That old saying “it takes one to know one” usually holds true in most scenarios, including international diplomacy.
And when dealing with the loose-cannon maniacal leader of North Korea, no one seems to be able to get through quite as well as equally insane professional basketball player Dennis “The Worm” Rodman.
Say what you will about the eccentricities of the idiosyncratic NBA star, but he seems to have North Korean President Kim Jong-un’s undivided attention and favor, which is more than can be said for most professional diplomats.
And no sooner had Rodman shown up in Pyongyang earlier this week to pay a visit to his bosom buddy Kim, then the autocratic North Korean leader decided to release U.S. university student Otto Warmbier after 17 months in prison, albeit in less-than-acceptable condition. (Hey, Kim, no one is buying your convoluted tale of botulism and a sleeping pill.)
Of course, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has flatly denied that Rodman’s visit in any way influenced the release of Warmbier, but, then, when have politicians and diplomats been known for their forthcomingness?
The NBA giant has also denied that his visit’s coinciding with the Ohio student’s repatriation was anything but a happenstance.
And such denials, if they help Kim to save face with his people and possibly open the door for further rapprochement between the United States and North Korea, are certainly to be tolerated.
The important thing is that Rodman has Kim’s ear, and since there are three additional U.S. citizens still being held in North Korean prisons (not to mention thousands of innocent North Koreans), if the basketball great can worm his way into the heart and mind of a star-struck autocrat, why not let him do so?
Considering Kim’s toy chest of nuclear warheads, any distraction for the North Korean leader — even a mock basketball game with his favorite athlete — is a plus for the civilized world, and could — at least temporarily — keep him busy shooting hoops instead of ballistic missiles at his neighbors.
Thérèse Margolis can be reached at therese.margolis@gmail.com.