Making ominous threats his whole life

[struggle4progress]

By Fareed Zakaria
August 10 at 7:48 PM

How did we get here? Why does it appear that we’re on the brink of a war in Asia, one that could involve nuclear weapons? North Korea has had nuclear-weapons capacity for at least 10 years. Have its recent advances been so dramatic and significant to force the United States to wage a preventive war? No. The crisis we now find ourselves in has been exaggerated and mishandled by the Trump administration to a degree that is deeply worrying and dangerous.

... In the early months of President Trump’s administration, before there could possibly have been a serious policy review, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned that the era of strategic patience with North Korea was over. Last week, national security adviser H.R. McMaster said that North Korea’s potential to hit the United States with nuclear weapons was an “intolerable” threat. Not North Korea’s use of weapons, mind you; just the potential ...

Is this credible? No. The United States is not going to launch a preventive nuclear war in Asia. Trump’s comments have undoubtedly rattled Washington’s closest allies in the region, Japan and South Korea. Empty threats and loose rhetoric only cheapen American prestige and power, boxing in the administration.

So why do it? Because it’s Trump’s basic mode of action. For his entire life, Trump has made grandiose promises and ominous threats — and rarely delivered on any. When he was in business, Reuters found, he frequently threatened to sue news organizations for libel, but the last time he followed through was 33 years ago, in 1984. Trump says that he never settles cases out of court. In fact, he has settled at least 100 times ...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/trump-has-been-making-ominous-threats-his-whole-life/2017/08/10/68e69646-7e0d-11e7-9d08-b79f191668ed_story.html?utm_term=.50384559ddfc

[elleng]

1. 'For his entire life, Trump has made grandiose promises

and ominous threats — and rarely delivered on any.'

[Warpy]

2. He's always been a spiteful old bastard, though

and boasts about things like emptying a glass of red wine down the dress of a reporter who wrote an article critical of him.

The only reason he was willing to sell the country out to cheat his way into the presidency was to spite Obama. He has no interest in the job, at all.

[BigmanPigman]

3. Yes, to spite Obama and as a publicity stunt.