This past June, U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held a historic summit in Singapore that seemed to successfully remove the looming threat of conflict between the two countries (see "Can North Korea Be Trusted?"). Yet many observers still questioned what this act of diplomacy (the conducting of relations between nations) really added up to. Kim promised to “work towards complete denuclearization.” But critics pointed out that North Korea had made similar promises to three U.S. presidents—Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama—only to break every one.
This cartoon mixes three meanings of summit—the top of a mountain, the greatest achievement, and a meeting between heads of government—to make a similar point. Study it, then answer the questions.
1. What is happening in this cartoon?
2. How is this summit labeled? Why are the flags significant?
3. What appears to be Trump’s reaction to reaching the top?
4. What point do you think the cartoon is making?