Yesterday you learned that in space, no one can hear you scream, unless you’re Hello Kitty. Today, or friends at NPR, YES OUR FRIENDS AT NPR posted this at their blog. Hermiting is really working out for the Hermit Kingdom … Continue reading →
Island Dweller has some thoughts on the Czar’s mercurial rant on Korea: Most esteemed Czar A close examination of the photo of that poor man on that lonely Korean hilltop will disclose some deep slash wounds on the palm of … Continue reading →
A side-note from another topic prompted the Retired Spook to write this on a cinder block that was chucked through the window and hit Sleestak square in the chest, as if it had been precisely timed and aimed. Retired Spook … Continue reading →
Excellent views from the upper levels. And they finally got rid of that crane at the top. By the way, for some good laughs, read the reviews. A modest proposal arrives via carrier pterosaur outside yon Castle window: Dear Czar … Continue reading →
These came up while the Czar was washing blood off his hands in the men’s room. First up is JAB, who pops up from the Doublewide to tell an awesome story: Dear Mr. Mandarin and Your Czarness: Reading your “Literal … Continue reading →
In other good news, China is massing troops and having air and naval craft patrol their border with North Korea. One Chinese restaurant owner (one wonders what’s on the menu there) in a nearby border town expressed amazement over the … Continue reading →
There has been some fair criticism recently that Americans are not taking the North Korean situation seriously. Understandably, Americans kind of tune out the raving idiocy that pops out of that country on borrowed Japanese social media. Additionally, many South … Continue reading →
Would North Korea be public about its nuclear test if Mitt Romney had been president today? This seems a fair question. Another question: would they be conducting a nuclear test at all? This one is probably yes, given that the … Continue reading →
The one one the left is a good doctor, the one on the right, a good businessman. Dr. J. was watching MASH last night. MASH was appointment television for Dr. J. and Papa J. who served in Berlin during the … Continue reading →
The Czar was surprised to receive an email from Aaron Colohan, whom you will not immediately recall was the subject of a Czarish rant. The Czar doubts you readers will research this, so allow him to summarize. Mr. Colohan wrote … Continue reading →
Apparently the Obama administration wishes to revise child labor regs such that children under 18 are restricted as to what activities they may participate in on their parents’ farms. That being said, a couple of blog posts by Rachel Campos-Duffy … Continue reading →
Well, we finally get to see what Kim Jong Ŭn (김정은) looks like. In more ways than one. This morning, some radio pundits were warning listeners that we have to wait and see what happens in North Korea; the order … Continue reading →
With the long-overdue death of Kim Jong Il, the future of North Korea has never been stranger. Generally, Nork watchers assume that Kim Jong Un will be the new leader of North Korea. Is this good news? Incredibly, it is … Continue reading →
Like you, we have been wondering about Kim Jŏng Il. Sure, he’s an affable dresser and a bon vivant at potluck dinners. But what has he actually accomplished? Quite a lot, as it turns out. Read through this list and … Continue reading →
…you’re supposed to put the kibosh on ideas like when the Mandarin says, “Let’s invest forty mil in a beachfront resort on Yŏnpyŏng-do.” ‘Club Yellow Sea,’ my 至聖 ass… Confucius, Œc. Vol.Don’t ask impertinent questions like that jackass Adept Lu. … Continue reading →
The Volgi pointed us to this: it’s an amateur’s assessment of North Korean military options, and the Czar has gotta tell you, this thing is more detailed and well reasoned than some actual military SWOT documents he has seen. Our … Continue reading →
The Czar is finally getting around to tackling a backlog of mail. First up, BG writes in: I read this and all I could think was, “Arghhh! The stupid! It burns!!!!!!!!!” E.J. Dionne writes: So on the one hand, we … Continue reading →
Crap, the Czar has a lot of email to respond to. He got some really good ones over the last two days, and he promises he will answer. But what about this North Korean thing? To catch you up, because … Continue reading →
Mario Loyola has an excellent essay on the state of North Korea. Therein, he writes that American foreign policy really fails to understand China and her attitudes to North Korea. When the George W. Bush administration first came into office, … Continue reading →
So, over at Contentions, J.E. Dyer puts up a bunch of links showing Russian attempts to bully Japan over the Kuril Islands, concluding: Its significance cannot be overemphasized. In approaching this confrontation, Russia is effectively treating Japan — a G-8 … Continue reading →
Your Mandarin, being an aficionado of cars enjoys reading Car and Driver Magazine. During a recent perusal of their web site, your Mandarin happened upon this article written by Justin Berkowitz that discusses the history of the North Korean automobile … Continue reading →
The US state department says there “will definitely be consequences” for North Korea following the sinking of a South Korean warship in March. No kidding. There always are consequences with this administration; this is the first time, though, they seem … Continue reading →
Царь наш, of course the North Koreans didn’t figure out nuclear fusion this week. Kim Jong-Il discovered fusion as a child of four and never again did physics, lest lesser scientists be intimidated by his world-conquering genius which additionally explains … Continue reading →
Neocon warmongering nonsense! Right? Right? And to echo the Czar, shukrân yâ Imârât! (شكران يا إمارات) Confucius, Œc. Vol.Don’t ask impertinent questions like that jackass Adept Lu. gormogons.com
Continue reading →The UAE is not generally hostile to the United States, and while most people do not always recognize who or what the UAE are, they all seem to know about the manic, over-the-top construction efforts that range from man-made islands … Continue reading →
Only the New York Times would have the intentional blindness to consider Obama’s handling of North Korea a success. A success it is not. Bill Clinton kowtows and gets two jailed journalists freed, and it’s a miracle, for North Korea … Continue reading →
Former President Bill “Call Me Daddy” Clinton is being universally praised in the mainstream media for his “diplomatic” mission to North Korea. ‘Puter has a sneaking suspicion that the Obama Administration had an ulterior motive for acquiescing to North Korea’s … Continue reading →
Geep—there is no coincidence. As revealed in the somehow-obtained memo from SoS Clinton, our North Korean parolees were hardly in the wrong place at the wrong time. They were intentionally breaking the law by crossing into and out of China … Continue reading →
The two young ladies recently freed by North Korea were lefty reporters for Al Gore’s liberal news outlet and money pit, Current TV. Two of the three hikers recently captured/abducted/arrested by Iran are screaming liberal, Bay Area, UC-Berkeley grad, freelance … Continue reading →
To: All State Department EmployeesFrom: Secretary of StateDate: August 5, 2009Re: New Policies on Human Collateral Effective immediately, all American citizens being held hostage, detained, arrested, or captured, legally or illegally, may be seen as valuable commodities to the governments … Continue reading →
All right! POTUS42 (that’d be Bill “Bill” Clinton) is on his way to North Korea to straighten $#!+ out over there. You read that right: our former president is going over to PyôngYang (come for the 정과, stay for the … Continue reading →
Everything Hillary knows about North Korea, she learned from Chelsea (pictured, right). The Czar has made numerous accusations, as recently as yesterday, that Democratic foreign policy against tyrants and dictators consists of treating the evil ones as naughtly little children … Continue reading →
SoS Clinton is fuming mad! Those “friends we haven’t met yet,” Iran and North Korea, are going to be sorry if they continue on the road to nuclear weapons. Really sorry. Why, she’s so mad, she’s not even sure what … Continue reading →
The Czar is right. The nuclear genie’s long out of the bottle and is far less fetching than Barbara Eden. The Czar politely mentions the past difficulties between Burma and the DPRK. If the Volgi’s memory serves, these include the … Continue reading →
Is Burma, incorrectly called Myanmar by the NYT, looking to engage with North Korea on a nuclear weapon partnership? As far-fetched as this initially seems (the two countries do not enjoy a happy common history), evidently there is enough evidence … Continue reading →
It’s what they do. Confucius, Œc. Vol.Don’t ask impertinent questions like that jackass Adept Lu. gormogons.com
Continue reading →If you are about done with Michael Jackson, you may be interested to hear that the Kang Nam has turned around. This ship, which is suspected of carrying illegal materials, has been shadowed by the U.S.S. John McCain for weeks … Continue reading →
In an open love letter to POTUS Obama, Aaron Colohan of the Richmond Liberal Examiner opines that the President is doing a fine job of managing both Iran and North Korea, even though they are two very different countries. The … Continue reading →
FoxNews just went with this story, which the Czar does not see on other news feeds yet, that the dramatically-named USS John McCain is closing in on a North Korean ship believed to be moving weapon material around. The destroyer, … Continue reading →
How long does it usually take a Gormogon to find evidence that the Obama administration is run by (and like) a high school student organization? The Czar speaks for himself, here, but usually it is a matter of scanning the … Continue reading →
The nominee for Assistant Secretary of State is the hockeyly-named Kurt Campbell, who testified in his Senate confirmation hearings that the United States will not accept a nuclear North Korea. Nor should it, and Mr. Campbell (80 GP, 20 G … Continue reading →
From The Christian Science Monitor, on the rumor that Kim Jong Un has been tapped as North Korea’s next leader: North Korea is giving no hints about succession, but the rapid-fire moves to show off the North’s military strength, notably … Continue reading →
So hypothesizes Anne Applebaum. Read the whole thing, but: Perhaps the North Koreans have stepped up their war rhetoric, and their war preparations, because China wants them to do so. China is the one country that actually has influence over … Continue reading →
Doesn’t Kim Jong Il have a compelling personal story? Like Sonia, he grew up in a poor neighborhood (North Korea), yet he’s managed to become a nuclear power, shattering the glass ceiling to take his seat at the old nuclear … Continue reading →
Well now we are mad. The US warns North Korea not to launch a rocket over Japan. And we warn them not to do any more nuclear tests. Okay, well, this time, SecDef Gates says that if North Korea lets … Continue reading →
Yeah, it is tough to top a line like this on why North Korea will not carry out its threats to attack US and ROK interdiction vessels: “The location of mansions where Pyongyang’s leaders enjoy their Hennessy cognac is well … Continue reading →
The Czar is glad someone addressed North Korea today! All the Czar can add is this. Successful underground test of a functional, remotely detonated nuclear weapon? Check! Successful test of an extended range rocket capable of carrying a functional, remotely … Continue reading →
The Gormogons’ network of informants tells ‘Puter that President Obama’s ordered a t-shirt with the logo (pictured, right) with a shipping address of “Only Dwelling With Electricity And Plumbing, The Hermit Kingdom.” That’s certain to change Kim’s mind on his … Continue reading →
Can someone explain to the Czar why the United Nations is still a good idea? More than a week late, the United Nations has decided to take action against North Korea for its highly dangerous and illegal missile launch over … Continue reading →
Fascinating read at FoxNews.com regarding a lack of future for North Korean leadership. The Czar of MuscovyБожію Поспѣшествующею Милостію Мы, Дима Грозный Императоръ и Самодержецъ Всероссiйскiй, цѣсарь Московскiй. The Czar was born in the steppes of Russia in 1267, and … Continue reading →
The Czar agrees that North Korea is of interest to China, if nothing more than to put into play a major distraction for the US, Japan, and South Korea. Gosh, if North Korea fell, those 3 economic engines might start … Continue reading →
So, as in your scenario, North Korea falls apart. Obviously, South Korea is willing, on some level (on a spectrum of enthusiastically to grudgingly), to welcome its co-Hanguks back into the fold and to unify the peninsula under a democratic … Continue reading →
‘Puter raises an interesting notion, wondering what the net effects would be of China assuming control over North Korea. The Czar is not certain if this would be a permanent or temporary solution; China, of course, is not known for … Continue reading →
Actually, ’Puter, your Volgi would have very little problem in turning North Korea over to China—though why China would want them is another question altogether. Even if it is an encouragement of Chinese imperialism, I think it’s hard to argue … Continue reading →
Here’s a fantasy foreign policy heresy for general Gormogon discussion. ‘Puter’s certain Volgi will politely point out the myriad errors herein. And Czar and GorT will pile on. Why would it be such a bad thing for the United States … Continue reading →
The State Department wants us to understand that North Korea did not win any kind of PR battle. Even though they launched their missile. Even though the 6-nation interest over North Korea split along predictable lines. Even though the United … Continue reading →
North Korea’s Unha-2 missile…er, communcations satellite…was successfully launched, flew right over Japan, and put, evidently, an iPod into space that—if you listen to 470 MHz—you can hear endlessly looped recordings of “Song of General Kim Il-sung” and “Song of General … Continue reading →
According to Mike Goldfarb, the Missile Defense Agency is on the chopping block. Just in time for the Taepodong launch. Your Volgi doesn’t get this at all. If we need this crazy, giant “stimulus” spend-a-palooza, why can’t we spend on … Continue reading →
As the North Korean missile crisis continues, POTUS Obama has received assurances from Hu Jintao that not only would China consider a North Korean missile launch provocative, but gave signals that China would not oppose interception should the missile deviate … Continue reading →
So, President Obama went on YouTube and delivered a message to the leadership of Iran of how he wanted to get together and rap about all the false consciousness that’s harshing our bilateral mellow. Which, of course, led to Iran’s … Continue reading →
That the Pyongyang-Damascus-Tehran nuclear axis went undetected and unacknowledged for so long is an intelligence failure of the highest magnitude. It represents a plain unwillingness to allow hard truths to overcome well-entrenched policy views disguised as intelligence findings. Confucius, Œc. … Continue reading →
The NorKs are going to test an ICBM under the guise of a “satellite launch.” Japan in response threatened to shoot the NorK missile out of the sky. Iran had declared itself a nuclear and space power. Cuba and Venezuela … Continue reading →
Anyone follow the North Korean negotiating fiasco? The North Koreans, like the guy swinging a chair in the cafeteria on his first day in jail, do some crazy shit, and we say, “Hey, hey, hey, easy, easy. Let’s negotiate! Here’s … Continue reading →
The appropriately abbreviated SoS Clinton announced today that US Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Bosworth will make his first trip to North Korea next week. The Czar finds it interesting, at any rate, that North Korea has its own … Continue reading →
And working on ballistic-missile defense. Meanwhile, there’s some disturbing strategery (or politicking) afoot on Team Obama. Confucius, Œc. Vol.Don’t ask impertinent questions like that jackass Adept Lu. gormogons.com
Continue reading →From the Weekly Standard. A total lack of a North Korea policy. Neglect of the navy in the face of a Chinese build-up. (Aircraft carriers are pure force-projection platforms—there’s nothing defensive about them.) One does worry about relative foreign-policy tyros … Continue reading →
A commenter (dag, E.K.!) e-mails that we are too hard on President Obama and have whitewashed the enormities and foibles of President Bush. Our position: we started this blog after all the Bush controversies were long settled into obsessive partisan … Continue reading →
So, yeah, I forgot to blog about North Korea’s negotiating its way off our terror-sponsoring list. Too depressing, I guess. Anyway, just so your Monday is no happier than ours (as Redskins fans), here’s John Bolton telling you why it’s … Continue reading →
So, we’ve crossed Iraq off our list of malefactors. Who’s left on the actively anti-American front? Well, if we ignore great powers like Russia and China, we’ve got Venezuela, Iran, Syria & North Korea. (Pakistan’s ISI may soon be bidding … Continue reading →
…by Ralph Peters here. I don’t know much about Putin the man, but Peters seems pretty on-target. Jumping off from that piece, Abe Greenwald here discusses just how alien the cultural and psychological premises of our principal adversaries are, and … Continue reading →
Abe Greenwald finds proof of the origins of China’s cool, creepy, inhuman Opening Ceremony aesthetic. So they hired Albert Speer’s son to do the architecture (just a coincidence, I’m sure), and aspired to Kim Il-Sung’s parade drill. It’s amazing their … Continue reading →
