Just watching Dan Rather talking about N. Korea to Rachel. He made the point that Trump basks in feeling adoration. Reflecting on the positive press Trump received after his last two militaristic actions, he worries whether Trump will push for a military engagement with North Korea.
This would, of course, likely lead to war.
The mere fact anyone would even consider that an American president’s psychological dysfunction — to put it mildly — could lead to a war is surreal and chilling.
Dan Rather also suggested that Trump is woefully uninformed about what happened in the Korean War and that he ought to read, or have read to him, “The Coldest Winter: America and the Korean War “ by David Halberstam, published in 2007.
The cadre of online shrinks I communicate with every day who have been studying Trump, are asking this question: Given what we know about Trump’s extreme, malignant narcissism, do you think he would overrule the advice of our military leadership and top diplomats and order a military attack against North Korea?
If Kim Jong-Un, who I rather doubt believes he himself is batshit crazy, grasps that his American adversary IS batshit crazy enough to start a war, would he escalate an American attack, say the U.S. taking out an ICBM silo, with a full bombardment against Seoul and their 20 million residents, or assault across the DMZ where we have over 20,000 American troops. Or would he do both?
Trump may relish the idea of being a wartime president in the belief that the entire country would rally around him.
Kim Jong-Un certainly is crazy enough to start a war. He doesn’t know he is crazy. Is he dangerous? We all know what happens when you displease him.
Here’s what’s been going on today —
BEIJING
China urges calm after North Korea pledges to 'ruthlessly ravage' the U.S. in the event of a military strike (LA TIMES)
North Korea threatened merciless consequences to U.S. provocations on Friday, while China warned the two countries to avoid continuing talk of military conflict.
A statement from the Korean People’s Army, released through the state news agency KCNA, said President Trump had “entered the path of open threat and blackmail” against North Korea.
Officials in Pyongyang said the country would “ruthlessly ravage” the U.S. if Washington opted for an attack in response to a North Korean weapons test. Counteractions would occur “in such a merciless manner as not to allow the aggressors to survive,” the army statement said.
The comments follow warnings from the Trump administration that it could take military action against North Korea’s growing nuclear ambitions. The U.S. last weekend redirected an aircraft carrier strike group to the Korean Peninsula.
Trump has no idea he is a malignant narcissist who desperately (but probably unconsciously) needs to be worshipped (a Freudian might add “as mama’s very most favorite and beloved -- far more than she ever loved her own husband”)
Considering all this:
Would he start a war just because it made him feel personally powerful and admired? It’s hard to believe I am even asking this question.