Wagging the Donald by his ego

It is hard to keep up with all fails and lies (or careful reality-bending non-lies) of Trump, but today we all could witness an especially big fail.

No, I am not talking about the evangelical anti-semitic (and anti-catholic and anti-…) priest that held the speech at the opening of the new US embassy in Jerusalem. That was just fitting for a decision that already has cost several dozen lives.

I am also not talking about the canceling of the Iran atom deal, which is uniformly (except by Trump and some warmongers in Washington) seen as a bloody stupid™ move that will likely result in more terrorists and already has driven the oil price above 80$ (Brent). And of course burned away the last remaining bits of US reputation.

What I am talking about is North Korea.

You see, back when dictator Kim suddenly announced he wants to talk about better international relations, even hinting at a possible peace treaty, I was surprised. Very surprised.

If you haven’t realized it: The normal negotiation strategy for a certain type of countries, especially “communistic” ones, is what I call the shoe tactic.

You certainly have heard of the original Khrushchev's shoe banging. Ignoring the reasons for it (it seems nobody really knows it anyway, a real mystery), it has one characteristic: Be as loud and intimidating as possible. That is the basic, core and everything of the tactic.

Using the shoe tactic, other countries are pressed to make concessions to the lunatic wielding the shoe. And then it is peaceful until the dictator needs something else.

Historically North Korea used the shoe and then got something. But not this time. This time there was the Greatest President of all Times with a bigger red button than Kim.

The tensions were rising and then suddenly Kim, after a (at the start) secret visit in China, the first time he left the country for years, changed into a peace dove.

That really surprised me for a few days, until I saw Trumps reaction. And then it was not hard to see what happened.

The greatest dealmaker of all times ran and jumped widely grinning into the trap.

You see, Kim is not dumb. He is a dictator. He is a ruthless, calculating and smart guy. You have to be or you aren’t a dictator for longer then about half a night.

It was not that Kim backed off, as Trump trumpeted. Instead Kim got what he wanted: Official recognition by the man with the reddest nuclear button. And, more importantly, the promise for a meeting.

The shoe tactic is rising the stakes for the others without having to put something in yourself. And as threats did not do that anymore… Kim raised Trumps stake by getting the promise of the self-announced dealmaker.

Someone who is as self-centered as Trump, with an ego as blown up as his is - someone like Trump cannot back off now. He would lose face. Worse for him, he would lose his self-picture of being a dealmaker.

Kim wagged the Donald by his ego.

And now the dealmaker has to finish a deal. While Kim can always go back and say “See, the western imperialist was never interested in a real solution.” That would not damage his position, quite contrary.

Guess who gets the better deal out of this?

And the most funny thing (for me) is that China was likely in it from the start. Remember the secret visit just before the sudden change of heart in Kim?
Trump has made China lose face before (which is a real big thing there).
Using a second country to let him run into a wall - which makes Trump lose his face – that is exactly the humor of traditional Chinese diplomacy.