"You could celebrate, but...." Topic

link

…better yet, let's really hope and pray that some subversive group or groups can disrupt the transfer in power, and help bring civility back to that long-suffering country and her people.

As much as I dislike the bastard, it's a litte early for the obituary, no?

Don't give us false hopes like that!

Well, if Bill wants to transfer it to another board, or nuke it altogether to prevent a Blue Fez fracas, I'm game. Just seems like it would be fairly big news in light of recent incidents.

The agency also reported that Kim Jong Il is expected to officially designate the son as his successor in 2012, the centennial anniversary of late national founder Kim Il Sung's birth, the paper said.

But the regime under the son is expected to be unstable and vulnerable to internal political strife as Kim Jong Il's brother-in-law, Jang Song Thaek, could attempt to snatch power, the paper said.

Civil war in North Korea? That could be interesting…

No need for the Blue Fez…I'm pretty sure everyone here thinks the same thing. No debate here.

The agency also reported that Kim Jong Il is expected to officially designate the son as his successor in 2012…

So that's what all this 2012 business is all about.

Civil wars are always a fascinating topic, Bill. Pass the popcorn, please.

Proof of the Mayan Korean conspiracy!
Unless it doesn't, which is even worse!

We are doomed!

Civil war? The country splits between the half along China and the half along the sea. Then we will have East North Korea, West North Korea and South Korea.

Doomed I tell you !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm surprised this guy did not die from a headache a long time ago. A 9 mm headache.

If you keep dividing it, at what point does it disappear?

*DEAR* Leader!

Nooooooooooooooooooo!

Kim, we hardly knew ye.

One can only hope…………

The key to a peaceful transfer of power is China. I am guessing they have contingency plans already.

It suits them to have a buffer between themselves and a prosperous, democratic country like South Korea, but I don't think they like the chaos and evil of NK any more than we do.

While they don't give a toss about the welfare of the NK people, they don't want an even bigger refuge problem, or unpredictable rogue elements running around with nukes.

Their key policy objective is stability, so I would guess they are trying to engineer a smooth transfer to a more moderate, though no less authoritarian and no more democratic regime in NK.

Passing a dictatorship down to a third generation is always tricky. My guess is how it will actually pan out is the succession passes, the Dear Leader dies, and a Chinese-backed military coup gets rid of him and the country starts moving down the China path: less looney, more pragmatic, more prosperous, but still with a very tight lid on things.

I think it would be a great improvement.

but I don't think they like the chaos and evil of NK any more than we do.

Of course they do. They created the place, and maintain it. It is a conveniently deniable way to mess with us, and they know it'll never be a serious threat to them.
-Kle.

I must disagree. Not on the grounds they are soft and cuddly, but on the grounds the place is creating problems for them; namely an already significant refugee problem, bad press, and – not least – the potential threat of nuclear shenanigans if things go downhill even further.

North Korea is a potential source of instability. They do not want that at all.

Well, that explains their "I need attention" behaviour lately, doesn't it?
--
Tim