London's "Little Pyongyang"

North Korean defectors make a home in a London suburb. Do take a look at some of their stories, such as that of the former North Korean army officer who now runs the Free NK newspaper.

Quote of the Day: Sony Hack Debacle and Its Discontents

Shot: A wee bit of appropriate profanity from George Clooney regarding The Interview:

"Stick it online. Do whatever you can to get this movie out. Not because everybody has to see the movie, but because I'm not going to be told we can't see the movie.  

That's the most important part. We cannot be told we can't see something by Kim Jong-un, of all f*cking people."

Of all f*cking people!

Chaser: Things took a turn for the ludicrous with Paramount canceling several sassy theaters' attempt to screen 2004's Team America: World Police instead:

"Terrorist threats are no laughing matter, of course, but the Department of Homeland Security has found no credible threat and evidence that the Guardians of Peace have any sort of manpower that could do anything within the boundaries of the United States (much less at thousands of locations simultaneously) is practically non-existent. This sort of panicked cowardice would be laughably absurd if it wasn’t so damn sad."

What I find even more disturbing still are all the self-righteous people who are blaming the victim and saying that it's the moviemakers' fault for making a flick that offended the wrong people.  I'm sorry, but THAT IS EXACTLY WRONG.  Tyrants are precisely the sort of people who should be mocked by free peoples.  Comedy as a genre should be a free space, while we're at it: everything is game.

By the way, I wasn't even interested in The Interview at first because I really don't care much for the oeuvre of Rogen and Franco, but now I bloody well want to see that flick.  Meanwhile, amuse yourselves with this:

When A Crazy Tinpot Dictator Calls You Out, You Know You've Made It As A Comedian

Congratulations, Seth Rogen and James Franco!

North Korea as Kim Family Business

Here is a bit of the analysis:

A classic 1987 study of family firm succession by John Ward of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University concluded that only 30 percent of family businesses survive the third generation, and only 3 percent survive beyond that—no matter what the culture or country. The reasons are usually the same: With each generation the heirs grow more spoiled, fail to make the transition, possess less competence, and squabble more with shareholders, professional management, and among themselves. The ravages of nepotism and an uncreative desire to preserve the status quo make such businesses weaker and weaker. 

Kim seems to fit the pattern. He badly wants to emulate his grandpa—Kim Il Sung, whose birthday will be celebrated Monday in grand style—even adopting his haircut, but he doesn’t seem to have mastered the tradecraft he learned from his dad and granddad.

Escaping From Oppression

Here is a collection of 6 TED talks, beginning with Hyenseo Lee's escape from North Korea.

Headline of the Day: North Korean Antics

This is a few days old, but I couldn't resist noting it:  "North Korea declares war on everyone; chances of victory thought to be slim."

State Dept. Addresses Dennis Rodman's Norkophilia

I don't know what's more ridiculous: ex-basketball player and full-time freak show Dennis Rodman, Rodman's bromance with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, or the fact that some guy from State actually had to say this at a press briefing:

"Dennis Rodman has never been a player in our diplomacy, he does not represent the views of the United States, he is a private American."

Meanwhile in the real world, apparently a top Chinese Communist wants China to abandon North Korea.

Friday Fun: A Tale of Two Korean Videos

Video the first: this bit of completely crazy North Korean propaganda:

Video the second: the South Korean Air Force takes on Les Miz:

Exposing North Korea's Secret Prison Camps

Pyongyang can issue all the denials it wants, but Google Earth satellite imagery tells its own damning story.  You may remember this harrowing account and this.  Arguably the entire country is one vast prison camp.

Life Imitates the Onion: Kim Jong Un

The Onion. The results of a recent Time magazine reader poll.  (How many of those votes do you think were cast by trolls and other snarky Internet agents provocateurs?)

Meet Shin Dong-hyuk, North Korean Refugee

Shin Dong-hyuk was born in a North Korean prison camp and escaped at age 23.

 

His story, Escape From Camp 14, is here.

Headline of the Day + Best Use of Scare Quotes

Ah, British humour! The Telegraph can barely contain the gleeful disdain: "North Korea 'archaeologists' report quite unbelievable discovery of unicorn lair." 

I love the use of scare quotes around the word 'archaeologists.' Note the brilliant choice of accompanying image. Well played, Telegraph.  The only thing you could do to improve it would be to Photoshop Kim Jong Un into the mix so that he's riding that unicorn ... or perhaps do something like this.

I think I'll also nominate this tale as "worst/dumbest propaganda of the year." 

Chinese Paper Falls for Onion Joke

You might remember me giggling about the Onion's take on People magazine's annual silliness.  Even funnier?  Two Asian newspapers thought the Onion was real news and in all seriousness published stories about the unbearable hawtness of Kim Jong-Un. I laughed out loud.  The gaffe is now all over the international news whenever you care to look.  Even better: the Onion has amended its original story to include the following:

For more coverage on The Onion's Sexiest Man Alive 2012, Kim Jong-Un, please visit our friends at the People's Daily in China, a proud Communist subsidiary of The Onion, Inc. Exemplary reportage, comrades.

Well played, Onion.  Well played.

UPDATE: Plenty of other people have been fooled by the Onion too.

For Your Reading List: "Escape from North Korea"

The book is brand new and getting a bit of attention.  Check out this blurb by none other than former ambassador to the UN John Bolton:

Escape from North Korea should be assigned reading for anyone—policymaker, academic, or journalist alike—who think they know anything about the Kim family dictatorship. Melanie Kirkpatrick shows how “the new Underground Railroad” is not only providing an escape route from the prison camp that is North Korea, but something even more important as well. She shows how that escape route, aided and expanded, can bring down North Korea’s despotic regime and free its entire people. Kirkpatrick combines exhaustive reporting with insightful analysis in a powerful and compelling tale of repression and freedom.

Here it is on Amazon.

Consider Today "Victims of Communism Day"

Volokh has the right idea.  While we're at it, spare a thought for the current victims in North Korean gulags (see this) and Chinese prisons. I've recommended this book on the subject.

The Difference Between North and South Korea

Sometimes a cartoon by a famously snarky artist makes the point best.

Failure to Launch

I'm not talking about the awful Sarah Jessica Parker movie, either.  Let's take a moment to look at (a) North Korea's faceplant and (b) a little example of how it's done, people.

UPDATE: A friend just laughingly reminded me that some North Korean missiles are called "Nodongs."  OK, you can snicker now.  (And, yes, that friend was a guy!)

Fleeing North Korea: Song Ee Han's Story

Read this.  The link is from a Korean-American friend who of mine who added, "It makes me feel so proud and fortunate to live in this country." 

"Apologists For Communist Totalitarianism: I Hate Those Guys"

Yes.  RELATED: Deplorable UN is deplorable.

Are You Freaking Kidding Me?

A moment of silence for Kim Jong Il at the UN?  How about a moment for all the people whom Kim silenced during his life?  Disgusting.

UPDATE: This obituary is far better:

Kim Jong-il, the North Korean dictator, who died on Saturday aged 69, presided over the systematic impoverishment and starvation of millions of his people, while enjoying the life of a spoiled playboy – fast cars, fast women, cellars of vintage French wines, and a passion for Rambo and Daffy Duck videos.