Barry Soper in Singapore
Put yourself in Kim Jong Un’s shoes. He’s in Singapore, one of the more vibrant cities in Asia, glitz and glamour, a technology tinsel town.
This 34-year-old’s been out of his hermit state only three times since taking over as leader from his dad seven years ago as a 27-year-old.
He has a paranoid hold on power; anyone posing a threat, like his uncle, or his half-brother, is taken out.
He’s spent his time in office building up the power that he clearly believes will keep him there — nuclear weapons. While he’s got those he’s got flabby muscle to flex.
The man who’s got more flab than muscle with the exception of the one which exercises his tongue, Donald Trump, will be flapping it this morning telling the third-generation leader of the Kim dynasty to get rid his nuclear arsenal.
Essentially because Trump wants them all for himself, although in fairness the nuclear code in the American President’s hand makes you feel a little safer than if Kim had his finger poised over the button.
So the two leaders have spent the past 24 hours holed up in their presidential suites, costing close to an average New Zealand wage for a night’s stay, at hotels around the corner from each other.
Television cameras line the footpaths opposite both hotels and at other intersections in the area and roads are blocked off in what they call the security zones.
This summit, which could be as short as a one-sided boxing match, is costing the Singaporean Government around $20 million, with most of it going on security and keeping the 3000 journalists here to cover it in place.
It’s been described as one of the most unusual meetings in modern history or a meeting of the mindless, with neither man doing much to instil confidence that the world will be a better place at the end of it.
Trump was in a flowery mood just before arriving in the island state. He was on a peace mission, carrying in his heart the hearts of millions all over the world.
It could be a one-round knockout with the US President switching tack saying he’s not going to waste his time. He says he’ll know within minutes whether Kim’s serious about the nuclear negotiations.
It’s hard to tell what these two men could have in common in a personal sense, one a hermit and one who if he had any more belief in himself would implode.
But there is one thing that they do have in common and that’s in equal proportions — an ego. Putting one up against the other, the only way to send them both away happy is to have a win-win. Unfortunately on this one a loser looks unavoidable.