Monty Python and the Holy Centrifuges
With relations between North and South Korea still tense and limited, the North threatened Monday to abandon a military hot line with the South and close a jointly operated office where officials from both Koreas interact.
The North also said it would never again deal with President Lee Myung-bak of South Korea, calling him a “traitor,” although the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il, said only last month that he was willing to participate in a summit meeting with Mr. Lee. The North Korean warnings came in a communiqué from the National Defense Commission that was released through the official Korean Central News Agency. [NYT]
Alternative translation: I don’t wanna talk to you no more, you empty-headed animal food trough waterer! Only now, it has dawned on me what a near-perfect parody this scene is of North Korea’s foreign policy. Tell me if I’m off-base here:
It’s all there: the self-imposed isolation, the hilariously stilted invective, the contemptuous mendacity toward the outsiders, even the attacks on the Cheonan and Yeonpyeong Island. It works just as well as a parody of U.S. foreign policy. From outside the castle walls come foreigners who at first offer a bargain, then obsequious requests for inspections, and finally empty threats.
Later on, we even get to see the Sunshine Policy weaponized against its creators:
I call that pretty damn prophetic for a movie that came out in 1975.
In related news, North Korea, which was removed from the list of state sponsors of terrorism on October 11, 2008, has threatened “retaliatory military actions” against “the Lee group of traitors,” apparently because some ROK soldiers put pictures of its holy family on its shooting range targets.
Clearly a grave breach of international protocol, that.
Not the Holy Hand-Grenade of Antioch!
Funnily, I was discussing the violent tendancies of rabbits with someone in the Caithness Rabbit Fanciers. They have a double ridge of gnashers and can be bloody vicious.
I’m trying to arrange some North Korean awareness event, and asked this friend of mine about coupling with the fanciers ‘cos of that German rabbit breeder. It initially baffled her, but when I mentioned the Continental rabbits, she knew about the – initial, at least – delivery to the North. And agreed with it because, despite what the bunny-huggers may say, she accepts they’re meat-producing animals [1].
She was less-pleased when I told her what had happened.
~alec
[1] The Romans introduced them to Britain for that reason, as they did with bishop’s weed aka ground elder as a potage herb. What have the Romans ever done for us? That. The bastards.
Remember back several years ago during the Asian collegiate games in Busan when the troup of North Korean cheerleaders had several members demand their bus stop and ran out in the rain and climbed a pole to remove a banner that has hanging across the street.
Why?
Because, it had pictures of Kim Jong Il on it (celebrating the games and the Korean team and cheerleaders), but it was not the highest banner above the road, and the b@stard South Koreans were allowing it to get wet…
Kim Jong-il’s a parrot.
No he’s not. He’s a rabbit
No he’s not. He’s a parrot.
No he’s not. He’s a rabbit.
…And he’s dead.
No he’s not.
yes he is
No he’s not.
Yes he is
…And he smells dead
No he doesn’t
Yes he does
No he doesn’t.
…That’s rabbit smell
I thought you said he’s a parrot
No I didn’t
Yes you did…..
A dialog between Chris Hill and Dimmy Carter, courtesy of Monty Python.