Kim Jong-un has changed his mind, or so it seems. He has cancelled high level talks between North and South Korean officials and has cast the summit meeting scheduled for June 12 in Singapore with President Donald Trump in jeopardy. His stated reason: dissatisfaction with inflexible rhetoric from Washington (perhaps along with a personal calculation that his … Continue reading Posturing, Lying, Negotiating Tactic?
The Unbearable Lightness of Lying
The phrase, “his word is his bond,” once used to identify “heroes” in our midst, has fallen into disfavor. (read an interesting history of this phrase here) You don’t hear it said much anymore, in large part because of how our President has played so fast-and-loose with the truth. It's not so much that words no … Continue reading The Unbearable Lightness of Lying
The Mess at the Border
The Mess at the Border: President Trump uses this phrase to characterize the scene currently unfolding near San Diego as a caravan of migrants completes its perilous, month-long journey north, seeking asylum in the US. A recent tweet illustrates the President’s thoughts. This week’s border incidents are only the latest manifestation of the administration’s superficial … Continue reading The Mess at the Border
Devaluing De-escalation
Once again, an unspeakable attack using a van to mow down people on a busy street—this time in Toronto—captures the headlines. At this writing, the act seems to be prompted by a fetishizing over rejection by women; and so, the targets on the Toronto street were mostly female. The motives may vary, but the methodology … Continue reading Devaluing De-escalation
Anticipation
Perhaps it’s just that the weather in the Northeast has broken a bit and hints of spring abound, symbolic reminders of periodic renewal with tender sprouts pushing through the cold soils of a seemingly endless winter. Maybe it’s just me. But, multiple conversations over the past few days have been flavored with a sense of … Continue reading Anticipation