One of my sons is rather ''conventional'', buying into all that stuff about the free market etc....I met on of his friends at the game, :-( , last night who works in the City of London. He said, much to my son's discomfort, that he stopped believing in that fairy tale in his first morning on the job.

It is interesting, for instance, how some on the left spring to the defence of the Fed and label any anti-establishment theory as ''a conspiracy theory''.
I am reminded of that quote from Lenin: "The best way to destroy the capitalist system is to debase the currency”

I PM'd you my email. looking foward to trading ideas. most of my stuff is ground up type stuff, like start with empty land and end with... desired result. I have more recently been looking into more 'conversion' type stuff. like take an existing house and make it sel sufficient. It seems more lilely to get a house than land what with massive massive foreclosures. my knowledge isnt there yet though, and it would be awesome if you could help me out in that dept. it seems to be ypur 'area'

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/8969596/North-Korea-Kim-Jong-un-to-share-power-with-his-uncle.html

Am I going to get an apology, or what?

:-)

So the son of the last ruler, who died strangely young from natural causes, takes over with the help of his trusted uncle?

Sorry... although I've seen this plot in over a hundred films, cartoons, and dodgy dramas I never thought it actually happens!

Does his uncle have one of those thin, curly moustaches that he strokes whilst chuckling to himself? Please tell me he does!

"...who died of *physical and mental overwork*, takes over..."
fix'd

@Octavious I believe his name his Kim Olaf Il.

@ putin lol NO. third son in a row to rule the country? doesnt get any less shitty if he shares it with his UNCLE.

Just before North Korean leader Kim Jong Il died, the skies glowed red above sacred Mount Paektu and the impenetrable sheet of ice at the heart of the mystical volcano cracked with a deafening roar.

At least, that's the official account of the supernatural circumstances preceding Kim's death last Saturday, as relayed by the state-run Korean Central News Agency. The news agency is one of the chief propaganda organs tasked with building up the quasi-religious mystique around the Kim family, which has ruled North Korea since its founding in 1948.

The tools for making the myth have been developed over two generations, dating back to Kim's father, late President Kim Il Sung. But with Kim Jong Il's sudden death and the ascension of his young son Kim Jong Un, North Korea's image artisans will have to do it all at warp speed.

One more flashback:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJNBfBr-OGU

Ok glad people can admit when they're wrong. That's good to see. Jang Seong Thaek, who was the #2 in the DPRK and a very capable administrator who has been in the center of WPK politics for 30 years, takes over from Gim Jeong Il, exactly as I had said would happen. You had been attacking me non-stop for claiming Gim Jeong Un wouldn't take over. The country is moving towards a much more collective leadership style, and this is called "monarchy".

http://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Collective-leadership-likely-in-N-Korea-2419047.php

Collective leadership, yeah that's monarchy alright.

"Reuters, citing an unnamed source with close ties to Pyongyang and Beijing, reported Wednesday that Kim Jong Un's support team would include his uncle, Jang Song Thaek, and military leaders.

During North Korea's only previous leadership transition, after the 1994 death of founder Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il needed three years to consolidate his power and become the nation's official ruler. And in that case, Kim Jong Il had been building power behind the scenes for almost two decades before his father's death.

@Putin, as usual I can hardly believe what I'm hearing. Particularly in the light of you being a professor of comparative European politics, you should know that surrounding a young monarch with "advisors" after the early death of the previous monarch is actually a standard procedure /typical for monarchies/. I put the smiley behind your last comment because for a second I honestly thought you were joking, sadly you weren't... :(

Ow and "I'm gonna run my country with my uncle and some generals" does not qualify as "collective leadership" by modern standards. Just so you know.

It's a more collective executive than any bourgeois democracy and the so-called "monarch" is a very junior figure in the actual administratio, so if it's a "monarchy" it's a constitutional monarchy akin to Britain or Denmark. And you people said he had absolute control. But nevermind, doesn't matter what the truth is, you'll continue going on your merry way with your preconceived biases.

"But nevermind, doesn't matter what the truth is, you'll continue going on your merry way with your preconceived biases."

Mr. Pot, I'd like you to meet Mr. Kettle.

Oh andredhouse1938, I don't think Putin33 is actually a professor. The last bit of this personal situation I remember hearing was that he was going for his doctorate at a Big Ten school. When I looked up the faculty there was only one guy who seemed to be the right age and worked in the area of comparative politics, but he went to undergrad in Germany. I suppose that could be Putin33, but I would have expected the fact that this Upstate New York kid found his way to Germany for college to have came up by now. The degree from Oxford too.

Unless I'm wrong, and that's entirely possible, Putin33 is not yet a professor. He could very well be a lecturer, but I could only find full professors on the website.

" And you people said he had absolute control."

You are right about that point Putin. He doesn't have absolute control.
Still he is part of the top echelon of the ruling elite by virtue of being name Kim Jong-Il's successor because he is a son. Is this communism? Maybe I don't know what communism is. But if this is it, I don't like it.

Actually I don't think Putin ever claimed he was a professor, my bad. He said he taught CEP but not that he was actually a prof. But anyway, re: constitutional. Yeah, I think the comparison between Denmark and N-Korea is pretty accurate. Beside, you know, N-Korea is a total freak country and Denmark isn't. Other than that these are perfectly comparable cases.

Denmark isn't a freak country, it just has the most right-wing and anti-immigrant government in all of Europe (which considering your views on Pim Fortuyn, I guess that's not a big deal). You're not a freak country if all you do is pick on vulnerable groups.

"Maybe I don't know what communism is. But if this is it, I don't like it."

Would you have liked it anyway? What mechanisms do developing countries have for maintaining national unity in the face of aggression?

One that doesn't involve kidnapping a movie director to make Godzilla rip-offs.

Except that never happened. If you're referring to the Pulgarsani director, he had his studio closed down by the glorious South Korean military regime for making films they did not approve of politically (such as the planned 1975 production of a film about the South's regime kidnapping of Kim Dae-Jung). The director tried for three years after his blacklisting to be reinstated, to no avail. If he had willingly aided the DPRK he would have never been allowed to direct films in ROK again, so it's convenient that he make up this ridiculous story in which he is supposedly kidnapped and sits around in DPRK for 5 years before making a single film. This "abductee" was given permission to open a huge studio and creative license to produce a plethora of films in which Mr. Shin's every demand was agreed to. His northern films are considered to be his best work that revolutionized DPRK film. In 1984 the director and his wife told western newspapers that southern reports about his "kidnapping" were lies.

"Would you have liked it anyway? What mechanisms do developing countries have for maintaining national unity in the face of aggression?"

Well forget about the whole son-of-the-father successor thing for starters.
Introduce some steps toward democratic processes. Reform the economy, much like china has done. Allow more freedom of speech and ideas. Open access to communication with the outside world? Allow North Kireans the right to travel and live in other countries. That sort of thing.

Furthermore the director was in Munich in 1985 directing a movie and could have easily defected then if he was an "abductee". Why would an "abductee" be sent to a front line city in the West? Doesn't matter, no anti-communist lie is too credulous for the haters.

"Introduce some steps toward democratic processes."

And what makes you assume the populace won't just elect him? You sound like Pyle from the Quiet American, just blatantly ignoring the possibility the citizens support their current leader.

What is your point dD? That they already have democratic processes or they don't need them?

Well DPRK did reform the economy (especially from 2002 on ward), but anyway this idea that you're criticizing the country for not being truly 'communist' (with the presumption that you actually wouldn't attack it if it was 'truly' communist in your eyes) while recommending DPRK engage in more market reforms makes the critique ring severely hollow. And freedom of speech for opponents of DPRK always means freedom to advocate capitalism, sabotage, counterrevolution and economic exploitation and a press controlled by the mega-rich. Naturally subversive speech in western client states isn't tolerated, but we'll no doubt make a lot of hay about DPRK because it's convenient.

In 2002 DPRK abolished the coupon system and implemented a price system.
This reform had the deleterious effect of destroying the public distribution system as markets sprung up everywhere. The government depreciated the currency and encouraged foreign investment. The government allowed farming markets to operate and cut subsidies, and imposed hard budget restraints. Local production units took over production decisions. They also tried to set up Special Economic Zones much like the Chinese versions. These zones operated outside DPRK regulations.

They're brainwashed to the point they'll agree with whatever the government says. They could introduce all these things, but it won't change anything.