Kim Jong Il

[nutnut]

DEAD!

AWESOME!

[Strong Eagle]

Markets don't seem to think so. He was a terrible bastard. Remains to be seen if his son can stay in power and whether he or the generals that assassinate him will be any better. Nothing like nukes in the hands of ambitious amoral men.

[JR8]

Maybe a case of 'The Kim is dead, long live the Kim'


Sorry...



p.s. Does the dead one get a new title now, Senior Emeritus Presidential Mentor (Deceased)?


Sorry!!...

[nutnut]

Yes, I agree, it's going to be a trying time having a 20-something in charge of a bunch of nukes and a massive army of brainwashed soldiers!

Not good in that respect, but I'm glad he's dead!

[Strong Eagle]

Yes, I agree, it's going to be a trying time having a 20-something in charge of a bunch of nukes and a massive army of brainwashed soldiers!

Not good in that respect, but I'm glad he's dead!

You think he's going to be in charge?

I doubt that rather.


p.s. edit to add: Anywayz I have enough dour geo-pols going on in the EU roundtable thing.... so I'll butt out of this topic I think!

True... he is going to be the fellow that brings a knife to a gunfight. Maybe... but not likely... Pappa didn't have enough time to 'socialize' him with all those nice generals and security apparatus freaks.

Big question is: Will we get to watch all the infighting for control of a derelict country?

Reminds me of an old saying: Academic politics is so vicious because there is so little to be gained. Wow - new 'dear leader' of the most worthless country in the world... with apologies to its inhabitants who have endured the worst.

[BnJoe]

I wonder what would happen if there was reunification in any way.

The differences are that huge. Would the north koreans accept a completely different world that they have always been taught? And the costs... relatively much larger than Germany's reunification, and that was almost too much for the former "old man of Europe"

[Barnsley]

I wonder what would happen if there was reunification in any way.

The differences are that huge. Would the north koreans accept a completely different world that they have always been taught? And the costs... relatively much larger than Germany's reunification, and that was almost too much for the former "old man of Europe"

I think Germany is still coming to terms with the reunification and the massive transfer of wealth that has been required to bring the East up to speed.

The differences between North and South Korea do look to be insurmountable at the minute.

How do you go about "re-educating" 24 million people or so to stop believing in what they have been indoctrinated with?

[Expat_guy]

I wonder what would happen if there was reunification in any way.

How do you go about "re-educating" 24 million people or so to stop believing in what they have been indoctrinated with?

What pecentage of that 24 million poeple really believe in what they have been indoctrinated?

[Barnsley]

I wonder what would happen if there was reunification in any way.

How do you go about "re-educating" 24 million people or so to stop believing in what they have been indoctrinated with?

What pecentage of that 24 million poeple really believe in what they have been indoctrinated?

I would guess quite a lot, as my understanding is that it is very difficult to get information to the contrary.

If you cant get alternative information then why would you doubt what you are being told?

With the added bonus that not showing the correct amount of deference to the "Dear Leader" could cause you to get a beating.

[x9200]

I wonder what would happen if there was reunification in any way.

How do you go about "re-educating" 24 million people or so to stop believing in what they have been indoctrinated with?

What pecentage of that 24 million poeple really believe in what they have been indoctrinated?

Could be more significant that it may seem.
Yet another factor against is probably China.

[Expat_guy]

What pecentage of that 24 million poeple really believe in what they have been indoctrinated?

I would guess quite a lot, as my understanding is that it is very difficult to get information to the contrary.

If you cant get alternative information then why would you doubt what you are being told?

With the added bonus that not showing the correct amount of deference to the "Dear Leader" could cause you to get a beating.

If we consider the fall of communists in east european countries, I doubt that people in N Korea have really been indoctrinated. It is the army which pose the problem but not the people.

[nakatago]

I would guess quite a lot, as my understanding is that it is very difficult to get information to the contrary.

If you cant get alternative information then why would you doubt what you are being told?

With the added bonus that not showing the correct amount of deference to the "Dear Leader" could cause you to get a beating.

If we consider the fall of communists in east european countries, I doubt that people in N Korea have really been indoctrinated. It is the army which pose the problem but not the people.

I'm not sure about that; given the shock of North Korean defectors.

[x9200]

Comparing past situation in the East European communistic countries with North Korea is a gross misunderstanding. Still a lot of people in the said countries were indoctrinated.

[Vaucluse]

He's not dead, he's chilling out in a one-bedroom HDB in Tao Payoh waiting for the right time to do a Phoenix and resurrect himself



. . . while being nice to his new best friend 'Ralph'