America Needs a MAGA Strategy Against Nuclear Proliferation

North Korea has over sixty nuclear warheads, ICBMs that can hit America, and two satellites orbiting over the center of America. They pose a significant threat to Americans.

With the happy Trump-Kim summit, and more recently the triumphant Kim-Moon summit, it would appear the situation is on its way to resolution.

But things may not be as they rosy as they appear. Whatever words Kim may say, he’s still a Communist holding on to nukes, and even if he does wholeheartedly want peace, he’s boxed in by China and Russia.

You don’t need to take my word for it. Consider what the veteran Korea watcher — who served in South Korea for 4 years, worked with Congress on North Korea policy, and continuously publishes articles on this topic — Joshua Stanton, has to say: “I interrupt your exuberance to remind you that North Korea is not denuclearizing, is more oppressive & totalitarian than ever & has an unbroken history of international proliferation, crime, blackmail & terrorism. This is not leading to a lasting peace. It rhymes with 1938.”

Maybe things will work out peacefully, but, if they fall apart, in our modern age, matters can move fast. The logic of nuclear war gives certain incentives to whoever strikes first.

There are good reasons to think Trump is capable of launching a pre-emptive attack on North Korea. Not because he is a crazy man, but precisely because he is smart, sees the North Korean threat, and wants to protect Americans. Unlike other American Presidents who took a politically safe course of managing the problem, Trump speaks in terms of solving it. Trump, in his speech at the United Nations, went out of his way to stress how close we had been to war.

While an urge to destroy the North Korean government, to protect Americans, is both healthy and laudable, it carries serious disadvantages and should be ruled out while there is time.

First of all, a first strike may not work. North Korea has spent decades building up their capabilities with help from powerful friends (who may be intent on defending Kim). Mattis could approve the perfect plan, however, one little plot twist, and a million Americans are dead.

It’s not at all clear to me why Americans, both stationed abroad or civilians at home, should risk their lives to preserve the freedom of South Koreans who often times seem to give friendship with Kim top priority.

A pre-emptive attack on North Korea would do eternal damage to America’s reputation. That will happen regardless of the justness of the attack. No one cares today that Saddam Hussein was a psychopath who tortured his subjects, destabilized the region, sponsored terrorism, and wanted WMDs; all people know is that America killed people. The results would be the same after a strike against North Korea.

Further, an attack on North Korea is not a long-term solution. Look at the trend of history. Nuclear weapons are, and will continue, to proliferate. Each time China and Russia build up a dangerous proxy are we going to bomb that country, lose American lives, destroy our prestige and spend trillions of dollars?

The fact is that America has been running around like a headless chicken for far too long. Careening from one disaster to another with no plan. It is far past the time to reorient American policy based on long-term strategy.

There are solutions. America is capable of achieving so much. The first step is tossing aside the tired Establishment hands, who have been at the wheel for decades, and drove America in to this mess. America First thinkers must now dictate foreign policy.

Mutually assured destruction is a preposterous policy. The idea that American survival should be predicated on — Kim, Xi, Putin, Khamenei, their successors, their colleagues, their future proxies, and any future nuclear powers — all acting logically, is a self-evidently disastrous idea.

How about SANE: strategic assured national existence! America survives no matter what. Regardless of how stupid, crazy, devout, or malicious, adversaries may be. That’s a policy that makes sense.

It’s time to get to work on comprehensive missile defense system. One that defends America from all nuclear threats.

Self-defense of America seems like a bipartisan policy. True, Democrats have dragged their heels in the past, but given their outrage at Russia, now is a uniquely opportune time to leverage their anti-Russia rhetoric, quite logically, into a defense for Americans.

Simply shutting our eyes and hoping nothing bad happens is not serious policy. Though a less pleasant topic, America should also build defense for Americans in a worst case scenario.

Say North Korea does launch an attack. Our political overlords in The Swamp have left America totally unprepared. They should take a break from defending Syrian rebels, and take the most basic of steps to protect Americans. This could be as simple as storing food, building bunkers, and hardening the electric grid. (The government actually already takes these precautions- for themselves).

America’s policy on North Korea is schizophrenic. On the one hand, North Korea isn’t supposed to fire ICBMs. But on the other hand, they already have two satellites, which may hold nuclear warheads, orbiting over America. It is baffling how our leaders can consider bombing Pyongyang while allowing them to orbit these potential weapons over Americans for years. These satellites should not be permitted.

Trump has done a tremendous job bringing common sense to American policy. But there is still a long ways to go. A good start would be for Congress to pass a law prohibiting a first strike inside of North Korea. It should be done in conjunction with a dialogue about how America gets to the 22nd century freer and safer than ever.