Posted on 04/22/2004 11:28:07 PM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
I did. Thanks for reminding me, though.:)
Well, if he wants to do something like that, he should have chosen a target with a lot of symbolic value but less of economic value. Blowing up a major transportation hub and a chunk of train tracks there is not exactly a smart move. N. Korean train system has no otherbackup rail route to take the place of this one. N. Korean economy is already in a morobind state. Doing this could cripple the economy, which would be worse than any political problems Kim Jong-il might have intended to solve, using this disaster as an excuse.
When did this happen? In 70's? By mid 70's, there was a couple of highly publicized attempts on Park's life by N. Koreans, first with 30-man commando raid into his presidential office(Blue House,) second with an ethnic Korean in Japan as an assasin, in which his wife got killed. After that, he could be paranoid. Don't you think?
Kim Jong-il's paranoia would be an order or two of magnitude higher.:)
Do the Chinese have the appropriate resources such as airlift capacity to deal with it? If I'm reading it right, the rail lines are out as a supply line from China.
I was thinking that the Japanese or US might be the only ones with the ability to effectively deal with the situation.
Their whole transportation system sucks. Bad roads, crappy rails, and scant airfields. The best is to airdrop the relief supplies to the disaster zone by parachutes, in my opinion. China, S. Korea, Japan, and U.S., all can have enough airplanes to do it. However, this would be a deeply destabilizing event for N. Korean regime. Foreign airplanes flying over N. Korean airspace unchecked, albeit for bringing in relief supplies. This would also starkly display the incompetence of N. Korean regime to all ordinary N. Koreans, if they just look up the sky and realize that it is foreigners who can deliver when it matters, not their own beloved fatherland nor "Dear Leader."
Sounds like a Jihadi's dream target. I have been to Santa Cruz, which is a beautiful place. I saw sea lions lounging around piers. And countless commies infesting the locale as you mentioned.
N.Korea Explosives Blast Kills 150, Injures Hundreds
and >>>>>>
The explosion, which took place nine hours after a train carrying leader Kim Jong-il passed through on his way back from a visit to China, occurred when overhead electrical wires touched carriages carrying dynamite, an Irish aid worker based in Pyongyang quoted North Korean officials as telling her.
.......and
.......
Russia's Itar-Tass news agency reported from Pyongyang that the explosives were to be used to build an irrigation canal.
Talking to my son last night, he says, that Kerry is on record that, one of his early moves, will be to shut down the ABM program!
And of course no drilling in Alaska. Renewable energy programs would be increased. I guess a windmill in every backyard.
The final few years of Park's rule was really repressive. He was of the opinion that nobody else could push S. Korea forward except him.
In recent years after the whole nation suffering from economic crisis and various interest groups fighting for their own narrow interests, people are feeling that the country is not moving forward as it used to. Many Koreans became nostalgic for the sense of direction the country used to have under Park Chung-hee. For all controversies, his drive for economic development is now generally viewed in positive light. As a result, Park's standing has improved recently.
His reputation is rebounding mostly because his erstwhile political enemies are screwing up S. Korea. Kim Young-sam, Kim Dae-jung created their share of messes. Now a whole cadre of dissident activists under him and his successor Chun Doo-hwan got hold of power. To me, they are doing no better than the two Kim's, and probably worse given time.
All these democracy activists make the former military strongman look better by their incompetence. And that is the real tragedy. People trapped in their confrontation mode during late 70's and 80's against the military regime bring the same mindset into governing 21 century S. Korea. Hence, the reflexive sympathy toward N. Korea and hostility against America because that is the polar opposite of military regime's policy, anti-communist and pro-American. They also want to set up 70's style welfare state in S. Korea, which is now going out of fashion even in Europe.
This reminds me of Russia immediately after Soviet breakup. All naive idealists, intellectuals, and unscrupulous opportunists, and corrupt criminals came out and claim to be champions of human rights, freedom, and free enterprise. The net result, however, is the nation mired in prolonged chaos, poverty, and lawlessness. This made old Soviet KGB look good in comparison, even though KGB was the most reviled institution toward the end of Soviet era. Now, former KGB men are in charge of whole Russian government and running it. However, no real resistance to de-facto rule of KGB brotherhood. On the contrary, Putin and his men are popular.
The only difference is that Russia had an reckless rightward surge while S. Korea could have the reckless leftward surge. Before the correction kicks in, many lives will be broken and astronomical amount of wealth may be destroyed, unfortunately. That is what Russia's recent past and S. Korea's immediate future may have in common.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.