U.N. chief puts the world on "red alert;'" Kim "open to dialogue" . . . And Trump???

For his end of the year message to the world, the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres had grim warnings:

"When I took office a year ago, I appealed for 2017 to be a year for peace.   Unfortunately, in fundamental ways, the world has gone in reverse. . . . Global anxieties over nuclear weapons are the highest since the Cold War, and climate change is moving faster than we are.  Inequalities are growing, and we see horrific violations of human rights.  Nationalism and xenophobia are on the rise."

In facing these challenges, Guterres said he was "not issuing an appeal" but a "red alert for our world."   Only by international unity and cooperation, he said, could we solve these many crises.

As further reported by HuffPost's Dominique Mosbergen, Guterres continued:
"I truly believe we can make our world more safe and secure.  We can settle conflicts, overcome hatred and defend shared values but we can only do that together.  I urge leaders everywhere to make this New Year's resolution:  Narrow the gaps.  Bridge the divides.  Rebuild trust by bringing people together around common goals.  Unity is the path.  Our future depends on it."

Hours after Guterres' speech, North Korea's Kim Jong Un gave his New Year's speech, in which he spoke of his nuclear capability:

"The entire United States is within range of our nucleasr weapons, and a nuclear button is always on my desk.   This is reality, not a threat," he said, adding that he was "open to dialogue" with South Korea and emphasizing that "these weapons will be used only if our security is threatened."

Of course, we don't know what is going on in back channels, but it does seem that Kim has put the ball in Trump's court.   It's up to him to stop the war rhetoric and move forward with diplomacy, which must abandon, I believe, Trump's belligerent demand that North Korea must give up its nuclear weapons before we will even sit down at the table to begin talks.

Kim is never going to do that voluntarily.  He has proved before that he will let his people starve before giving in to the West's demand to give up what he considers essential to his nation's survival.   He -- and the regime before him -- have so trained the people to accept their leader unquestioningly that it's unlikely they would rebel.

A major factor in Kim's motive is to be accepted and respected among world leaders.  He now has what he thinks is his ticket into that club -- nuclear weapons which can threaten the United States -- giving him and his country some greater sense of security.   I personally do not see the harm in beginning to talk -- now, without the precondition that he give those up, just as Sec. of State Tillerson recently suggested, before his boss contradicted him and forced him to adopt stronger language.

Trump needs to learn that this is not a real estate deal.  It involves millions of lives, untold costs in property and progress.  Let's take the path of peace.

But Guterres' message was not only about nuclear weapons and North Korea.  He included other global dangers:   climate change, growing inequalities, horrific human rights violations, and the effects of increasing nationalism and xenophobia.   The U.S. used to lead the world in addressing these issues.   Under Trump, have we abandoned that leadership?  I'm afraid the answer is yes.

Donald Trump was too busy with his lavish party at Mar-a-Lago for a serious response to the messages from Guteres and Kim Jong Un.  Perhaps his offhand "We'll see," to reporters' questions, was better than anything else he might have said."     So . . . "we'll see," which gives advisers some time to try to calm, contain, and shape his response.

I hope at least some of his advisers are floating to Trump the idea that coming to an agreement on containing North Korea's nuclear program -- rather than a military showdown -- might bring him personally more honor than belligerent rhetoric that sounds tough, but can really go nowhere, except unthinkable war.

A president Trump, peacefully bringing North Korea into the circle of nuclear powers, with all the obligatory inspections and controls?  Now that could make history in a good way.   It could even appeal enough to his narcissism that, if handled right, might enlist his cooperation.

Ralph