch of other things, like close its concentration camps, stop all arms trade, etc and declare this development as “the worst deal in history, and I know deals.” ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2018, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-suspending-missile-testing-and-closing-nuclear-site-trump-the-statesman/812829/24 "2018-04-21T18:19:13Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Hard to tell whether Limbaugh is being dishonest or just stupid, isn’t it? Can’t he be both, like the late Antonin Scalia? Er, wrong forum for that. Gratuitous Simpsons quotes belong elsewhere. How about I say that I admire how Li’l Kim turned the destruction of his test site into a grand gesture of conciliation? ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2018, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-suspending-missile-testing-and-closing-nuclear-site-trump-the-statesman/812829/25 "2018-04-21T18:35:45Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > … > I’m rather pleasantly surprised with the progress Trump has made on the North Korean front. … A few things. 1. Never believe anything 'lil Kim says. 2. Never believe anything the old groper says. 3. Never accept the administration’s take on this. I’m telling you this for your own good. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2018, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-suspending-missile-testing-and-closing-nuclear-site-trump-the-statesman/812829/26 "2018-04-22T01:27:07Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > A few things. > > 1. Never believe anything 'lil Kim says. > 2. Never believe anything the old groper says. > 3. Never accept the administration’s take on this. > > I’m telling you this for your own good. Pissin’ in the wind… ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2018, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-suspending-missile-testing-and-closing-nuclear-site-trump-the-statesman/812829/27 "2018-04-22T01:45:56Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > I’m rather pleasantly surprised with the progress Trump has made on the North Korean front. This appears, at least to me, to be the most significant progress towards denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula that has made in the last couple of decades. > [@Morgenstern](#): > > A few things. > > 1. Never believe anything 'lil Kim says. > 2. Never believe anything the old groper says. > 3. Never accept the administration’s take on this. > > I’m telling you this for your own good. And I thank you, not that you need to convince me. What would be really helpful if you assist in convincing that 40% of the US happily lapping this DRT=MAGA stuff up with a soup ladle. I think they’d agree with your dot points, except you need to change where it says 'lil Kim for Clinton. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2018, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-suspending-missile-testing-and-closing-nuclear-site-trump-the-statesman/812829/28 "2018-04-22T02:48:07Z")
> [@penultima\_thule](#): > > North Korea haven’t run a nuclear test or launched ICBMs for several months. > Now unilateralists seem to be awarding them brownie points for saying they’ll do what they have already done. > > Why they stopped? Dunno. Maybe they think they don’t need further tests or they are running short of resources. They are certainly down one launch site. > Whether/when they plan to resume is outside my ken but not getting what they want (which is the disarming of South Korea **before they consider** any disarmament of North Korea) in any upcoming talks is pretty likely trigger point. Their tests and belligerence tends to slow down during harvest season. I guess they’re never quite sure if the famines will be so extreme that even their military deserts them. ---
**Author:** ![LAZombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b38774/32.png) [@LAZombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LAZombie)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2018, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-suspending-missile-testing-and-closing-nuclear-site-trump-the-statesman/812829/29 "2018-04-22T03:09:10Z")
The real question is when will Trump receive his Nobel Peace prize? Obama got one for doing nothing. I had to Google it and it was very vague. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2018, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-suspending-missile-testing-and-closing-nuclear-site-trump-the-statesman/812829/30 "2018-04-22T04:48:15Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > Their tests and belligerence tends to slow down during harvest season. That’d make sense. When talking about resources I forgot that for DPRNK food is too frequently limiting. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2018, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-suspending-missile-testing-and-closing-nuclear-site-trump-the-statesman/812829/31 "2018-04-22T05:43:25Z")
> [@LAZombie](#): > > The real question is when will Trump receive his Nobel Peace prize? > > Obama got one for doing nothing. I had to Google it and it was very vague. Trump will win a Peace Prize when you become a Democrat. Piece Prize, maybe. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2018, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-suspending-missile-testing-and-closing-nuclear-site-trump-the-statesman/812829/32 "2018-04-22T08:03:03Z")
Shit, if Henry Kissinger can win the Nobel Peace Price, who can’t? Mengele can win for Medicine. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2018, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-suspending-missile-testing-and-closing-nuclear-site-trump-the-statesman/812829/33 "2018-04-22T11:01:28Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Shit, if Henry Kissinger can win the Nobel Peace Price, who can’t? Mengele can win for Medicine. Hey, Kissinger actually worked pretty hard for years before wining his Peace Prize\*. Obama won his just by sleeping in the White House for a couple months. \*and I assume it was unintentional, but your [del]typo[/del]pun (“peace PriCe”) is pretty darn good 🙂 ) ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2018, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-suspending-missile-testing-and-closing-nuclear-site-trump-the-statesman/812829/34 "2018-04-22T13:28:56Z")
Obama didn’t “win” the Nobel, it was awarded to him by people who didn’t realize that he was a status quo centrist. It’s true that the Nobel committee doesn’t reward fascists and plutocrats, so Donny Boy is never going to get one. But so what? Let the Heritage Foundation or some other right wing institution come up with an award. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2018, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-suspending-missile-testing-and-closing-nuclear-site-trump-the-statesman/812829/35 "2018-04-22T13:47:22Z")
Anyone notice the latest pictures of lil’ Kim? He’s now wearing Western style business suits and ties. Trump Tower, Pyongyang can’t be far behind. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2018, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-suspending-missile-testing-and-closing-nuclear-site-trump-the-statesman/812829/36 "2018-04-22T14:09:33Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > Anyone notice the latest pictures of lil’ Kim? He’s now wearing Western style business suits and ties. I haven’t, but he does seem like someone who could rock a leather vest and bolo tie. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2018, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-suspending-missile-testing-and-closing-nuclear-site-trump-the-statesman/812829/37 "2018-04-22T15:33:09Z")
Here VT, the story behind it. 🙂 > **[Kim’s new suit makes him look like a ‘banker, wearing Armani’](https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/2126538/north-korea-kim-jong-uns-snappy-new-suit-makes-him-look-banker)** > > North Korea: Kim Jong-un’s snappy new suit makes him look like a ‘banker, wearing Armani’ ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2018, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-suspending-missile-testing-and-closing-nuclear-site-trump-the-statesman/812829/38 "2018-04-22T15:39:56Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > Obama didn’t “win” the Nobel, it was awarded to him by people who didn’t realize that he was a status quo centrist. > > It’s true that the Nobel committee doesn’t reward fascists and plutocrats, so Donny Boy is never going to get one. But so what? Let the Heritage Foundation or some other right wing institution come up with an award. Maybe Donnie Half-scoop can make him a “World’s Greatest Dad” mug for Father’s Day. ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_lining](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aca169/32.png) [@Silver\_lining](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_lining)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2018, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-suspending-missile-testing-and-closing-nuclear-site-trump-the-statesman/812829/39 "2018-04-22T17:22:20Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > [source](http://www.foxnews.com/world/2018/04/20/north-korea-announces-end-to-missile-testing-as-trump-cites-big-progress.html) > > I’m rather pleasantly surprised with the progress Trump has made on the North Korean front. This appears, at least to me, to be the most significant progress towards denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula that has made in the last couple of decades. Am I missing something here, or is this good news? It can be viewed as nothing but good news. You might even see the President and Mr. Kim on one of Trump’s golf courses. Anytime a isolations dictator agrees to suspend nuclear missile testing and join the rest of the world, that’s a good thing. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2018, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-suspending-missile-testing-and-closing-nuclear-site-trump-the-statesman/812829/40 "2018-04-22T17:25:18Z")
> [@Silver\_lining](#): > > … and join the rest of the world, … I hope you aren’t holding your breath. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-suspending-missile-testing-and-closing-nuclear-site-trump-the-statesman/812829.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-suspending-missile-testing-and-closing-nuclear-site-trump-the-statesman/812829.md?page=3)