Apparently Kim Jong Un wasn't that bad a kid when he was in Switzerland being educated... he was quiet, but at the same time an admirer of American culture and basketball. I wonder if his education and background will help moderate NK at all?
Funny thing was he wasn't fat ten years ago and was a pretty skinny/athletic normal looking Asian. They apparently fattened him up when he got home because in NK fat = wealth, respect and power and people needed to see that.
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Reports hailed Kim's 38-under par 34 over 18 holes at the 7,700-yard Pyongyang Golf Course in his first try at golf, a feat watched purportedly by 17 security guards protecting the man hailed as "Dear Leader."
Jane: Start a chant! Everybody loves a droning, repetetive chant. Glen: Attention, everybody. Let's all give thanks to the Leader for this
glorious day! Both: The Leader is good, the Leader is great, we surrender our will as of this date! All: [Except Homer] The Leader is good, the Leader is great, we surrender our will as of this date! Jane: It's no use. He's obviously the most powerful mind we've ever dealt with! Glen: Or... nananananananana Leader! Nananananananana Leader! All: [Except Homer] Nananananananana Leader! Nananananananana Leader!
[Homer starts gaining interest.] Leader! Leader! Leader! Homer: Batman! I mean, Leader! I love the Leader!
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Apparently Kim Jong Un wasn't that bad a kid when he was in Switzerland being educated... he was quiet, but at the same time an admirer of American culture and basketball. I wonder if his education and background will help moderate NK at all?
Funny thing was he wasn't fat ten years ago and was a pretty skinny/athletic normal looking Asian. They apparently fattened him up when he got home because in NK fat = wealth, respect and power and people needed to see that.
don't think that it matters at all, the kid was raised in a entitled envronment with the expectation that he would take power. He was probably taught that to hold power you had to crush the people in front of you, and that the people were stupid and needed the strong and attentive leader.
He will be no different then his old man, its what the political system there demands.
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I think the biggest point inall this has been lost on most....its the world of golf that lost bigger than anyone...i mean this guy was nothing but the greatest to ever live when it came to swinging the club.
For 69 years, Kim Jong-il, a ruthless pudgy demigod, has been one of the most idolized men in the world. To most North Koreans the mere presence of “Dear Leader” could cause fruit trees to bloom in winter and make snow melt.
A “genius of 10,000 talents,” he allegedly wrote 1,500 books during four years at university; shot 11 holes-in-one the first time he played golf and is “praised by mankind as the most outstanding political elder and a peerlessly brilliant commander.”
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A fat man in a country frequented by famine, Kim reportedly bought more top-of-the-line cognac than anyone else in the world; imported “pleasure squads” of Swedish blondes to satisfy his lust; and, supposedly, injected himself with the blood of virgins to stay young and healthy.
don't think that it matters at all, the kid was raised in a entitled envronment with the expectation that he would take power. He was probably taught that to hold power you had to crush the people in front of you, and that the people were stupid and needed the strong and attentive leader.
He will be no different then his old man, its what the political system there demands.
Best case scenario might be that the world starts to push around the inexperienced Un a bit and begins to coax him into a demiliterization and opening borders. Of course, this requires his advisors to do jack all...but you can hope.
Best case scenario might be that the world starts to push around the inexperienced Un a bit and begins to coax him into a demiliterization and opening borders. Of course, this requires his advisors to do jack all...but you can hope.
While there is a certain fear by the NK citizen's about the intelligence service and military.
The new leader has those things to fear plus his own civillians. Any dictator worth his salt knows that if he fails to balance these three things he's in trouble.
The demilitarization and opening of borders is not going to please anyone in power. It means the reduction of power over the people, the Military won't like it and the Intelligence arm won't want it.
If Kim the younger tries any of those things at best he can hope for a bloodless coup, at worst a bullet and a non descript burial.
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Anyone else watch his funeral last night? I didn't watch the whole thing, but it was weird. There were the hysterics that you would expect, but they would show the crowd and it looked as if they were just standing still. Then the camera would zoom in (presumably on the same crowd?) and people were writhing around and having to be held back. I always wonder what they are being held back from doing? Anyway, it was strange. I kind of hate to say it, but it was really amusing.
Anyone else watch his funeral last night? I didn't watch the whole thing, but it was weird. There were the hysterics that you would expect, but they would show the crowd and it looked as if they were just standing still. Then the camera would zoom in (presumably on the same crowd?) and people were writhing around and having to be held back. I always wonder what they are being held back from doing? Anyway, it was strange. I kind of hate to say it, but it was really amusing.
Watching people writh in agony on cue is definitely hilarious.
Cowperson
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"The family is saying now that in lieu of flowers for Kim Jong Il, they encourage you to send enriched uranium." –David Letterman
There was a big Internet rumor that Jon Bon Jovi was dead. That, of course, would mean that the band would be taken over by Kim Jong Jovi. –Conan O’Brien
Last edited by troutman; 12-28-2011 at 12:00 PM.
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Anyone else watch his funeral last night? I didn't watch the whole thing, but it was weird. There were the hysterics that you would expect, but they would show the crowd and it looked as if they were just standing still. Then the camera would zoom in (presumably on the same crowd?) and people were writhing around and having to be held back. I always wonder what they are being held back from doing? Anyway, it was strange. I kind of hate to say it, but it was really amusing.
It was a pretty fascinating thing to watch. The soldiers marching were well fed and extremely uniform in their look I assume that they are the ceremonial units from around North Korea, they are not fighting units they practice parading for hours a day and are picked to look good.
It was interesting that the other sons were not at the funeral this is now completely Kim Jong Un's show.
Symbolically it was very noticeable that his uncle was right beyond the new Great Leader, it was also the first public appearance of Kim Jing Il's sister in the uniform of a field marshal.
There's no doubt that there was some crying on demand, but most of these people have only known the Kim's for their whole life and they've been indoctrinated for their whole lives that they are gods, there's no doubt in my mind that the grief had a root in legitimacy.
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It was a pretty fascinating thing to watch. The soldiers marching were well fed and extremely uniform in their look I assume that they are the ceremonial units from around North Korea, they are not fighting units they practice parading for hours a day and are picked to look good.
It was interesting that the other sons were not at the funeral this is now completely Kim Jong Un's show.
Symbolically it was very noticeable that his uncle was right beyond the new Great Leader, it was also the first public appearance of Kim Jing Il's sister in the uniform of a field marshal.
There's no doubt that there was some crying on demand, but most of these people have only known the Kim's for their whole life and they've been indoctrinated for their whole lives that they are gods, there's no doubt in my mind that the grief had a root in legitimacy.
Defectors have mentioned that there is pressure to perform and "outcry" and "outgrieve" the person next to you because North Koreans know they are always being watched. When his father died in 1994, there were several catagories of loyalty that people were classified into and there were rumors that your level of grief was one factor in how you were classified.
A schoolteacher who defected to the South mentioned that she even saw young school-children putting saliva on their faces to make it look like they were crying.
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Don't get me wrong H+L I have no doubt that people are exaggerating their grieving in case their eyed by North Korea's internal security people, I'm just saying that the grieving at a certain level is probably pretty genuine.
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My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
The theatrics were great. Whatever news broadcast I saw today compared the all too cued up desloate and crying crowds of today to when the last leader passed away...very similiarily rehearsed.
And too funny that the limos with the giant pictures and of the body look like late 70's Lincoln town cars or even Chrysler Imperials. Havent seen hideaway round headlights on a car since watching "The Streets of San Francisco". Kinda clashes with the Playboy ultra premium player image he had going for him.
