In my 57 years on this planet, I have never known a time when North and South Korea were not at war. Granted, there hasn't been a hot war since before I was born, but the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and the 38th Parallel have been part of my political vocabulary since the moment I became politically aware.
On and off over the decades, various US presidents have made somewhat half-hearted attempts to put an end to the Korean War, which has only been in a truce (armistice) footing for more than 60 years. There have been occasional flare-ups as defectors, successfully or not, made runs across the DMZ.
North Korea also made cinematic appearances over the decades as an arch-villain, such as in the James Bond flick "Die Another Day". The book, movie and long-running TeeVee series MAS*H was set against the backdrop of the Korean "conflict".
I also personally knew kids my age who had lost fathers, uncles and brothers in the Korean War.
This one hot spot, second only to the Middle East morass, has formed a threat running throughout my entire life. Soviet nukes and North Korean spies were the literal bogeymen hiding in my closet and under my bed. They were the manifestation of phobia and the image of deima.
As if come to throbbing life, the motto "ordo ab chao" (order out of chaos for the Latin deprived), along comes this man named Donald Trump. In my memory, no US president has ever caused so much division and strife, not by action, but by simply being. Not since Lincoln and the days of the US Civil War have Americans been so polarized.
Yet, from this chaos pops the first glimmer of peace on the Korean peninsula in more than half a century.
Love him or hate him, even the most ardent NeverTrumpers have to tip their MAGA hats to this remarkable achievement, especially when the Mockingbird Media were apoplectic over the prospect of renewed hostilities betwixt the Koreas - despite their bloodlust for war just about everywhere else.
As a political atheist and proponent of enlightened anarchy, I do not require leaders. To me, Donald Trump is yet another individual in a very long line of people heralded as a "leader" by those who require such things in order to function. I do, however, ascribe to Trump this victory - and it is indeed a victory - because it is in fact his chaotic persona that is directly responsible for putting the fear of God in the godless North Korean "leadership".
Regardless of whether you love or hate the man, we must all pause for a moment and consider the historic relevance of what he has achieved in just under a year and a half.
Think of it this way...you have a co-worker at the office that you despise. He is a genuine jerk - boisterous, egotistical and easily unlikeable. One day, that employee solves an problem for the company that leads to greater profitability, causing share prices to rise and your stock options to become much more valuable. He is still a jerk, but you objectively owe him a debt of gratitude for having done something to improve your situation.
With that thought in mind, I will say "thank you" to Donald Trump. I may or may not agree with who and what you are or represent, but I can appreciate a truly remarkable achievement that, God willng and the creek don't rise, will make the lives of my family better than the one I had, if for no other reason than eliminating one more dangerous variable in an already complex world.
I will continue to rail against his stupidities, but I take this moment to acknowledge his victories.
