Detente led us out of the Cold War; let’s try again

Sittin' here under the bridge wasting time thinking about the deep state. All things considered, I'm more worried about the stupid state. The idealogical divides of our current iteration of government have made truth irrelevant, and we have lost sight of the uniquely American test for truth.

Does it work? Idealogical purity is more important than functionality. In plain English, our government does not work.

Nothing makes this clearer than the way we deal with North Korea. For the past 20 years, we have tried threats, intimidation and punishing sanctions, none of which have worked to prevent them from becoming a nuclear state. Now we are preparing to add military action to this toxic brew. The drums of war are starting to beat anew.

The consequences of war would be devastating not just for North and South. Korea, but probably to Japan as well. China would defend the North, setting up a possible nuclear confrontation between China and the U.S.

The threat of MAD (mutually assured destruction) still exists today. Diplomacy and detente helped lead us out of the Cold War without glowing in the dark. Perhaps it is time for a similar approach to dealing with North Korea today.

This story was originally published September 20, 2017 at 2:17 PM with the headline "Detente led us out of the Cold War; let’s try again."