Peter Van Buren returns to the show to discuss Donald Trump’s decision to meet with Kim Jung-Un to open relations between the United States and North Korea. Van Buren explains why he thinks this is a monumental decision and why there’s real reason for (cautious) optimism and wonders whether this could be Trump’s Nixon-goes-to-China moment. Van Buren then addresses the number one issue on the table: is North Korea actually willing to discuss giving up their nuclear weapons? Van Buren gives a detailed look behind the curtain into the process and workings of the state department and his former colleagues in Seoul, South Korea. Scott and Van Buren then discuss the pitfalls of the Bush and Obama administrations’ approach to diplomacy with North Korea. And before he signs off Van Buren tells Scott why he thinks more is being made out of Russia’s newest nuclear weapons than is really there.

Peter Van Buren worked for 24 years at the Department of State including a year in Iraq. He is the author of “We Meant Well: How I Helped Lose the Battle for the Hearts and Minds of the Iraqi People” and the novel “Hooper’s War.” He is now a contributing editor at The American Conservative magazine. Follow him on Twitter @WeMeantWell.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Zen Cash, The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc.; LibertyStickers.com; TheBumperSticker.com; and ExpandDesigns.com/Scott.

Check out Scott’s Patreon page.

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