Snapped Shot

It's good to see that the Hermit Kingdom can keep this up, what with all of that starvation going on... MANSE!



As an aside, I'm well aware that there is no such thing as a "free" press in North Korea, but don't you think it probably would have been worthwhile for Reinhard Krause or his editors at Reuters to point out that these types of public exercises are coerced? Or heck, even a brief mention of the aforementioned starvation might have been in order.

Reuters may protest that, in submitting a headline which contains elements critical of the North Korean regime, they would lose official access to the country. That's funny—isn't that the same dang excuse that CNN used to use in justifying the glowing praise it heaped at Saddam Hussein while he brutally oppressed the citizens of Iraq?

As it stands today, Reuters is aiding and abetting the oppression of the North Korean citizenry by their government. Is that a "responsible" position for a "globally-conscious" news organization to take?

Besides that, with all of the advanced technology available to the media today, do you really think it would be that hard to get "unauthorized" photographs out of a fascist nation?

Reuters should try some of that Juche philosophy of self-reliance out for a change. It would do them some good. Continue reading »

Today's China Post is carrying an article (h/t FR) that is breathtaking if not for any reason other than how completely unexpected it is:

The North Korean government has publicly acknowledged that flooding over the past few weeks has caused devastating flooding throughout the country, which has destroyed more than one-tenth of their farmland.

What's so unusual about this is that there is usually no acknowledgment of natural disasters from the Hermit Kingdom at all. As in, if something bad happens there, we generally find out about it through our intelligence agencies, not the China Post.

So, what's going on in Kimjongilland?

If I were a betting man, I would guess that the North Koreans are suffering from an historic crop failure, which may or may not be due to the weather. After all, if there are not enough healthy hands to work in the field, it's rather difficult to harvest anything when the time comes, is it not? And North Korea is not exactly known for how well it provides for its citizens...

Alternately, there is something else going on which requires a rapid influx of cash and donations which can be resold on the international market, and what better way to get a large influx of cash than to cry wolf?

The UN World Food Programme is already leaping to action, so I doubt we'll ever get to find out what's really going on...

Kim Jung-Il tours the People's Rubber Ducky Factory Hamhung Disabled Soldiers' Plastic Daily Necessities Factory—Coming soon to a city near you.

Word has it that the Two Koreas had something of a gunfight on their border last night. There's no word yet on what Dear Leader thinks of these developments, but I have my suspicions:

Aww shucks, look who's popped out of his bunker for a day or two? (Of course, there's a very good chance that we're viewing the photo archives of the Hermit Republic, but don't let that spoil the fun.)

Here's another glimpse at what "environmentalism" looks like in a socialist People's paradise.

There doesn't seem to be anything interesting on the wires today, so here's one from the Archive o' Dictators. Is the Li'l Kim Mania spreading to Japan too? I'm sure that some of the Blogosphere's finest (yuk yuk) are hoping for it!


(It sure does sound like certain other viruses, though... Conspiracy?)

It seems that "Li'l" Kim Jong-il has gone missing.

Can you find him?

(For bonus points, see if you can find Osama, too!)



Be sure to share this with your friends! Together, we can find Kimbo!

(Hat tip to About.com's Political Humor department for the original "Where's Osama" graphic!)