Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

N. Korea: Survival Mode?(the nighmare of Ceausescu and the spector of Dubya)
MSNBC ^ | 12/06/4 (issue date) | Hideko Takayama and Christian Caryl

Posted on 11/29/2004 7:31:37 AM PST by TigerLikesRooster

Survival Mode?

With his economy in tatters and international pressure rising, Kim Jong Il may be running out of options

By Hideko Takayama and Christian Caryl Newsweek

International Dec. 6 issue - You have to give credit to Kim Jong Il for one thing—he knows the score. The North Korean leader's subjects may be largely ignorant of the bleak situation in their country, owing to the country's all-encompassing propaganda machine, but Kim himself clearly has no illusions. Shortly after the revolutions that toppled half-a-dozen communist dictatorships in Eastern Europe back in 1989, according to Japanese journalist and North Korea watcher Ryo Hagiwara, Kim informed members of his ruling circle that he and they could easily end up like deposed Romanian leader Nicolae Ceausescu if they didn't watch their step. For a full week in early 1990, Kim forced North Korean officials to watch multiple video showings of Ceausescu's bloody death at the hands of an angry mob and warned his colleagues of the dangers of losing control. One defector told Hagiwara that he recalled Kim obsessively repeating, "We will be killed by the people."

(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: america; bush; ceausescu; china; economy; jangsungtaek; japan; kimjongil; nkorea; northkorea; nuke; portrait; purge; refugee; survival
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-28 next last
I know people here are not keen on what MSNBC has to say. However, this one is not bad.
1 posted on 11/29/2004 7:31:39 AM PST by TigerLikesRooster
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: TigerLikesRooster; AmericanInTokyo; OahuBreeze; yonif; risk; Steel Wolf; nuconvert; MizSterious; ...

Ping!


2 posted on 11/29/2004 7:32:08 AM PST by TigerLikesRooster
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TigerLikesRooster

Recently some prominent North Koreans military officers travelled to Cuba for a visit. May be they were looking for a sanctuary in the event they need to leave in a hurry.


3 posted on 11/29/2004 7:35:00 AM PST by JeeperFreeper
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JeeperFreeper

Plus the beachs are nice and they still take Yankee dollars, no matter what Fidel says.


4 posted on 11/29/2004 7:36:30 AM PST by Eric in the Ozarks
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: TigerLikesRooster

I'm so rone-ry.


5 posted on 11/29/2004 7:37:32 AM PST by Numbers Guy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TigerLikesRooster
In our War on Terror Scorecard:

Taliban removed from Afghanistan and the first democratically elected government in place.

Libya turns over it's WMD and agrees to behave.

Hussein Regime removed from Iraq, the Iraqi people are sovereign over themselves, and free elections are two months away.

All Osama bin Laden can do to effect U.S. Elections is to send a video, not an attack.

Kim Jong IL is running scared.

Score: W-5, Stupid Liberals 0
6 posted on 11/29/2004 7:44:31 AM PST by Calvarys_Soldier (John Kerry? Who's John Kerry? I should remember that name for some reason...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JeeperFreeper
Recently some prominent North Koreans military officers travelled to Cuba for a visit.

Interestingly enough, they arrived the same day that the Chinese delegation did.

7 posted on 11/29/2004 7:45:51 AM PST by snowsislander
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Numbers Guy

LOL...thanks for my morning laugh...


8 posted on 11/29/2004 7:54:47 AM PST by Keith (NOW, MORE THAN EVER....IT'S ABOUT THE JUDGES!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: snowsislander

I didn't know that. Makes it all the more curiouser and , maybe, heartening. Regime change in North Korea would likely be another step for freedom.


9 posted on 11/29/2004 7:55:01 AM PST by JeeperFreeper
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: TigerLikesRooster
Komappta, TLR.

You and I think a lot alike. I just read this in Japanese on the web not more than 20 minutes ago.

I do recall Kim Jong il's famous quote to a visiting foreign dignitary who was standing with him on the dais during one of those massive military parades with folks holding posters of him as if he were God.

He reported said to the guest: "See all those people, the masses? It looks like they worship me. But they don't. It's not in their hearts. They'd just as soon kill me." He guest was shocked at the blunt nature of the comments. Not real diplomatic protocol going there, but an interesting peak at least.

The guy is very very paranoid of a bullet in the brain. But on the other hand, he has every reason to be that way.

10 posted on 11/29/2004 7:59:09 AM PST by AmericanInTokyo (I'll take 1 good "LET'S ROLL!" over 1,000 meaningless & vulgar "ALLAH AHKBAR"'s, any day!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Calvarys_Soldier

Iran is not too comfortable right now either.


11 posted on 11/29/2004 8:04:14 AM PST by DonnerT (Any job worth doing should be done to completion.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: JeeperFreeper
Chinese delegation arrives in Cuba:

HAVANA, Nov 22 (Reuters) - China's President Hu Jintao arrived in Cuba on Monday on his first visit as Chinese leader to offer the Western Hemisphere's only communist state closer political and economic ties.
North Korea's top military officer visits Cuba:
HAVANA (AFP) Nov 22, 2004 North Korea's top military officer Kim Yong-Chun is heading a delegation that began an official visit to communist-led Cuba on Monday, according to an official statement. Vice Marshal Kim, chief of the general staff of the Korean People's Army, and his delegation will visit the Revolutionary Armed Forces Ministry headed by President Fidel Castro's younger brother, Raul Castro, according to the statement released in state-run newspapers.

12 posted on 11/29/2004 8:07:12 AM PST by snowsislander
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: AmericanInTokyo
re #10

Kim Jong-il has little illusions about his depressing odds. Thus, he would stay alive even at the horrendous expense of others.

However, the mushy left in S. Korea and in U.S. are full of illusions. I wonder if Kim could hold back his contempt at them.

13 posted on 11/29/2004 8:07:13 AM PST by TigerLikesRooster
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Calvarys_Soldier

Hey don't you know all of this stuff was gonna happen anyway w/o Bush's policies, it's just a matter of time. (Liberal refrain from the Reagan years and the collapse of the USSR).


14 posted on 11/29/2004 8:32:52 AM PST by pangaea6
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: TigerLikesRooster
It looks like it's a race between surrender by worthless South Korean leftists and a North Korean collapse.

Which one comes first? For a truly bizarro scenario, try the SK weasels, upon seeing victory, raising the white flag seeking "resolution." Fascism being so profitable for those in charge they might jump at the opportunity.

15 posted on 11/29/2004 8:37:00 AM PST by Carry_Okie (Privatizing environmental regulation is critical to national survival.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: TigerLikesRooster
For a full week in early 1990, Kim forced North Korean officials to watch multiple video showings of Ceausescu's bloody death at the hands of an angry mob and warned his colleagues of the dangers of losing control.

heh heh. just imagine a broadcast of this video in NK. people might get ideas.

16 posted on 11/29/2004 8:51:29 AM PST by heartwood
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: heartwood

As I've seen on posters and banners at so many lefty marches, "Revolution is the Festival of the Oppressed!"

A Ceaucescu retirement party for Sonny-Boy Kim!

Heads On Pikes!


17 posted on 11/29/2004 8:56:55 AM PST by headsonpikes (Spirit of '76 bttt!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: TigerLikesRooster

....funds for mass drops of portable radios on the North....

The congressional action implies the ability to overfly, uncontested, at will. It doesn't seem possible.


18 posted on 11/29/2004 8:59:42 AM PST by bert (Don't Panic.....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: AmericanInTokyo; All

OHH Man you got feel sorry for Little Kim he is roarny LOLOLOL!!!

NOTTT


19 posted on 11/29/2004 9:10:31 AM PST by SevenofNine ("Not everybody , in it, for truth, justice, and the American way,"=Det Lennie Briscoe)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: SevenofNine

New book out in Japan. (Actually, it is a 'manga' comic book). Hey, I'll just (freep)translate:

Title: "The Last Days of Kim Jong-Il"

Subtitle: "So Long, Great General!"

Sub-sub title: "The Final Scenario for the End of Political Terror"

20 posted on 11/29/2004 9:22:35 AM PST by AmericanInTokyo (I'll take 1 good "LET'S ROLL!" over 1,000 meaningless & vulgar "ALLAH AHKBAR"'s, any day!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-28 next last

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.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson