Matthew Continetti, editor-in-chief of The Washington Free Beacon, said the upcoming Singapore summit should not obscure the evil reality of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
"What Kim Jong Un is, is a monster," Continetti wrote in a column for the Free Beacon on Friday. "And that monstrousness informs his statecraft. It influences the means he adopts to remain in power. It leads him to deceive, dissemble, brutalize. And build a nuclear deterrent.
"Singapore is an opportunity for (President Donald) Trump to size up an adversary. At best it will inspire Kim to take verifiable steps towards disarmament. At worst, it will send the sort of mixed signal that has led to disaster.
"But as you watch the proceedings, do not allow the following to happen: Do not permit the smiles and handshakes to obscure the evil reality of Kim Jong Un — or the memory of his victims."
Continetti urged people not to forget who Kim really is.
"Let's remind ourselves of whom, exactly, President Trump plans to meet next week," he said. "For Kim Jong Un is no ordinary man. The Dear Leader occupies the summit of a hierarchical system of some 25 million people whose lives are controlled by his central government in Pyongyang."
And he claimed Kim has given no indication that he recognizes "the dignity and worth of human life."
Continetti questioned why Kim would denuclearize.
"Why would he trade it away?" he said. "Maybe for reassurance — but such pledges can be reversed at a moment's notice. Maybe for a lot of dough — though he always could turn the missile machine back on when and if the money disappeared. Maybe because he felt backed into a corner — but who knows what China, Russia, and Syria have been whispering in his ear."
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