Despite Tillerson overture, White House says not right time for N.Korea talks

There are a few points which need to be clearly understood:

NK wants to be paid just to sit down and talk (even about the weather). NK will not do anything without something significant in return.

NK is not really interested in talks until AFTER they are satisfied that they have the proven ability to strike the US with a nuclear-tipped ICBM. Until this is achieved, they want to continue testing missiles.

Any "freeze for freeze" arrangement will not stop NK from continuing to advance their nuclear program by continuing to manufacture more missiles and nukes. Afterwards, at a time of NK's choosing, NK will change course and reprise its long-term blackmail of the US, by demanding yet more concessions in order not to re-start testing.

Any "freeze for freeze" will not stop NK from weaponizing biological agents, which would command a very high price on the black market. This too is a method of blackmailing the US into making concessions.

NK is not able to feed its people, and keep its elites fat and happy, without extorting money and aid from its neighbors. Because practicing extortion puts NK in a very bad light in the international community (including with China), NK needs a "hammer" to continue "fleecing" for the long-term. The "hammer" are nuclear and biological weapons.

The US is desperate to cut a deal with NK.

The US administration is desperate to continue distracting away from the president's incompetence/scandals. This means there is no desperation to cut a deal because that would remove the largest currently available distractor.

The chief complaint against North Korea from international watchers who actually follow the regime's moves (as opposed to people in the peanut gallery who just hear it's communist and freak out) is that their past behavior has shown them to be undependable. It's ridiculous just how many times DPRK has made an agreement, only to turn around and break the deal a few months later. They have effectively taught the world that their regime cannot be trusted.

We have to ask ourselves how long we can allow the White House to renege on the State Department's offers before we lose the comparative moral high ground.

Tillerson has little authority. Gee, I wonder why...?

Tillerson seems to be a no-nonsense type of guy. Liked what he had to say and how he said it i.e 'let's at least sit down and see each other face to face'.

"Given North Korea's most recent missile test, clearly right now is not the time," a White House official told Reuters.

I don't get this logic.

I don't get this logic.

There is no logic. If they want to talk, then talk. Pay to talk, then no.

CrazyJoe is basically correct.

The one unknown not mentioned is if there would be a revolt, and what would come from it. There are a lot of people jumping ship, and the sanctions are certainly being felt. Still, I feel the chance of a revolt is low and the result of the revolt would be minor changes, other than the summary elimination of the Kim dynasty.

The White House has NO diplomacy skills WHATSOEVER. They are all nothing but inexperienced, unqualified businessmen.

King Kim is not going anywhere, and now that he supposedly has intercontinental nukes, he has passed GO and is now a legitimate world power. He will do nothing to jeopardize his life and rule over the country. The US and the world has three options: 1. an assassination; 2. scare the crap out of him which means a fake assassination attempt; 3. or talk.

Wow! Biggest story on the Mueller investigation today with clear indictable evidence against FBI investigators and JT decides to "skip it"?

@CrazyJoe - Definitely agree with all that.

I just wonder if Abe relayed a message to the White House and basically said no way.

Abe was very adamant that talks were "not on" less than 24 hours before Tillerson came out with his statement. Abe seemed to be quite strident in that view at least from the reporting I read.

I don't see how it is acceptable to allow N.K to keep their nuclear weapons without allowing South Korea and Japan to follow the same path if they choose to do so, but you can bet your house that China and Russia would be furious. Maybe even take action against it. Military or trade.

The international community cannot give the perception that not only can a complete and total despotic dictator, one of the worst in the world, if not the worst, can get away with it for decades but they can also threaten their neighbours with WMD's and that's perfectly acceptable.

It isn't and we cannot cave in to that point of view.

It's almost as if people shouldn't pay attention to what Tillerson says anymore, since many of what he says eventually gets retracted by the White House anyway

It'snot just the White House that's saying it's not the time to talk. The UN is the only party to have talked to North Korea face to face so far and they reported that;

"The envoy, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman, reported that the North Koreans don’t believe the time is right for negotiations,.." 

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-12-13/un-s-north-korea-envoy-is-said-to-be-deeply-worried-after-trip