Where is the dictator? (2014 edition)

The Dictator Was Missing. People wanted to know where Kim Jong-un was.

It was October 2014.

There was a lot of speculation in the media about where he was.

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Sam Kim of Bloomberg was one of the first to report on the dictator's absence.

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The initial news briefing from the New York Times basically got the story right. But that didn't stop the speculation.

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South Korean media reported early on that he had undergone ankle surgery, trying to downplay speculation about his health or rumors about a power struggle.

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It was too late, analysts and reporters were talking to each other.

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There was some good analysis.

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There were jokes that are even Meme worthy today.

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Adding to the intrigue: A visit by a delegation from the North, led by the person presumed to be second in command in the North.

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Then when media and analysts had already declared him dead (at least, politically, in North Korea), he reappeared! The rumors that he had been suffering from gout, diabetes, a brain hemorrhage, a heart ailment, mental illness, lost in a coup, and that he was even suffering from "cheese addiction" (Daily Mail, Guardian) died out while the young dictator lived on.

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Then came the usual self-flogging from media and analysts, foiled again.

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The explanation about why North Korean dictator #3 had hidden himself from the media and analysts for so long.

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This blog post is developing, more clips to be added later.

It is 2020, the dictator is missing again. People want to know if he is dead or alive, if his sister (SAY HER NAME, YOU SEXIST!) or some other member of the dictator's family will take over the family business of oppressing North Koreans, buying expensive items for themselves, and developing the nuke program.

If you enjoyed memorable trip into Kim Jong-un's life, then make a donation to support a non-profit organization that is providing free learning opportunities for North Korean refugees who escaped the Kim regime. The North Korean regime has ruled over the country for 72 years, so you could make it for $0.72, $7.20, or $72.

https://give.lovetnkr.com/en/fundraisers/Where-is-the-Missing-Dictator

https://give.lovetnkr.com/en/fundraisers/Where-is-the-Missing-Dictator

Common Sense on North Korea (Korea Times, April 2, 2012)

By Casey Lartigue, Jr. As interesting as Kookmin University professor Andrei Lankov’s writings are, there is nothing quite like attending one of his lectures. He can barely restrain himself behind the podium, often pointing and waving his arms. I also enjoy his unscripted speeches, but his answers in Q&A sessions are like the difference between watching Michael Jordan shoot baskets in warm-ups and an actual game. I have finally discovered the secret behind Lankov’s consistently solid analysis about North Korea: Use common sense. At an Asan Institute conference last summer, he argued that North Korea watchers should try to understand North Korea from its perspective. Don’t most people know that you must understand the mindset of others you are dealing with? Yet, common sense in theory gets ignored politically. From the North Korean perspective, nuclear weapons are the best thing they’ve got going. They will NOT give them up easily, even if President Obama ...

Get rid of that watermelon!

Part 1: When I was a youngster I used to collect Confederate money, posters and photographs with caricatures of blacks, and "No blacks allowed signs." I loved the money because it was a reminder of how far the sorry Confederacy had fallen. I had one poster of a dark-skinned black boy munching on a watermelon. I would look at that small poster and wonder, "What in the world is wrong with anyone wanting to eat watermelon?" Yes, white people, I'm talking to you. Your parents, grandparents, and other ancestors who thought making fun of blacks for eating watermelon were crazy ! Even people who say that nothing has changed in race relations must acknowledge that the many stereotypes of blacks are no longer prevalent. But then, there are also some ready to remind us of days-gone-by by debunking stuff that doesn't need to be debunked today. According to the Washington Post: The sound you just heard was yet another racial stereotype going kersplat ! Some ...

Park Jin welcoming remarks to FSI (and Casey Lartigue)

National Assembly member Park Jin makes the welcoming remarks at FSI's conference featuring North Korean diplomats. Park Jin | Greeting message to FSI and Casey Lartigue mention - YouTube

Random photos from today

I went walking around today. Whereas some people like to go walking in the mountains, I enjoy walking around in the city. Well, not D.C. or other cities with many homeless, crazy and/or armed people walking around... * * * Here's where I had lunch today. About $1.90 for a hamburger hamberger. * * * Ha-ha! Bet you never would have guessed that Batman is a drinking place in Korea! * * * Man Clinic? The Koreans walking by seemed to be very curious about why I was taking a photo of a "Man Clinic." They may know something I don't know...Actually, I wasn't curious enough to go in and find out what it was... * * * Right down the street from the Man Clinic...there's a Love Shop! I love the euphemism. "Love Shop" sounds much better than Sex Shop. I'm guessing that if you don't go to the "Love Shop" to buy condoms that you may need to visit the Man Clinic a short time later? * * * Nobo...

Rich talking back

The rich are talked about very often in negative terms, but how often do the rich respond in kind? Australian billionaire Gina Rinehart, who inherited most of her money but apparently has also done very well with it, recently railed against class warfare and had some advice for the non-rich : "There is no monopoly on becoming a millionaire," she writes. "If you're jealous of those with more money, don't just sit there and complain. Do something to make more money yourself - spend less time drinking, or smoking and socializing and more time working." She complained about politicians raising taxes, regulations that slow investment, and other anti-business policies that harm the poor. "If you want to help the poor and our next generation, make investment, reinvenstment and businesses welcome."

The Casey Lartigue Show!

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