A Man in His 20s Could Start the Third World War

Kim Jong-un, born in 1983 or 1984, is the absolute ruler of North Korea. Rumors circulating in the Chinese media speculate that Mr. Kim, beyond just molding his Mao suit and hair style, has also undergone plastic surgery in order to resemble his grandfather, the late Kim Il-Sung: founder of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, hero of the Korean war, and the man who started it. But just what else is the young Mr. Kim trying to do like his grandfather Kim Il-Sung?

If recent speech is to be believed, the young Mr. Kim wants to start another war, just like his grandpa'. In the face of no UN support from China, Kim faces a rather serious problem: he is young and not widely supported in North Korea. He is seen by many as a young prince. North Koreans see his belly as a sign of laziness, and, worse, compare him to a character from a 90s children cartoon; a child general that makes goofy mistakes. 

Besides the rocket launch which on the 11th of December proved that North Korea could deliver a 500kg warhead up to 10,000km, potentially having the capability to reach San Francisco, Kim has no other accolades. Fortunately, the North has does not have a nuclear warhead under 1500kg, nor have they shown they have the technology needed for atmosphere re-entry.

The young Mr. Kim needs to prove to his people that he is strong and that the South fears him. He has threatened war with the South if it presses ahead with UN sanctions. If the South does not press ahead with sanctions, it will be lauded by the regime as proof of how strong and feared the young Mr. Kim is.

However, should the South proceed with sanctions, Kim Jong-Un will be seen as weak by his people. According to analysts, Kim has the intellectual capacity to fully understand that he is young and needs to prove himself. The sinking of the Cheonan -- that resulted in the death of more than 50 South Korean sailors -- and the bombardment of Yeongpyeong island were orchestrated by father and son to prove to the older military leadership that Kim was a dangerous genius feared by the imperialist powers. 

That there was no retaliation from the South for the attacks, only served to prove the young Mr. Kim. Although the first two strikes were tolerated, president Lee Myung-Bak of the South changed military procedures, allowing the South to bomb the North with jets in the event of another attack. 

As it stands, the South has strict procedures for defending itself in the event of another aggression. The possibility of aggression is very high. Kim Jong-Un has under his command a million man army -- the third largest in the world -- and he has continued nearly all of his father's psychopatic human rights abuses, and since he wants to be seen as the reincarnation of his grandfather, perhaps he is also willing to sacrifice a few million people in order to cement his rule. 

There are 28,000 US soldiers in South Korea, but the US is in little condition to stomach another sustained war. The North has stockpiled enough fuel to endure a two-month military campaign, and also enough food to sustain its military for many months more. 

If the young Mr. Kim is calculating his best odds -- for the survival of his regime -- he needs to sacrifice his most disloyal units and "win" a war against the South. The South does not want to see Seoul destroyed -- 25 million souls living there -- so Mr. Kim could very likely get away with destroying a smaller city. He doesn't care about his infrastructure-barren country getting bombed for a month or two. The South will likely try to reach an armistice after proper "retaliation."

Though the Korean war ended in an armistice and the two Koreas are still technically at war, North Koreans still laud it as a victory against the US. Mr. Kim believes he can do the same again. If he is successful, he will have an immense base of support. Kim is a gambling man, and this is a gamble he feels he needs to take. At this point, we can merely hope that the South does not push ahead with new UN sanctions. 

After that, we can only hope that Mr. Kim only destroys a small city. And, after that, we can only hope that the South calls for an armistice after a bombing campaign or less. 

If Kim fails to follow through on his promise to go to war over the South pushing for UN sanctions, the very real possibility remains that his regime may collapse and 23 million starving, modernity-disoriented refugees flock the South and also the Chinese border.

Given the current escalation between China, Taiwan, and Japan over the Senkaku islands in the East China Sea, the very real possibility remains that the world powers could be dragged into Mr. Kim's need to preserve his regime.

A Man in His 20s Could Start the Third World War

Kim Jong-un, born in 1983 or 1984, is the absolute ruler of North Korea. Rumors circulating in the Chinese media speculate that Mr. Kim, beyond just molding his Mao suit and hair style, has also undergone plastic surgery in order to resemble his grandfather, the late Kim Il-Sung: founder of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, hero of the Korean war, and the man who started it. But just what else is the young Mr. Kim trying to do like his grandfather Kim Il-Sung?

If recent speech is to be believed, the young Mr. Kim wants to start another war, just like his grandpa'. In the face of no UN support from China, Kim faces a rather serious problem: he is young and not widely supported in North Korea. He is seen by many as a young prince. North Koreans see his belly as a sign of laziness, and, worse, compare him to a character from a 90s children cartoon; a child general that makes goofy mistakes. 

Besides the rocket launch which on the 11th of December proved that North Korea could deliver a 500kg warhead up to 10,000km, potentially having the capability to reach San Francisco, Kim has no other accolades. Fortunately, the North has does not have a nuclear warhead under 1500kg, nor have they shown they have the technology needed for atmosphere re-entry.

The young Mr. Kim needs to prove to his people that he is strong and that the South fears him. He has threatened war with the South if it presses ahead with UN sanctions. If the South does not press ahead with sanctions, it will be lauded by the regime as proof of how strong and feared the young Mr. Kim is.

However, should the South proceed with sanctions, Kim Jong-Un will be seen as weak by his people. According to analysts, Kim has the intellectual capacity to fully understand that he is young and needs to prove himself. The sinking of the Cheonan -- that resulted in the death of more than 50 South Korean sailors -- and the bombardment of Yeongpyeong island were orchestrated by father and son to prove to the older military leadership that Kim was a dangerous genius feared by the imperialist powers. 

That there was no retaliation from the South for the attacks, only served to prove the young Mr. Kim. Although the first two strikes were tolerated, president Lee Myung-Bak of the South changed military procedures, allowing the South to bomb the North with jets in the event of another attack. 

As it stands, the South has strict procedures for defending itself in the event of another aggression. The possibility of aggression is very high. Kim Jong-Un has under his command a million man army -- the third largest in the world -- and he has continued nearly all of his father's psychopatic human rights abuses, and since he wants to be seen as the reincarnation of his grandfather, perhaps he is also willing to sacrifice a few million people in order to cement his rule. 

There are 28,000 US soldiers in South Korea, but the US is in little condition to stomach another sustained war. The North has stockpiled enough fuel to endure a two-month military campaign, and also enough food to sustain its military for many months more. 

If the young Mr. Kim is calculating his best odds -- for the survival of his regime -- he needs to sacrifice his most disloyal units and "win" a war against the South. The South does not want to see Seoul destroyed -- 25 million souls living there -- so Mr. Kim could very likely get away with destroying a smaller city. He doesn't care about his infrastructure-barren country getting bombed for a month or two. The South will likely try to reach an armistice after proper "retaliation."

Though the Korean war ended in an armistice and the two Koreas are still technically at war, North Koreans still laud it as a victory against the US. Mr. Kim believes he can do the same again. If he is successful, he will have an immense base of support. Kim is a gambling man, and this is a gamble he feels he needs to take. At this point, we can merely hope that the South does not push ahead with new UN sanctions. 

After that, we can only hope that Mr. Kim only destroys a small city. And, after that, we can only hope that the South calls for an armistice after a bombing campaign or less. 

If Kim fails to follow through on his promise to go to war over the South pushing for UN sanctions, the very real possibility remains that his regime may collapse and 23 million starving, modernity-disoriented refugees flock the South and also the Chinese border.

Given the current escalation between China, Taiwan, and Japan over the Senkaku islands in the East China Sea, the very real possibility remains that the world powers could be dragged into Mr. Kim's need to preserve his regime.

The Paradox of Our Time

Perestroiska -- Russian for "structure" -- was a political movement seeking to reform the Soviet Union in the 1980s. The Soviet Union was suppose to be reborn, but instead Chernobyl exploded in a fiery, radioactive rage, the Berlin wall was smashed to bits, and the Cold War ended.

The decay of the Soviet Union has left us with an ever-lasting reminder of the evil in humanity's soul. America taught us to hate and fear Russians, while proclaiming us the "good guys." And, yes, the Soviet Union was evil, but we are not so good ourselves. By we, I don't mean Americans. Instead I refer to the human collective.

If the Soviet Union had a divine purpose in its less than 70 years of existence -- shy of a man's lifetime -- it was to perpetually remind us of what we can do not only to each other, but also the environment. The eternal gift of the Soviet Union is: Chernobyl. The 30-kilometer exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is considered to be the dirtiest radioactive site in Europe. It will not be safe for humans for another 20,000 years -- multiple times longer than the existence of human civilization.

It was feared that no life would ever return to Chernobyl, and very few of the city's 300,000 inhabitants have returned. The absence of humans, however, has led to an explosion of wild life. Chernobyl today is the largest animal sanctuary in Europe. Though the flora still suffers -- with mushrooms very dangerous -- the fauna have spoken.

It's as if the future is speaking back to us, telling us that we humans today are worse for the planet than radioactive fallout. In a 1,000 years, long after we are all dead and our names are but echoes in history, our progeny will proclaim: "they were worse than radiation."

The Paradox of Our Time

Peretroiska -- Russian for "structure" -- was a political movement seeking to reform the Soviet Union in the 1980s. The Soviet Union was suppose to be reborn, but instead Chernobyl exploded in a fiery, radioactive rage, the Berlin wall was smashed to bits, and the Cold War ended.

The decay of the Soviet Union has left us with an ever-lasting reminder of the evil in humanity's soul. America taught us to hate and fear Russians, while proclaiming us the "good guys." And, yes, the Soviet Union was evil, but we are not so good ourselves. By we, I don't mean Americans. Instead I refer to the human collective.

If the Soviet Union had a divine purpose in its less than 70 years of existence -- shy of a man's lifetime -- it was to perpetually remind us of what we can do not only to each other, but also the environment. The eternal gift of the Soviet Union is: Chernobyl. The 30-kilometer exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is considered to be the dirtiest radioactive site in Europe. It will not be safe for humans for another 20,000 years -- multiple times longer than the existence of human civilization.

 

It was feared that no life would ever return to Chernobyl, and very few of the city's 300,000 inhabitants have returned. The absence of humans, however, has led to an explosion of wild life. Chernobyl today is the largest animal sanctuary in Europe. Though the flora still suffers -- with mushrooms very dangerous -- the fauna have spoken.

 

It's as if the future is speaking back to us, telling us that we humans today are worse for the planet than radioactive fallout. In a 1,000 years, long after we are all dead and our names are but echoes in history, our progeny will proclaim: "they were worse than radiation."

La Sonora Matancera, or How to Suffer Happily

How the province of Matanzas got its name, I do not know. Matanza is the Spanish word for "slaughter," so I always had this image in my mind of Matanzas, Cuba as a place that was forged in blood and passion. The music produced by the region's artists seems to mirror that history of pain, slavery, and happiness in the face of suffering.

 

In "Who Shot Mr. Burns?" Chief Wiggum decides to pay Tito Puente a visit in order to determine if he's the culprit. Tito Puente breaks out in song, proclaiming, "words won't last long, but an insulting song Burns will always carry with him. So, I settle my score on the Salsa floor with this vengeful Latin rhythm." Chief Wiggum happily and immediately agree that he's innocent. Though Puerto Rican, there's a reason why Tito Puente was frequently confused for Cuban: his music often has that Cuban duality of happiness in misery.

 

No other group is more representative of Cuban music than La Sonora Matancera. Though officially started in 1935, the group's history stretches to the early 1920s under other names and incarnations. The number of artists that have at one point or another played for La Sonora Matancera is too great to list. However, that list includes some of the biggest names in Cuban music: Perez "The King of Mambo" Prado, Bienvenido Granda, Daniel Santos, Celia Cruz, and Manuel "Caito" Diaz.

 

Celia Cruz, in particular, would continue producing hits until her death in 2003. In the near eight decades of the group's existence, the thousands of recording -- many lost -- deal with nearly every subject imaginable. Most songs deal with Afro-Cuban struggle, Santeria, lost love, betrayal, family difficulties, and, somehow, pure happiness. 

 

The two songs I feel most encapsulate La Sonora Matancera are "Obsesions" and "En El Mar." The former deals with the impossibility of love, the latter with pure joy simply for the sake of living near the sea.

 

They just don't make simple, moving recordings like this one anymore. The cigarette alone is enough to move you.

 

 

 

La Sonora Matancera, or How to Suffer Happily

How the province of Matanzas got its name, I do not know. Matanza is the Spanish word for "slaughter," so I always had this image in my mind of Matanzas, Cuba as a place that was forged in blood and passion. The music produced by the region's artists seems to mirror that history of pain, slavery, and happiness in the face of suffering.

 

In "Who Shot Mr. Burns?" Chief Wiggum decides to pay Tito Puente a visit in order to determine if he's the culprit. Tito Puente breaks out in song, proclaiming, "words won't last long, but an insulting song Burns will always carry with him. So, I settle my score on the Salsa floor with this vengeful Latin rhythm." Chief Wiggum happily and immediately agree that he's innocent. Though Puerto Rican, there's a reason why Tito Puente was frequently confused for Cuban: his music often has that Cuban duality of happiness in misery.

 

No other group is more representative of Cuban music than La Sonora Matancera. Though officially started in 1935, the group's history stretches to the early 1920s under other names and incarnations. The number of artists that have at one point or another played for La Sonora Matancera is too great to list. However, that list includes some of the biggest names in Cuban music: Perez "The King of Mambo" Prado, Bienvenido Granda, Daniel Santos, Celia Cruz, and Manuel "Caito" Diaz.

 

Celia Cruz, in particular, would continue producing hits until her death in 2003. In the near eight decades of the group's existence, the thousands of recording -- many lost -- deal with nearly every subject imaginable. Most songs deal with Afro-Cuban struggle, Santeria, lost love, betrayal, family difficulties, and, somehow, pure happiness. 

 

The two songs I feel most encapsulate La Sonora Matancera are "Obsesions" and "En El Mar." The former deals with the impossibility of love, the latter with pure joy simply for the sake of living near the sea.

 

They just don't make simple, moving recordings like this one anymore. The cigarette alone is enough to move you.