North Korea’s Dear Leader apparently died on Saturday from fatigue during a train ride.
His son, Kim Jong Un, will take over as leader of the country.
While this development may seem like a positive one, there is likely to be increased instability on the Korean Peninsula as the transition plays out. It should be a fascinating (and frightening) developing story.
Reflections of a Rational Republican 
I understand your concern but forgive me if my initial reaction isn’t to leap in the air and say, “good riddance you SOB!” There is danger, but also perhaps the chance of real normalcy coming to North Korea. China may play a pivotal role.
Based on what I know of the son, he makes his father look like a saint. Additionally, there is already speculation that Kim Jong Il’s death wasn’t natural. Furthermore, there is potential for a power struggle between Kim Jong Un and his uncle. While Kim Jong Un is the designated successor, the military favors the uncle. No one wants to support a fat, spoiled, and ruthless 26-year old. The next three weeks will be scary. Perhaps the Koreas will reconcile in the long-term, but not if the son maintains power.
I find your apprehensiveness justified. When you (being the 1st Kim) build a state after a life long of guerrilla warfare but find yourself isolated and surrounded by a changing world, you plausibly will keep on with the defensive way of life that let you survive. Loyalty becomes the supreme virtue and a hatchery for corruption (well attested by Shakespeare).
You’ll find that such a system vertebrates the lives of a whole society and to try to disassemble it may bring to anarchy and (even more) misery, as the Gorbachev and Castro experiences show. I see North-Korea’s fate as a sad inheritance of the dull post-war geo-politics, in the same way the “health quarantine” around the bolsheviks lead to the enthronement of Stalin.
Very well said, Bob. You certainly have a way with words. Thanks for stopping by.
What?! Isn’t this the guy who caught 1,000 fish and got 16 out of 18 holes-in-one when he golfed? And yet he couldn’t cheat death?! I’ll await to hear in a couple weeks how he arose from the dead. 🙂
In the meantime, for anyone who’s ever felt “ronery”…
How they ever got this movie out without being subject to a dozen different ACLU lawsuits is beyond me.
Not sure about the ACLU but watch “This Film Is Not Yet Rated” about the MPAA.
Parker and Stone (“South Park”) said that they deliberately went over the top with scenes in the movie as an “in your face” to the ratings agency (“if they’re going to cut it anyways, why not have some fun?!”, yet they were surprised that so much of the content was allowed to stay in.
They said as well in another interview that they were originally going to have Hussein as the main character but when they saw Kim Jong Il they quickly changed their mind – they said the comedy of his real life was better than anything they could ever make up for Saddam.
It’s a beautiful movie and oh so true in parts, such as the scene with Hans Blix talking about the UN or Tim Robbins talking about “Evil Corporations”. Cracks me up every time!
Yeah, KJI was one weird individual.
I can’t help but think that isn’t the title: the Great Successor; a put down of some sort.
Who writes these things?
Yeah. It seems each subsequent generation gets a demotion. Kim Il Sung was the “Great Leader” but Kim Jong Il was only the “Dear Leader.” A very strange system all around.
Think they’ll ever work their way down to the title of “Worm Fodder”?