Long sentences in prisons under harsh conditions and without any real effort at rehabilitation came into fashion in the 80's and 90's as Republicans succeeded in associating crime with race. Witness the Willy Horton ad run by the first George Bush. Lock 'em up and throw away the key, was and remains, among the reactionaries appinted by Trump, the guiding principle. In their world, the only proper response to crime is brute force.

america has figured it out, just follow the money. privatized military and privatized incarceration interests are among the nations top political donors.

ikeberltersen: Yes, when it comes to profiteering from war matériel and the resulting warfare, all other considerations (say, human life) are inconsequential.

ErinRose: Hah! Thanks for the correction. Yeah, inflation marches on. An old saying correlates an ounce of gold to the price of a good suit, no matter what age in history it is purchased; of course, in the circle of power elites, good is never good enough.

Diane: Sorry, ain't buying your rewrite of history.

Although every president has failed to rein in North Korea's nuclear weapon program to one degree or another, at least Bill Clinton's efforts brought the world together in dealing with this paranoid regime and succeeded in slowing their program almost to a halt -- the most successful effort so far. The world breathed a collective sigh of relief. Sure, it was far from perfect, but it was a new beginning that showed real promise in an extremely difficult and complicated relationship that stretches back to WWII -- if the original agreement was allowed to evolve further in holding the regime's feet to the fire.

Then along came the Village Idiot and his "Axis of Evil" speech in 2002, which, along with other idle threats, over-the-top speechifying, and ineffective aggressions, which directly resulted in North Korea breaking off the agreement, kicking out the inspectors, and exiting the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty. It was under the Village Idiot's wise tutelage -- not Bubba's -- that their program shed all constraints and began churning out nuclear bombs as fast as they could.

Though your humor is appreciated, an old sitcom is not the best place to seek advice. Sooo... what exactly, pray tell, would President Diane (shutter) do to "nip it in the bud"??? Enquiring minds want to know.

http://clevefurnbank.org/the-reagan-era-invasion-that-drove-north-korea-to-develop-nuclear-weapons.html

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/features/timeline-of-the-north-korean-nuclear-threat-w496701

#deepspace: (No. 14) Well said! (One correction, though, it's FIVE thousand dollar suits, and one thousand dollar pairs of shoes.)

I actually think the "Better Deal" is a terrible slogan. Not only does it imply we are all just working stiffs with no real power it also ignores the millions of us who are independent business people or working in the "gig" economy. I am no longer donating to DNCC. I am only supporting smart candidates who promote Green Energy, Healthcare for all, Pro-Choice, and Social Justice. I think we really need a Green New Deal. Thanks Thom.

If Clinton considered the matter resolved, then why did he insist on international inspectors? The same inspectors that Bush thought we could do without!

When Bush nixed the Clinton deal, that resulted in the removal of the inspectors.

@#25

I provided no viral images as none were needed. Just Bill Clintons speech to the American public on the matter that he considered resolved.

"Today, after 16 months of intense and difficult negotiations with North Korea, we have completed an agreement that will make the United States, the Korean Peninsula, and the world safer. Under the agreement, North Korea has agreed to freeze its existing nuclear program and to accept international inspection of all existing facilities. "

Your bringing GW Bush into it a decade later is comical. Aren't leftie/socialists the party of trust, no inspectors needed. I thought inspections was the job of the leftie loved UN.

The reason he's the number one threat to the global community is that he's willfully ignorant. He has no intrest in learning anything that doesn't benefit him financially. The American government cannot be run as a business and even if it could it should not be run by a man who has been so financialy irressposible for the majority of his adult life. Kim jung un is a threat that much is true however his threat cannot be nuetralized by essentially eradicating a region of the planet. Cobra Commander er. I mean Trump knows nothing of diplomacy and unfortunatly he's too stubborn to admit that he doesn't or to take the advice of the people who do know because it would further tarnish his already inept presidency

Perhaps we should not have followed the 1994 Bill Clinton solution to dealing with the North Korean threat, we will give you free stuff if you guys promise not to pursue nuclear weapons. Barney Fife may have taken the wiser approach.

A refresher course for the boreass woman hater.

http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=49319&st=north+korea&st1

http://www.nytimes.com/1994/10/19/world/clinton-approves-a-plan-to-give-...

AS TS Eliot wrote: This is the way the world ends... not with a bang, but with a whimper... or should that be revised to read "..... but with a whiner" seems fair as little Donnie frets over his penis size. We have come a long way from Clinton's "oral office" to Trump's bathroom where he ponders his penis size in competition with Putin's. Trump is truly "pubic enemy no 1" and if he is successful in getting us in another world war, public enemy no 1.