George F. Kennan knew that atom warfare was the greatest peril we face. He knew what it meant that Russia and America were atomic powers and cruising for a bruising. He dispensed wise wisdom that was heard by fewer and fewer people until he left the world as one of the truly wise men of his time.

Google him and spend a day. You will thank me.

An imaginary peace

Trump wanted to create a magic peace in the 1980s. He made overtures to the Kremlin in the dying Soviet Union. As grandiose as Putin, Trump thought he could achieve peace in a half-hour talk.

All of his Russia talk for the last few years has that as a backstory, but it has largely been ignored. The fact is he is not wrong in his impulse. The biggest danger is afoot and it all goes back to Kennan's warning.

Expansionism is the doom of all empires

I have generalized. Expansion is the doom of the Soviet Union aka Russia. I use the dead name because Putin wants to regain the respect Russia had when people saw it as equal to the USA.

Kennan saw the danger and deserves a hearing today

The answer is that Putin wants to go back to greatness with the same obtuse bull-headedness that Trump does.

Which means that Trump's 1980s dream of peace was naive then, just as it is naive now. The problem is that conflict is suicidal. So the answer internationally is the same as it is here. Compromise, bipartisanship and leveling the playing field.

Time will tell who was wrong if there is anyone left to hear

Today's news analysis which is prominently featured in the New York Times seems happy that Trump's hands are now tied.

We have no idea what might be the outcome of Trump-Putin dealings, but to suggest we are not in a game of immense danger is as naive as Donald Trump ever was.

For this installment of End Game

Usually, I offer reasons for being done with Trump. Since the trump-haters are legion, I doubt that my articles are more than a sort of cyber-fish wrapping.

But I am enough of a dreamer to wonder if there is any fate that might justify Donald Trump as being more than the author of cruelty and harm. I am certainly not about to defend his befriending of Duterte and Putin and Erdogan.

But peace is the casualty of sanctions unlimited

There is a limit to sanctions. At some point, there needs to be face to face talks based on a willingness to compromise. Compromise is not different than deal making. I have already concluded that the North Korea problem will not easily vanish in the face of more and more sanctions. So too with Russia.
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