North Korea’s heir apparent is obsessed with a Chinese film ‘The Rise of the Great Nations,’ about how advanced countries like the United States, Great Britain, and France became Great Nations. Kim is quoted as saying that he could watch the film over and over again.
South Korea’s Chosun reports that Kim was so impressed with the film that he wants North Korea to take its place next to the US and other Great Nations….by 2012. From Chosun:
“A source quoted Kim as saying, ‘Now that our country has become an independent nuclear state, we can become a strong socialist nation if the food, clothing and shelter needs of our people are met.’
But North Korean intellectuals who watched the film were quoted by RFA as saying, ‘Nobody actually believes that North Korea can become a powerful country by 2012,’ as the official propaganda goal states. ‘We just hope we can get our food rations on time.'”
Nuclear deterrence, conventional deterrence, assumes that the enemy is rational. This is not rational. Simply saying that Kim is “out of touch” simply doesn’t reflect his inability to grasp reality. Kim is delusional. We can no longer assume that North Korea’s leaders will operate in a rational manner.
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