North Korea is a small, failed state. There is no other country that brings so little credibility and value to the negotiating table. Yet the regime has for 70 years seized an unparalleled advantage in manipulating a cycle of crisis and negotiation that strengthens its control over its own people and gives it an undeserved place of influence in world events. Despite the enthusiasm surrounding next week's summit, there are reasons to believe that North Korea's regime has not changed its ways, and the summit will not succeed.
Repeatedly, for example, in 2000, 2007 and now 2018, North Korea's mastery of the process of crisis and negotiation has brought some of the regime's hardened thugs to New York and Washington where the leaders of history's most powerful democracy implore them to change their behavior. Each time, the North Koreans have spoken of their willingness to promote change and their wish for a better relationship with the United States. Our consistent reaction has been to try to shape a package of benefits that we think should guarantee the success of the talks, and we are then surprised when it doesn't.
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