The NYT Editorial: “North Korea Has Put the Ball in Trump’s Court” March 6, 2018 is typical NYT negative opinion writing when Mr. Trump is the story.. We know from objective news analysis that 91% of Mr. Trump’s coverage by the main stream media is negative. The Times continues that trend in this opinion piece with a very misleading headline. Most unbiased observers would state that a it was Mr. Trump’s policies which forced the North Koreans to pick up the ball put it into play.
Read on into the piece and discover that the Times actually does report the basic facts. But they do not clearly state that it was Mr. Trump’s outstanding achievement of forcing the North Korean regime to the table using unprecedented sanctions, threats, saber rattling, tweets and hard nosed diplomacy with the Chinese, South Koreans and the Russians. These efforts of Mr. Trump were the motivation for more serious talks by the North. Mr. Trump’s bluster and threats clearly forced the hand of the South Koreans, who during and after the Winter Olympic Games held serious talks with Mr. Kim Young Un for the very first time. Their efforts have been reported to indicate that Mr. Un is now willing to discuss “denuclearization” with Mr. Trump in serious talks. If true this could be a turning point in the long, sad, disappointing history between the US and North Korea. President Trump deserves praise for his steadfastness and efforts.
But the Times simply can not give credit where credit is due. They have encased their understated approval of Mr. Trump’s achievement (we are all still uncertain of the actual outcome of these efforts by the South Koreans) with a veneer of snide asides, negativism, and innuendo so (perhaps) they could state the bare facts of Trump’s achievement and still keep their hard core Trump-hating readership with partisan misconceptions of President # 45 intact and in error.
This policy clearly reinforces the perception that The NY Times can not report facts or opine on Mr. Trump without negative jibes and dissimulation. This NYT editorial policy neither serves the truth, a peaceful resolution of the Korean situation, the national interest of all American citizenry, or the NYT reputation as an honest broadsheet.
For the rest of us who attempt to make more of an effort to see Mr. Trump and the rest of the world without a jaundiced eye, try to imagine the following: The time is two years ago...and Mr. Obama is sitting in the Oval Office, imagine what the blaring headline would have been under the same circumstances. “Mr. Obama’s Sterling Diplomacy, Toughness and Determination has forced the North Koreans to the Bargaining Table!” Substitute “Mr. Trump” for “Mr. Obama” and that’s what the Time’s headline should have been.
That will never be the case for Mr. Trump— the outsider and Populist. Yet his accomplishments, in the case of a truly existential threat posed by the North Koreans, fully deserves our praise and a valid, honest encomium.
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