So supposedly the Dear Leader died Saturday morning, and it took state television until Sunday night to announce it. Why the delay? I suspect it may be that it took the newsreader that long to rehearse making the announcement while sounding grief-stricken.
Why would I suggest that she, and the hundreds of other North Koreans we’ve seen exhibiting ridiculous, over-the-top grief behavior could be faking it?
Because the alternative doesn’t bear thinking about: The idea that a whole country, and one with nuclear weapons, could be this emotionally messed up.
I mean, look at the guy. And review anything you know about him, starting with the way he has kept in country in a perpetual dark age (literally dark in the sense that it is so primitive, it stands out from space at night because of the lack of electric lights). For years, the Chinese have been pressing him to follow their model — continued political oppression, but increased wealth for citizens — but he and his regime said “no dice.” He preferred for his people to suffer in every way.
And again, as I said look at the guy. What a loser. Sure, we westerners may be superficial, with our penchant for electing people who are taller and have good hair, but this is ridiculous. No self-respecting free country would ever elect a guy who looks like this. Far as I’m concerned, The Economist famously said it all several years ago, with its best cover ever.
Basically, this was a guy with no redeeming characteristics whatsoever. Or if he had any, he kept them carefully hidden.
If the grief is sincere, then this is the most extreme mass case of Stockholm Syndrome ever. And that’s troubling.
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I think your attempt at snarkiness goes right up to the line of racism. I sure hope your comments on his looks were meant to be humorous.
Abe Lincoln probably didn’t spend much time looking in mirrors.
And it’s funny how we let North Korea basically do whatever they want to do but rattle our sabres at Iran because, well, we need their oil and have to meddle in Israel’s business.
Actually, it’s not funny at all. We’re extra careful with N. Korea because, as threatening as Iran may be, N.K. has it’s unstable finger on a hair-trigger ready to unleash hell and destruction upon South Korea at a second’s notice.
And I did not “attempt” snarkiness. I nailed it. But to suggest anything racial in it is absurd. There are plenty of good-looking Koreans — just look at them in the video. They may be suffering a mass delusion, but many of them are quite nice looking. And some Koreans are, of course, total babes. But Kim Jong Il was a geek by any culture’s standards.
Do you use appearance as a factor in your assessment of people you work for and with?
Do you use appearance as a factor in endorsing political candidates?
You think McCain was a handsome devil?
I think “emotionally messed up” is closer to the mark. Remember that the vast majority of Koreans have no memory of any other kind of government other than what they have had…and it’s the classic “cult of personality” at work. Only an infinitesimally tiny number of people in that country have any idea that they even ARE suffering relative to most of the rest of the world, much less to what degree they are doing so.
And in a country of 25 million people with something like the 5th biggest army in the world, I’m not completely convinced even by these televised scenes (which mostly seem to be urban, and comprised of many military, students, and perhaps many others with a more “middle-class” stake in the system) that this grief is necessarily being replicated in every village in North Korea. But even if it is, it wouldn’t be that surprising, man has shown himself capable of this kind of “mass hypnosis” over and over again in history. It’s not really Stockholm Syndrome because there never was a “normal” for the North Korean people to be “kidnapped from,” to follow the metaphor.
But these emotionally overwrought civilians you see on TV are not the ones controlling the nuclear weapons. Those are still controlled by the elite power structure, which while certainly insular by Western standards, is much more attuned (via the access to information they deny others) to at least some of what is going on in the world around them. The question of instability within that power structure is the big worry, but that’s got little to do with the wailing and gnashing of teeth in the videos.
…in my second sentence above I meant to say “North” Koreans, of course.
Is the word “Lost” a subtle hint that the North Korean people are a “Lost” cause?
Doug is mostly right on this, Iran has oil AND threatens Isreal. Other than that the two nations are run by equally kooky leaders.
The beatings will continue until morale improves.
Such an outpouring of emotion for a malevolent dictator.
The idea that a whole country, and one with nuclear weapons, could be this emotionally messed up.
-Brad
I’ve seen some speculation recently that suggests Newt Gingrich may actually have a mental disorder. Not in the sense that we tend to find politicians “crazy” but in an actual clinical sense he has some type of delusional disorder. It would explain his recent comments that court justices should be brought before congress, by force if necessary, to explain rulings that are “objectionable”.
Not only do I agree with Phillip (the Stockholm Syndrome is a brilliant call), which is “dog bites man,” but I agree with Doug, too. Look, Nikki Haley looks great on camera, as does Sarah Palin, Rick Perry, etc. What the heck does that have to do with anything?
@bud–yes, Brad posted a piece a week or so ago,
prompted by a piece in Slate, that suggests that Newt Gingrich is indeed bipolar or at least hypomanic.
And if you look into Newt’s history, you will find he as much a geek as Kim. Space nut, big sci fi fan… And in the looks department he runs a distant 6th in this race. And I would bet he would have the itchiest trigger finger. Kim Jong Newt…
The missile launching was intended to prove very quickly that Kim Jong Eun now manages DPRK’s military.
Among young Jong Eun’s next orders of dictatorship, unfortunately, must be some public executions to diminish any hope of improved human rights.
Finally, following the playbook Kim Jong Il left for him, Jong Eun must soon convince the world that he is a nuclear loose cannon as dangerous as his dad. This will have to be done within 12 months for several reasons.
Bud, did our constitution not intend to protect citizens by investing specific powers in three theoretically separate branches of federal government?
What makes people think Newt “has some type of delusional disorder”? His prescription makes sense to some of us.
The three branches of federal government have been demonstrably corrupted by conflicts of interest thanks to the public’s unthoughtful belief that 2% of the U.S. workforce (lawyers) does or even can effectively represent the majority:
Judiciary (100% lawyers), Senate (60%) House (35-40%), and the Executive (President, VP and cabinet 65%).
By the way, HuffPost has compiled what it regards as the day’s best Kim Jong Il jokes from Twitter, for those who think there is insufficient levity in this situation…
All that wailing and crying is going to be what all the liberal folks are going to look like when Obama loses in November.
(Sorry, couldn’t resist).
@Juan
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/the_big_idea/2011/12/is_newt_gingrich_nuts_consider_the_symptoms_.html
It isn’t just that some of Newt’s ideas are…extra creative. It is actual observed behavioral issues, coupled with a family history of same.
@ Bryan Caskey– Seen Obama’s poll numbers vs. Haley?
Thanks Kathryn, that’s the same story but I couldn’t remember where I read it.
Bryan, you had better hope then that either Romney or Huntsman gets nominated. North Koreans may be able to amass a vast majority for hysteria, but we’re not a radical country when you get right down to it, so no other GOP candidate has a chance to beat Obama.
Well, they do have a lot to cry about. 🙁
Real WMD? Check.
Human rights violating dictator? Check.
Bordering an ally? Check.
When will Hillary be making her presentation to the U.N. Security Council to begin the necessary regime change that the United States must enforce? It’s our duty to go in, take casualties, topple the dictator, build a huge embassy, and pay for it with dollars borrowed from the future. It’s our destiny.
Bryan Caskey said, “All that wailing and crying is going to be what all the liberal folks are going to look like when Obama loses in November….”
Except that Obama’s approval rating is on the rise.
It is starting to look like the GOP primary season is just an exercise in futility. Whoever wins is likely to lose to Obama by 10-12% in the popular vote and perhaps 100 or more in the electoral college. I would suggest to all my conservative friends that if they want to have a seat at the table after January, 2013 then they need to jettison the tea party and try to cut their loses. Perhaps they can salvage the House but only if they start to act responsibly. This petty ranting and raving about every single issue that comes up is beginning to wear on the public and it can only hurt the GOP members of congress. With an approval rating at 10 or less my only question is what are those 10% thinking?