We need world's help to fight N. Korea

    Sometimes, I really hate it when I'm right. Six months ago, when Donald Trump was inaugurated, I predicted that he would get us in a nuclear confrontation within six months. It took slightly longer, but it gives me no pleasure to report that this confrontation appears to be imminent.
   On Tuesday, The Washington Post reported that North Korea has now developed a nuclear device small enough to be placed in a missile. Combine this alarming news with recent reports that North Korea has now developed a missile capable of striking the mainland of the United Sates, and everyone should be very, very nervous. True to form, Trump reacted like the school-yard bully he is and threatened to rain "fire and fury" down on North Korea. For its part, North Korea has threatened to strike Guam with a missile. A couple thoughts:
   This is a time when we need a thoughtful, measured response. Instead, we're stuck with a school-yard bully, a man-child with access to this nation's nuclear codes and no idea what he's doing. This is no time for the "cowboy diplomacy" made famous by George "Dubya" Bush. This is a time when we need to be leaning on our allies. The question is, how many allies do we really have left?
   One of the worst things Trump has done since taking power is to alienate many of our traditional allies. He's insulted them. He's failed to affirm that we stand with them (this one is specific to NATO). He's shown himself to be utterly ignorant of world affairs and our role in them. He has withdrawn us from some key treaties and wants to renegotiate some key trade agreements. He has, in effect, moved to isolate us from the rest of the world. So how can we now expect those allies to come to our defense when Trump has basically provoked this confrontation with North Korea with his thoughtless schoolyard taunts?
   Remember the fist Gulf War? That war was successful largely because we had the world on our side when confronting Saddam Hussein. After 9/11, we had the goodwill and support of the entire world. And while the younger Bush was reckless with his talk of being "with us or against us," even he knew how far he could push things. Even he managed to build a coalition, even if it wasn't as solid or as big as the one built by his father.
   Unfortunately, Trump knows no such boundaries. He honestly believes that we can win this battle through our military might alone. In his mind, we don't need the rest of the world. That is a very dangerous mindset. While it is true that we are the world's sole remaining superpower, it's also true that we can't win this battle alone. Our confrontation with North Korea will ultimately affect the rest of the world. And we need the world's help if we are to have any hope of containing this growing threat. We can only hope that Trump's ignorance and ham-handed foreign policy haven't made that impossible.

GOP has lost moral high ground on Trump

Recently, it's become apparent that many Republicans are beginning to have "buyer's remorse" when it comes to Donald Trump. They are beginning to realize too late that Trump is racist and incompetent, and that he really doesn't know what he's doing. Many now are beginning to seek safe political cover. To those people, I say, tough. You made your bed. Now, you have to lie in it and accept the consequaences of your inaction.
   Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona is the latest in a growing number of Republicans who are beginning to speak out against Trump. Recently,  Flake penned an op-ed piece in Politico, in which he argued that the GOP is in denial about Trump. Add to that some recent actions in the Senate, including passing tough new sanctions against Russia (opposed by Trump), acting to make sure Trump doesn't fire Special Counsel Robert Mueller and the failure of Senate Republicans to repeal Obamacare, and it's clear that Republicans are starting to realize what a grave mistake they made in nominating Trump last summer. Good. Better late than never, I suppose. But the question remains: Where were these people six months ago? Where were they on Jan. 20, when we swore in the most incompetent president in American history?
   It's encouraging to see that Republicans are finally coming to their senses. Maybe they will finally give up their love affair with the extreme right and move back toward the political middle, where the majority of Americans reside. But let's be clear. Republicans have no right to claim any kind of moral high ground in all this. After all, you can't embrace a loudmouth, xenophobic racist like Trump and claim any kind of moral high ground. You can't knowingly embrace his blazing incompetence -- something that was blindingly obvious to anyone who was paying attention during the campaign -- then claim that you were duped or otherwise misled. Republicans knew exactly what they were getting in Trump. They simply didn't care. They were so determined to beat Hillary Clinton, so blinded by their hatred of her and her husband, that they were willing to make a deal with the devil (in a manner of speaking). And now, they are reaping what they have sown, and they're trying to protect themselves.
    Voters shouldn't let them get away with it. In 2018, they should sweep the Republicans out of power and return Congress to Democrratic control. Then, we should get serious about impeaching Trump for colluding with Russia and general incompetence and put our government back in the hands of competent adults. It's not too late to right the ship of state. We have a chance to put an end to this nightmare. The question is, do we have the will?