Cigarette diplomacy: a potential path to world peace [Editor's Opinion]

The late US secretary of state, General Colin Powell, said this about diplomacy, "Diplomacy is listening to what the other guy needs. Preserving your own position, but listening to the other guy. You have to develop relationships with other people so when the tough times come, you can work together."

Several years ago: I went to check out a friend.

At the time, he sold foods and beverages. So, I pulled up a chair and bought a beverage, non-alcoholic (seriously).

Anyway, while we there shooting the breeze a couple of north Korean military personnel joined us. These guys, the north Koreans, were an insular group that were seen, but rarely heard.

Until then.

My friend was smoking and the two north Koreans asked for a drag of his smoke. Before long, we all sat there like long lost friends. Our words lost in translation but our camaraderie flowing like North Korean crocodile tears when Kim Jong Il died a few years ago.

That's when it hit me.

Anyone who has ever smoked a joint or a cigarette can attest to this: smokers the world over share an unbreakable kinship.

They trust each other, almost like a fellowship of the damned.

So I am thinking, beyond North Korea's nuclear sabre rattling, that maybe what they need is a cigarette break. Thus, in the name of world peace, the world should risk its health temporarily and share a cigarette with the pariah state.

We could call it cigarette diplomacy.

After a few drags, knee-slapping laughter would replace hard-faced staring duels. And some kind of civility would preface civilized engagement. This would lead to a safer world, more global democracy and possibly better North Korean movies (I know, I another long shot).

Or maybe there was alcohol in my beverage that day.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of Pulse as its publisher.