The danger of war rhetoric

In some respects Donald Trump and Kim Jong un are as bad as each other, mouthing off warnings and war rhetoric like two schoolyard bullies. It was only a few days ago that Rex Tillerson, the US secretary of state, was telling North Korea, indirectly, that the US was not its enemy. Well it sure as hell is now! Threatening to hit North Korea with fire and fury is a new version of America's shock-and-awe against Saddam Hussein. Was it sensible to be so belligerent? Well, Kim soon came back to say he was now thinking of attacking Guam. These two gentlemen should slow down and start thinking of avoiding war, not inviting it. Rhetoric has always played a key part in warfare, there was tons of it during the Cold War, but the mutual assured destruction policies of the US and the Soviet Union managed to stop either from pessing the nuclear button. But this is a different set of circumstances. We have a superpower with superpower weapons and an unstable, dangerously volatile, deterrent-dismissing country that likes to think of itself as fighting for its survival. Anything could happen, and that is irresponsibly dangerous. Tillerson should get in on the act with more force and persuasion and character. Stop this rhetorical gamble with all of our lives, but especially with the lives of the millions living in the Asia-Pacific region. Calm down!!!