Kim Jong il dead (ish)

[JHE]

Much of the public grief may be genuine. Tyrants are loved as well as hated, and dictatorships don't function without the co-operation of the people. When Stalin died, hundreds were trampled to death in central Moscow as hundreds of thousands converged on Red Square to pay their respects in scenes of mass hysteria. Not all of it will have been faked. In fact most of it won't have been-Communist rule was never as popular as when Stalin was at the helm.

People usually grieve for their parents - even for nasty, cruel tyrannous parents. With the endless official propaganda in Stalin's Soviet Union and in the Kim dynasty's Korea, people were made to feel the tyrant was the beneficent father of the nation. It doesn't surprise me that there is genuine grief and distress.

However, I think there may also be relief and even glee among some, but of course these emotions will not be so openly expressed.

 

[frogwoman]

I suppose much of the reaction to his death may be not so much because people liked him but because of uncertainty about what's coming next. If David Cameron and the rest of the cabinet were to die in some accident, i'm sure that, as much as people here dislike them, there would be a huge amount of fear over what kind of government we would get afterwards. It's going to be worse in NK because that's all they know, really. How much do people in NK know about the outside world? What tensions are there within the leadership etc?

 

[wayward bob]

world's greatest golfer and other astounding facts

 

[not-bono-ever]

(((Ern)))

There will be massed weeping at the Juche hall in New malden Im sure

 

[LLETSA]

People usually grieve for their parents - even for nasty, cruel tyrannous parents. With the endless official propaganda in Stalin's Soviet Union and in the Kim dynasty's Korea, people were made to feel the tyrant was the beneficent father of the nation. It doesn't surprise me that there is genuine grief and distress.

However, I think there may also be relief and even glee among some, but of course these emotions will not be so openly expressed.

It's more than mere coercion and propaganda though. Many people genuinely do revere tyrants and psycopaths. Look at the way people turn out for a top gangster's funeral, and these types have no official propaganda to aid them.

 

[gabi]

as a fan of mental dictators this was devastating news to wake up to. first gaddaffi, then berlosconi and now this

even the nutjob south african youth leader's been shunted to the sidelines. only putin left.

 

[Spymaster]

anyone who isn't weeping salt tears is going to be in trouble

But they're also generally strange. Armed forces parades that are mass ballet's with guns, and other truly bizarre military antics:

.... some of which is just wank material for the odd cunts:

 

[Spymaster]

RIP Jong.

Do you really give a fuck? Honestly?

 

[LLETSA]

The world is going to be a less colourful place if the North falls.

 

[DotCommunist]

what are the chances- isn't the crown prince going to step into the role and business as usual?

 

[LLETSA]

Do you really give a fuck? Honestly?

Why not? RIP Jong.

 

[Spymaster]

Ooooooh, you're gonna be in trouble for that!!!!

 

[Spanky Longhorn]

Whatever Jong did is not as evil as Hitchens.

 

[Apathy]

sleep tight sweet dear leader x

 

[JHE]

It's more than mere coercion and propaganda though. Many people genuinely do revere tyrants and psycopaths. Look at the way people turn out for a top gangster's funeral, and these types have no official propaganda to aid them.

Some people revere the powerful, unfortunately.

Propaganda is often involved. I remember the pro-Kray nostalgia during the latter years of those thugs' lives. There was a lot of propaganda. The brothers were presented as basically decent and even as having been the protectors of ordinary decent East End folk. It wasn't official, if official means state-sponsored, but there was tediously much of it. Some was on teeshirts worn by people too young to remember the Krays.

 

[DotCommunist]

maybe Jim will fix it so that Kim is allowed into heaven.

 

[Apathy]

Whatever Jong did is not as evil as Hitchens.

either way. Just the two of them, in hell for eternity

 

[LLETSA]

No trendy middle classes trying to muscle in on everything, hogging all the best school places, no tuition fees, no Rupert Murdochs and phone hacking etc etc.

As for the rest, you have to take the rough with the smooth.

 

[100% masahiko]

Nice legs...

 

[gabi]

ah, its just been pointed out me mugabe's still going. so that leaves two.

wheres the next nutter gonna come from?

 

[Spymaster]

sleep tight sweet dear leader x

 

[LLETSA]

You can't make an omellete without breaking eggs.

 

[JHE]

You can't make an omellete without breaking eggs.

You can break a lot of eggs and not succeed in making an omelette.

 

[frogwoman]

doesnt that show american soldiers anyway?

 

[100% masahiko]

ah, its just been pointed out me mugabe's still going. so that leaves two.

wheres the next nutter gonna come from?

Probably America (again).

 

[Citizen66]

But you end up with scrambled eggs.

 

[JHE]

doesnt that show american soldiers anyway?

Evil Yanks and brave Korean girl

 

[LLETSA]

doesnt that show american soldiers anyway?

True on all sides.

 

[Pickman's model]

You can break a lot of eggs and not succeed in making an omelette.

it depends what you're after. you need to break eggs for scrambled eggs or fried eggs or cakes too

 

[LLETSA]

But you end up with scrambled eggs.

And you can always add a bit of HP Sauce.