I read what they say. Sometimes it is very interesting to read what people say because sometimes they actually mean it.
Agreed. Ignoring what is self-evident is frequently a fatal flaw of so-called intellectuals.
I do not think we really have much reason to doubt the hopes that the North Korean government entertains for an eventual reunification of the Korean Peninsula on its own terms, bizarre as that may sound to all of us.
It does not sound bizzare to me, even though they fell short of safely carrying it out at the moment. I do know that this is not just a convenient cover story to maintain his regime, although it serves that role. Kim Jong-il is working toward unification on his term. Usually, people could be fairly logical and reasoned in choosing means to accomplish their cherished goal. When it comes to selecting the goal itself, aforementioned logic and reason tend to evaporate. Kim Jong-il is the case in point. People tend to confuse his way of employing means with that of choosing his goals. Hence, the silly characterization of labeling him as a 'sensible man.' I think Kim Jong-il pursues megalomaniac goal even in this late stage, just as Hitler did.
Ping!
Well, as long as the South Koreans push forward their "common Koreity" with the North, the question of the ROK alliance's worth is absolutely legitimate.