Some thoughts regarding Kim Jung Un

[Dave Grubb]

Kim is in a difficult position. At the end of the day, he serves at the pleasure of his military. He has to keep them happy or he is history. The senior military officers of North Korea are a protected class---there are none of them dining on bark soup (in reality things have improved for the general populace as well).

Those same officers are not advantaged by anything that has been recently discussed with either the US or South Korea. Any reduction in hostility between those entities reduces the importance of the military--and they aren't much drawn to such an outcome.

I have seen this same issue play out in China--the last time when the Chinese "captured" a Navy spy plane in 2001. Zhu Rongji the Prime Minister at the time allowed the Military to thump their chests with great bravado for weeks, making the front page of the daily papers (I was there at the time) as they figuratively brandished their power and displayed their importance.

For any hope of normalization of relations with North Korea Kim has to figure out a way of convincing his military they will retain their elevated state---and that is going to be extremely difficult.

[Dork]

Tell that to General Hwang Pyong-so, Kim Won-hong or even Hyong Yong-Choi & Kim Chol to name just a few.....Kim Jong-un rules the military with a iron crazy fist......

He backed out and did his crazy dance after talking with China....China who is pulling his puppet strings....

[Honda]

Kim is in a difficult position. At the end of the day, he serves at the pleasure of his military. He has to keep them happy or he is history. The senior military officers of North Korea are a protected class---there are none of them dining on bark soup (in reality things have improved for the general populace as well).

Those same officers are not advantaged by anything that has been recently discussed with either the US or South Korea. Any reduction in hostility between those entities reduces the importance of the military--and they aren't much drawn to such an outcome.

I have seen this same issue play out in China--the last time when the Chinese "captured" a Navy spy plane in 2001. Zhu Rongji the Prime Minister at the time allowed the Military to thump their chests with great bravado for weeks, making the front page of the daily papers (I was there at the time) as they figuratively brandished their power and displayed their importance.

For any hope of normalization of relations with North Korea Kim has to figure out a way of convincing his military they will retain their elevated state---and that is going to be extremely difficult.

, so are we doomed in perpetuity to live with the threat of n korea as a nuclear power or maybe are you suggesting that we use our military to diminish his military and somehow prop him up after it's all over. Any ideas

[wacojoe]

I don’t think any of us on the outside have a decent measure of the inner politics of the NORKs. I suspect though that any of the photos that reach us of The Supreme Leader and his retinue of laughing hyena generals each-to-a-man trying their best to mimick his perpetual cachinnations lest they end up in a field tied to a stake while laughing boy has mortor shells lobbed at him gives us a clue as to who’s really in charge.

[Billy_Rightwing]

He knows all those people he's letting starve to death will come cut his thought should they get a good life from our Pres.

[Dave Grubb]

There was no hidden agenda here---I simply stated a condition, that based on previous observations, is in play in Kim's thinking. The laughing generals are doing so because of Kim's iron hand as well as his allowing them great social and economic advantages---let him loosen that grip and life changes.

I shared that only because I haven't seen it discussed publicly.

[Billy_Rightwing]

Good point Dave, give us a little more wisdom with good facts, need more of that here.

[Dork]

He knows all those people he's letting starve to death will come cut his thought should they get a good life from our Pres.

Actually, the majority wont, as we know from the gulf and how few actually know and understand what freedom is and means & how few actually fought for it, they will not rise up to fight. They do not have a basic understanding, let along the concept of freedom. THe one thing they all fear is fear, strength, power as that is all they know and respect even if it is a fear/respect thing.

[mgrist]

Actually, the majority wont, as we know from the gulf and how few actually know and understand what freedom is and means & how few actually fought for it, they will not rise up to fight. They do not have a basic understanding, let along the concept of freedom. THe one thing they all fear is fear, strength, power as that is all they know and respect even if it is a fear/respect thing.

And gun ownership has long been banned. Ya can't fight back with stale bread.