Ok, it's an Axis of Evil update. Time in Asia has a special report on a Special Autonomous Region that will essentially be a section of the country that is entirely independant. Call me skeptical. Here's the link:
TIME
Essentially it will be a separate region of the country supposedly devoid of any influence from the DPRK and Kim's cadre. How they plan on convincing the world that the most paranoid, brutal, tyranical dictator is going to have market capitalism and foreign investment dollars within his reach and not make a grab for some (if not all) of it is beyond comprehension. A regime that has resorted to counterfeiting, drug running , concentration camps (see here and here) and assorted other nefarious activities to ensure their survival is going to hold the door while Chinese and Japanese investors bring goods and cash in and out? Pft!
I do not mean to understate the implications this move has. It is clearly a signal that the Chinese have convinced Kim (along with The Bush Doctrine) that if he wants to survive he needs to go along to get along. China has managed to contain things (with varying degrees of success) for nearly 20 years. That would carry Kim to the twilight of his years. Better to die a toothless dictator with the sun setting on your regime than to go out like Il Duce did. Or bin Laden (or bin Laden depending who you believe. None of this will erase his country's history of terrorism (see hereand here) and ruthless pursuit of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. The big question becomes, will it be enough to keep them off the target list? Can Kim hold out and reform enough to get his name stricken from the dreaded regime change list? I hope not.
One thing can be said. Kim places survival above all else. He has stashed a considerable fortune (see here and here) in case he needs to flee.
TIME
Essentially it will be a separate region of the country supposedly devoid of any influence from the DPRK and Kim's cadre. How they plan on convincing the world that the most paranoid, brutal, tyranical dictator is going to have market capitalism and foreign investment dollars within his reach and not make a grab for some (if not all) of it is beyond comprehension. A regime that has resorted to counterfeiting, drug running , concentration camps (see here and here) and assorted other nefarious activities to ensure their survival is going to hold the door while Chinese and Japanese investors bring goods and cash in and out? Pft!
I do not mean to understate the implications this move has. It is clearly a signal that the Chinese have convinced Kim (along with The Bush Doctrine) that if he wants to survive he needs to go along to get along. China has managed to contain things (with varying degrees of success) for nearly 20 years. That would carry Kim to the twilight of his years. Better to die a toothless dictator with the sun setting on your regime than to go out like Il Duce did. Or bin Laden (or bin Laden depending who you believe. None of this will erase his country's history of terrorism (see hereand here) and ruthless pursuit of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. The big question becomes, will it be enough to keep them off the target list? Can Kim hold out and reform enough to get his name stricken from the dreaded regime change list? I hope not.
One thing can be said. Kim places survival above all else. He has stashed a considerable fortune (see here and here) in case he needs to flee.
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