The good news about Kim Jong Il (KJI to his friends, which is to say no one) is that, despite what the PR in his country might tell you, he is a mortal human man. He’s not an old guy, necessarily, but I don’t know how long you’re going to see him sitting in his royal highchair. He strikes me as someone engaged in a lot of high-risk behaviors; I can only imagine that he’s huffing gasoline, for example. And when he does die (he will) it is an absolute natural imperative that his successor will be sane. Just in comparison. When you replace Sonny the Cocoa Puffs Cuckoo Bird, you automatically win the rationality contest. Plus, everybody will want to be that guy’s friend. That guy will be the prettiest girl at the dance if he plays his cards right.
So, all we need is for that guy to take over for KJI, Castro’s grand-nephew or whoever to be a big fan of “Desperate Housewives” and “American Idol,” and the next president of Iran to be converted by Pat Robertson’s missionaries and we’re all set. Everything will be fine under those circumstances.
October 9th, 2006 at 11:44 am
Just as disturbing is Dubya’s hollow response today to the reported tests: “Once again North Korea has defied the will of the international community, and the international community will respond.”
Um, OK.
Why does our Pres sound like a fatigued housewife trying to discipline her kid? “You are in big trouble, Mister. Wait until your father gets home!” I mean, yes, Kim Jong Il is bite-sized and probably has 8 kinds of crazy in him. But the presence of 20,000 US troops stationed at the North/South Korean border tells me this move is deserving of a tougher response than, “Aww, look at him go, Condi. He’s gonna sleep well tonight.”