As North Korea turns 60, the BBC looks at the amazing survival of everyone’s favorite Stalinist state.
Useful idiot Paik Nak-chung blames the US military presence for strengthening North Korea, of course, while Professor Andrei Lankov points to something else — North Korea won’t fall because, really, nobody wants it to:
“The outside is terrified of collapse, so no-one is pushing North Korea hard enough,” he says.
The very economic disparity that makes life so miserable for North Korea’s citizens would also mean an economic crisis for North Korea’s neighbours if the borders came down.
For the same reason, he believes, nobody inside the country will risk a challenge to the autocratic stranglehold on power exercised by its dynastic ruler, Kim Jong-il.
“No-one dares,” Mr Lankov says, “as the entire system would go down, taking with it reformers and conservatives alike.”
South Korea would perhaps have the most to fear from the economic consequences.
Money quote:
But surely, after all this time, there must be something worth celebrating, I ask Mr Lankov.
“Probably not,” he says.
“North Korea has managed to out-manoeuvre the world by keeping its entire population frozen with fear. Survival is not something we should admire such a country for.”
(HT to reader)
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Happy birthday indeed. . . but according to this guy, the “Dear Leader” is actually the “Dearly Departed Leader”.
Did Kim Jong Il (or his cyborg double) make it to the parade today in Pyongyang?
It’s America’s fault.
Nope, he didn’t make it to the parade today.
Kim Jong Il absent from parade
1 hour ago
North Korea marked the 60th anniversary of its founding amid news reports that the communist country’s leader Kim Jong Il did not attend a closely watched parade amid recent speculation that he may be ill.
Japan’s Kyodo news agency reported in a dispatch from Pyongyang that Kim was not seen at the parade in which it added that the country’s regular army, navy and air force did not participate. Russia’s RIA-Novosti news agency also reported that Kim did not appear.
http://www.ukpress.com
# 1,
Ooops, I’m stupid for quoting you using a number. Sorry folks, DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUH!
“That guy,” don’t count since your page didn’t open.
Anyway, your page didn’t open but yes Kim, Jung-il is DEAD. Too much young puddy/Meth/etc… for his old brain.
Therefore this guy(ME/TONETYLR) said it FIRST. Could it be possible Osama Bin Laden is dead too?
Phooey.
OK. Mulligan: according to this guy. . . http://www.abc.net.au/news/sto.....358528.htm he’s the dearly departed.
I think Osama Bin Laden is alive, and the US army knows EXACTLY where he is, and three weeks before the US election, they’ll suddenly “Find” him, in order to benefit McSame as much as possible. No, I don’t know for sure. . . but at this point, I wouldn’t put it past ‘em.
As usual Professor Lankov is bang on the money.
And roboseyo, I don’t think the US knows exactly where OBL is but I do suspect they have a good idea (probably in Saudi Arabia) and don’t really want to find him.
Yeah, just like when they found bin Laden in 2004 just in time to get Bush reelected. They let him go in hopes that the October surprise ploy would work again for McPain in 2008.
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