Millennials, you don’t know what you don’t know: The North Korea summit edition
In the last 24 hours, social media has suddenly been inundated with 20-year-old “academics” and “pundits” opining about the historic North Korea summit between President Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.
Most of them are debating the unpreparedness of the Trump administration upon arrival to the summit, and how Trump’s foreign policy approach is ultimately detrimental to the world. Some young critics claim Trump can’t win no matter what the outcome.
I’m here to tell you that you don’t know what you don’t know.
Your average Twitter foreign policy savant has likely never traveled outside of North America, but claims the status of a foreign policy expert. Their expertise was likely developed after a few hours of reading BuzzFeed. In reality, most commenting on this historic moment do not know the first thing about the Korean Peninsula and its history.
Let me clarify: I, by no means, claim to be an expert on the matter, but I know for certain that reading a few articles from Monday's paper doesn't suffice. Be informed and engage in a constructive dialogue, but don't cling to talking points, sensationalized headlines and one-liners. Regurgitating CNN’s talking points and basing one’s foreign policy “expertise” on one’s study abroad in Europe hardly makes you an international expert.
As the largest growing voting bloc in the United States, the millennial response to Trump’s summit with Kim should be a cause for alarm. Many young Americans lack faith in Trump, claiming his “methods are harsh, his rhetoric is unconventional at best and reckless at worst, and his ideas are controversial even among his own party.”
But what many young Americans don’t recognize is that Trump is the president. A simple concept, yes, but by relishing in the possible failure of Trump and his performance during the North Korea summit, millennials are relishing in the possible failure of the country.
The stakes for the summit are high and a genuine breakthrough could rewrite the geopolitical script for Northeast Asia. Anyone who is unable to recognize the historic achievement of Trump and his administration is simply disingenuous. It brings to light the shocking revelation of the mainstream media’s impression on young people that pundits can opine that progress has not been made toward denuclearization above the 38th parallel. Even the mere proposition of a summit was history being made.
History is being made and millennials are watching it unfold. Let’s appreciate living in this moment instead of criticizing without firsthand knowledge.
https:// www.washingtonexaminer.com/red-alert-politics/millennials-trump-kim-summit-history