Pence on North Korea: No More “Strategic Patience”

Posted On 17 Apr 2017

In a speech near the DMZ on Monday, Vice President Mike Pence said the Trump administration is turning the page on the policies of the Obama administration when it comes to North Korea. Rather than continuing to slowly put economic pressure on the Kim Jong Un regime, Pence said that the U.S. would soon take decisive action to prevent North Korea from expanding their nuclear weapons arsenal.

Pence said that President Trump remained optimistic about China’s willingness to pull Pyongyang into line.

“But,” he said, “the era of strategic patience is over. President Trump has made it clear that the patience of the United States and our allies in this region has run out and we want to see change. We want to see North Korea abandon its reckless path of the development of nuclear weapons, and also its continual use and testing of ballistic missiles is unacceptable.”

Pence vowed that the U.S. would secure the peninsula through “peaceable means” or, if need be, “by whatever means are necessary.”

While we certainly applaud Trump’s willingness to apply pressure to China in order to resolve this crisis, we’re increasingly uneasy with the war-heavy rhetoric coming out of Washington these days. With every new speech from this administration, President Trump seems to get further and further away from the foreign policy arguments he made on the campaign trail.

Put plainly, is it worth re-examining our commitment to the defense of Seoul? That’s not to say that South Korea is a meaningless ally; it’s not even to say definitively that we should pull our troops out of the country and simply wait and see what happens. It’s merely to suggest that we take a long, hard look at it. Not in the abstract, but tangibly. Point by point, what does the U.S. gain from this automatic, “If Kim Jong Un attacks South Korea, we will annihilate him” policy?

There is, of course, great strategic advantage to the U.S. in a unified, America-allied Korea. As Kim Jong Un (and China) are well aware. So you can say, well, we have to stop Kim because he’s constantly threatening to blow up New York City, but then you have to ask: Would he be making those threats if he didn’t fear a U.S. invasion? To what extent are we creating our own enemies?

Peace through strength? Absolutely. But – as Trump himself emphasized relentlessly last year – we have to be a little smarter about when and where we exert that strength.

Trump as Neocon is still vastly preferable to Obama or Hillary, but we hope that Trump the Nationalist has not vanished entirely.

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MAHB001

With strength comes great responsibility.

0bama’s policies of appeasement did not work and never would have.
- jreg9304
  
  Trash and Rubbish is all that Obozo fed to the American public, during his whole tenure in the W.H.
  
  Prez. Trump is a go-getter and takes no guff!
  - m1a0n3u0e1l2
    
    Sure, imbecile, he is pushing America to the next thermonuclear war that will annihilate the whole human race. Disgracefully, your exiguous imagination and your short perception won’t allow you to see farther than the tip of your nose.
    - Joseph Schlag
      
      There are some morons out there in this country that truly believe you can reason with a mad man. News flash go down to your local crazy house and see if you can reason with any patient in the place, then come and tell me just how you expect to deal with Kim Young Un. This man has let his people starve to death to build nuclear weapons. Obama sent aid to his country and he sold the food and used the money to buy more material to build nuclear weapons Obama just wanted to make sure they had Nuclear weapons also. He did not mind financing them, somewhat the same way he did with Iran. He would love nothing more than for either of these countries to bomb us!
      - ISIS McCain
        
        Sure Joe, we all know how that story line goes, the Russians and Putin, the Iranians and the Ayatollahs, the Syrians and Assad, the North Koreans and Kim Young Un are all madmen, not because they are just madmen, but BECAUSE they will not allow Western privately owned for profit and controlled central banks to come into their respective countries and fleece their respective peoples!!
        
        Let’s start talking reality bud, because THAT and THAT alone is why all these countries are on the U.S.’s high target list for invasion or war, and not for any other reason!!
        You do see what happened to Libya’s Gadaffi for wanting to operate without those Western privately owned for profit and controlled central banks?
    - Len
      
      Thermonuclear war … What will that prove?
      I don’t believe, unless you’re insane, that anyone wants to be “pushing” in that direction with intent. Donald Trump doesn’t strike me as insane.
gotabgood

https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/cbbc7ea19f00eb9d9ddcde3245761d96861fbf86e220e4fabac2fb9e8ea00dac.png
- Mark Brickey
  
  Ah, the misanthrope is back! Haven’t seen your diatribe around lately! See you’re still hiding behind the goofy moniker, too, and still spewing misinformation & twisted news!
  - john
    
    I had a verbal exchange with “gotabstupid” quite awhile ago. He – she – it invited me up to Alaska so we could duke it out . Anyway, its the type that has to have the last word no matter what….. I had to block its verbal garbage… I’m at peace now
    - bttrap
      
      you should of gone and take a shotgun with you to get rid of him (don’t bring a knife to a gun fight)
      - gotabgood
        
        Or a shotgun to hunt antelope…
      - bttrap
        
        you can use a shotgun with slugs to hunt
    - gotabgood
      
      You are a liar! I never invited you anywhere… and why Alaska?
    - Mark Brickey
      
      John, if you’ve got Gotta blocked, you’ve GOT to check out his replies! He/she/it is LOOSING it!
  - gotabgood
    
    Do me a favor Mark relay this message to “John” just in case he does have me blocked..
    “You are a liar! I never invited you anywhere… and why Alaska?”
    - Mark Brickey
      
      Gotta, you’ve definitly lost your , well, whatever’s been up there…. You also invited ME up there! The last long exchange we had, just after Christmas, you challenged me to meet face to face… in Alaska… within view of Palin’s house… and your favorite view of USSR…
      - gotabgood
        
        WHAT???? I never invited anyone anywhere…. no wonder I am getting all these hate messages… I mean I am not a prince charming and say a lot of things I shouldn’t but mostly out of frustrations.
        And inviting anyone to Alaska would be out of the question for me, I am many 1000’s of miles away from there.
        It must be someone with a similar name and maybe even the same avatar… but that was not me.. I do not invite guys anywhere.. not even for a beer… hahaha. I have been known to invite women to different places, but not on here.. I would be scared they would accept.. and they would be packing a gun… hahaha
        I have been known to call tough guys, “Wannabe Rambos”
        
        https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/2c19e1759b9e9f468699cf337bb785cc7fe26e7009e15767ee022fd72aff42f4.jpg
- barnjoer
  
  Where do you come up with this stupid shit from?
  - gotabgood
    
    Hmmm you being from the rightwing I guess I can understand your question.. so to answer it..
    FROM THE NEWS!!!
    And straight from the horses………..er………… mouth.
    
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzSHwOA2HgU
- george briar
  
  you should be more concerned as to where you lost your mind.
  - Linda Shelton
    
    He lost it soo long ago he will never find it, he has been blocked for over a year
  - jreg9304
    
    the creap is what’s leftover from a pile of digshit that everyone forgot to scrape from their shoes!
  - The Capatin
    
    Has he looked under the couch where it is under attack from the “dust bunnies”?
- William Konrad
  
  Throwing stones is easy, Making hard decisions is a bit more difficult. Question to gotabgood: when did you become such an asshole?
  - bttrap
    
    he probably was hatch that way
    - jreg9304
      
      He was Obozo’s throwaway from a fertility clinic!!
  - Linda Shelton
    
    A long time ago.
  - gotabgood
    
    And were you one of those throwing stones at Obama for the decisions he made to not go into Syria? Even though he went to Congress to get approval, and denied, which Trump didn’t even go to congress.
    When I became a full blown asshole is when I started talking to people on here, that calls names when they don’t know answers to tough questions like… What day of the week is today?
    And your so called “hard decision” was to tell the truth about his “armada”.. was it pulled out of maneuvers to go to Korea or was it heading to them in the Indian ocean? No “hard” decision making here… just don’t lie about what you doing…. that is if you yourself know what you are doing!! Which I think the later is the case you had your top men backing you up…
    
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ff03766dd0eba5b169abe98e7034113df148c6e5402b1eefba561dd4ce6bbfe1.png
  - The Capatin
    
    He lost his brains at the hemorrhoidectomy.
- bttrap
  
  so what he should know
geneww1938

Patience is often called a virtue but not if it is actually indecisiveness … like that of the previous administration.
God has given humans the discernment of right and wrong and it is
. never right to do wrong and
. never wrong to do right.
Please pray that this administration is continually blessed with God’s wisdom, discernment, guidance, direction and safety.
Without God’s intervention, our country would continue its path to destruction like it was prior to this election.
- The Capatin
  
  Amen to that!
- Dave Nettles
  
  Well actually Satan gave us the knowledge of good & evil when he tricked Adam & Eve. That’s what the forbidden fruit was.
Edward

Kim jo has been a bad boy. Its time to take his toys away. We have got to stop him now b4 he has the capabilities to send his nukes anywhere in the world. And b4 he has enough of them to destroy the whole world. This should be not just the usa but every country in the worlds problem. You know as well as i, that children should not be allowed to have toys that will kill them.
- bttrap
  
  except the little fat boy maybe he will blow himself up with his toys or maybe someone can slip a bomb in one of his toys
  - jreg9304
    
    Nah! give the fat boy some chewing gum plastic explosive and hope he blows his head off!!
Francisco Machado

In 1934 a charismatic megalomaniac gained control of an impoverished country smaller than North Korea, militarized it and dedicated its resources to enhancing its potential for waging war. No one stopped him then, and stopping him later in the process took until 1945 – at great cost to all involved. It was not, at the time, perceived to be of interest or advantage to the United States to intervene in European political conflicts. The British PM had faith in a diplomatic solution.
george briar

Trump isn’t drawing any imaginary lines in the sand like the coward Obama he’s being direct and has proven he’s not bullshit and a joke. If the little fat idiot wants to test trump it’s a test little Kim will fail. North Korea is totally unnecessary to anyone and doubt anybody would miss it if Trump blows it off the map and that’s why the Chinese have thousands of soldiers at the border knowing that the people of North Korea are right now packing and planning on getting the hell out of there. China wants to make sure they stay there and hopefully get rid of Kim on their own which could happen. China and Russia have only sent spy ships there for a front row seat to see how Trump does it and neither want Kim to continue his insanity. Trump will not back down and will make a move soon and hopefully he takes out just Kim and not the people of North Korea. Time will tell.
- ISIS McCain
  
  Been drinking lots of that warmongering neocon cool aid we see!!
  Are you going to be volunteering yourself or any of your immediate family members to accompany that invasion force that may be sent in to North Korea to ignite the next huge war??
Jim

Kim better be careful what he wishes for and who he provokes.He just might get it.This is not the weak kneed ISIS sympathizing pussy Obama anymore.There’s a new sheriff in town who’s tough,doesn’t take any crap and will protect the American people.
Dennis Anderson

The only thing that part of the world understands is force. Let Un come undone we have the technology to turn around any ICBM, or mid range missile he fires. No one is saying this we have computers that can crunch the numbers on the fly. Hey he fired them and he will get them right back. A well deserved responce to take him out with his own hardware.
- Dave Nettles
  
  Don’t forget our space based laser system. Look up the article on the destruction of Saddam Hussein’s returning armor column at the close of the 1st gulf war. The military said it was done with cluster bombs. Yeah right, without any bomb craters, sure.
  
  This system was operational in 1975.
rick meek

LIBERALS – the modern name for the village idiots that can’t work – hunt or fish for themselves and demand that taxpayers supply their right to have everything given to them….It’s about time just for the untying of the military and LEO’s hands —— LET THEM DO THE JOB ——- EXCEPT IN CA AND NY……
- Linda Shelton
  
  Let them do their job, no except to it!!!
- jreg9304
  
  Sicko Liberal attitudes are just that, distorted beyond recognition. These liberals need a very long unconditional vacation to get their reality in check and do some solid soul searching.. the sooner the better!!
jreg9304

Trump and Pence are Godsends to re-establish and re-ignite the American spirit!
Let America, from this day forward be the inspirational, shining light for the World.
Let it be said that America, the land of the free and home of the brave, will conquer past insanity’s brought on from the past Administration!!
Michael Paul

This is not nation building which Trump said he would never do. This big mouth little piece of garbage LITTLE KIM keeps threatening our country. He has the nukes thanks to Clinton and all he needs are the missiles to attach them to. Once and for all, we have to shut him down and release all the North Koreans from his prison.
The Capatin

It is time for “Soy Sauce Stain” to join his ancestors. There needs to be a MOAB launch, followed by a thermonuclear launch pinpointed on his location and conventional explosives upon the rest of his arms.

Problem solved.
Morton99

North Korea may call Pence (and Trump’s) bluff. After all – what can they do that all previous presidents failed at ? There may be a strategy but we have yet to see it.
gotabgood

There is an old saying, “clean off your own back porch before talking of others”
This nation is split like never before and you want to go talking tough to a nation that has nuclear weapons?
I think it is time to repair what we have.
We don’t agree on many issues and we will fight to the death of many because of this disagreement.
But when sit down and actually have a Q&A… we all want the same thing… don’t confuse the issue of “Yeah, but you want to do it this way”…. not the point… we all want the same things…and you can erase the D & R from your names, color of skin, your religion, if any, whether your a female or male, straight or any one of the other not straight.
We degrade each other… we talk of our parents and wives, sisters… question each others patriotism…We all want the same things.
It is much easier to pull the car out of the ditch if we are all pulling in the same direction.
I have said things similar to this in the past… I either get no response, or a bunch of degrading statements.. calling me names or unpatriotic… and then I slip back into the mold of things.
First we have to stop “fake news”…. just because you haven’t heard of something, doesn’t make it fake.. or if you do not like the messenger, doesn’t make it fake either…. People questioned John the Baptist… threw Jesus out of the church…. NO!! I am not comparing myself to either of them, but what was true then is true now… if you don’t like the message… kill the messenger….. and miss the truth…
Sometimes if you listen to the person and if you keep a record of what he/she says it is easy to spot confusion to say the least.
What we are doing IS NOT GOOD FOR AMERICA!!!!!
UNTIED WE STAND…. DIVIDED WE FALL! It has never been more true than it is today.
Obie Miller

I would ask —if we ” re-examine our commitment to the defense of Seoul”, would we not be “turning our backs’ to those America and who fought and died in the “Korean Conflict” of the 1950s??…..have we lost our resolve in these many years??
sanford paris

The yack,yack,yack intellectuals are off and running their yack,yack,yack.

We elected a man of action to be President. We didn’t elect blah blah hillary. Point? Please shut t f up untill America acts. You don’t have to love Trump, but most Americans do. I DO NOT CONSIDER RADICALS AMERICANS. Elections are our methodology. You don’t agree? Then what exactly are you?
CUZIN ERN

Keeping the heat on shy kim, will cause him to screw up w/o our help!
CUZIN ERN

Lunatics of all of the 4 corners, sooner or later must kill themselves after learning they were like a Tennessee Ol Blue Coon Dog that messed up and knocked the wrong tree!
CUZIN ERN

Has any body checked to see if there might be some ordinance in the largest vault in New York City yet!!!!
Just Saying

All of Korea, north & south, is roughly the size of the US state of Idaho, relatively, small. Where does the Kim Jong Un regime get its’ nerve to threaten the world for such a tiny place? They are a laughingstock.
James Langham

Beware of Pence. He would like to hasten the beginning of “Armageddon.”

Pence on North Korea: No More “Strategic Patience”

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