-Source: BBC News, Getty Images-
We've all seen this story before: North Korea's wants nuclear weapons, the United Nations, led by the United States, says "nuh uh," and imposes sanctions, the North Koreans puff out their chest for a while but eventually step back to the negotiating table. Just a whole lot of sabre-rattling and chest-beating bravado by the U.S. and North Korea, but at the end of the story both sides decide to put the sabres down and return to mutually seething at one another until North Korea decides to test fire another missile and send it crashing into the seas around Japan and South Korea, thus repeating the cycle.
But 2017 has been a year for bucking trends and this scenario, unfortunately for the rest of us, is looking to join in on it.
For starters, Trump's promise of "fire and fury" if North Korea continued to threaten the United States was a shock. The crisis with North Korea has been dragging on for the last month or so with just a whole lot more sabre-rattling, but the President's most recent comments have brought everything into a new, more dangerous dimension. Couple this with North Korea considering strikes on the Pacific island of Guam in response, Kim-Jong-un and Donald Trump have ceased the chest-beating and started a, more sinister game.
While on the surface simply being a war of words between the two leaders, in reality it can better described as a game of Chicken. In theory the game itself is fairly simple; two people running at one another until they either collide with one other or one of them, or even both of them, flinch and step aside, avoiding contact. The current war of words between Trump and Kim has got an air of the game in it. The only problem with is that nuclear weapons are on the cards, and they're seemingly careening towards one another at light-speed pace, potentially putting the lives of millions at risk.
Under past administrations, the United States have played the roll of a nation that spoke ever-so softly, while caring a big stick all the while, gently but sternly reminding the North Koreans behind closed doors that if it came to war, North Korea's regime would be finished in a matter weeks, maybe even days. Under Trump however, the rhetoric has changed; the U.S. still has the biggest stick between the two, but instead of talking softly, they're now creating a cacophony of noise, making it clear that if North Korea failed to back down and cease their nuclear armaments program, the proverbial gates of Hell would be opened upon them. In effect, Trump is hoping to intimidate the North Koreans into submission with his recent comments.
There's only one problem with this line of thinking; the North Koreans aren't backing down. The regime's response to President Trump's warning clearly shows that they have no intention of doing so. The regime is prepared to put millions of people around the Pacific at risk to safeguard itself, even if the attempt would lead to national suicide.
So what of the spectators surrounding this nuclear standoff? Russia's top diplomat, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, has emphasized, along with China, that there needs to be dialogue between the United States and its allies and and the North. He added North Korea's threats of a "physical" response to sanctions were normal of the regime, as a way to try and sway those voting on the approval of sanctions. China continues to preach calm, knowing full well that any nuclear strike of North Korea would affect the country's neighboring provinces. South Korea and Japan are well aware of this as well, and would prefer a non-nuclear response to North Korean provocation.
So will the world see the first use of nuclear weapons in an armed conflict in over seventy years? Hard to say at this point, but if this game of Chicken continues, it will be at the cost millions of lives with little gained. Lets just hope one them veers off course.