More Dennis Rodman: Kim Jong-un’s “really awesome” and his people sure do seem to love him
posted at 10:41 am on March 1, 2013 by Allahpundit
This shouldn’t bother me as much as it does. Rodman’s a kook and a has-been; there’s less than zero reason to care what he thinks. It’s not so much that I “care,” though, as that I’m dumbfounded at watching any American go whole hog on North Korean propaganda. I can’t explain it. The temptation is to assume that he doesn’t know what goes on there, just because no one who does could possibly mouth the words he’s saying in the clip. But he must know, right? Even if he’s never read a word about NK, surely someone in his orbit took him aside and filled him in when he happened to mention, “Hey, I’m going to Pyongyang for some HBO thing.” The guys from VICE who are with him surely know. Or knew: Maybe that “epic feast” that Kim held for them helped them forget.
Ending his unexpected round of basketball diplomacy in North Korea on Friday, ex-NBA star Dennis Rodman called leader Kim Jong Un an “awesome guy” and said his father and grandfather were “great leaders.”…
At Pyongyang’s Sunan airport on his way to Beijing, Rodman said it was “amazing” that the North Koreans were “so honest.” He added that Kim Jong Il and Kim Il Sung, North Korea’s founder, “were great leaders.”
“He’s proud, his country likes him — not like him, love him, love him,” Rodman said of Kim Jong Un. “Guess what, I love him. The guy’s really awesome.”
Is he … just being polite to his host, as insane as that sounds? Is he practicing kindergarten diplomacy, i.e. “what all bullies really need is a hug”? Even if you strain to attribute to him some sort of muddled good intention, you run straight into the inescapable fact that he’s whitewashing crimes against humanity here. Holocaust denial is atrocious under any circumstances, but this is like denying the Holocaust after you’ve just come from lunch at the Berghof. I’m honestly surprised Kim didn’t ask him to do a little anti-American propaganda while he was there. Does this sound like a guy who would have refused a request to sit on some anti-aircraft guns north of the DMZ?
Seriously, what’s going on here? Rodman’s a kook, not a sociopath. I think.
Update: Hmmm.
Back in the USA today! Mon in NYC I will tell what is true and not true of what you have heard and read. Love you all.
— Dennis Rodman (@dennisrodman) March 1, 2013
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I’m thinking “nuts” would be an appropriate response.
Eloquent, concise, and effective.
All things our diplomats are incapable of today.
BobMbx on April 24, 2013 at 5:25 PM
When a million people are starved to death, it’s a
nearcertainty that some will resort to cannibalism.RadClown on April 24, 2013 at 5:34 PM
Obama reminding lil kim that he’s got big balls of brass.
nonpartisan on April 24, 2013 at 5:35 PM
Umm… John Kerry said they had ballistic nuclear missiles…
Seems the Norks want us to treat them as such.
Frankly the smart move would’ve had Obama calling for them to submit to UN regulations regarding nuclear states before any further talks can go forward…
But y’know I’m just a gun ownin’ redneck conservative and don’t understand such complexities like the lightbringer…
Skywise on April 24, 2013 at 5:38 PM
North Korea is pretty much never going to be taken seriously again, after the last months, unless they actually go to war with someone. The shrill and hysterical rhetoric was basically open threats of nuclear war and they are clearly backing down.
Doomberg on April 24, 2013 at 5:41 PM
If the REB accepts this as he eventually will, Japan has no choice but to build nuclear weapons.
slickwillie2001 on April 24, 2013 at 5:42 PM
North Korea wants to be recognized as a NUCKED country? Someone can make that a fact but not Obama.
meci on April 24, 2013 at 5:46 PM
I say just we do it, already. We wouldn’t want them to nuke us out of frustration over common misconceptions of their nation and culture.
abobo on April 24, 2013 at 5:46 PM
seriously? With THOSE hats?!
kirkill on April 24, 2013 at 5:53 PM
Kermit Gosnell’s defense: he thought he was in North Korea.
rbj on April 24, 2013 at 5:55 PM
Nice accessories to the platform boots they wear.
hawkeye54 on April 24, 2013 at 5:58 PM
Considering his work environment, that would be an easy mistake to make.
hawkeye54 on April 24, 2013 at 5:59 PM
Years ago, I read the nonfiction book by William Craig upon which the film of the same title ‘Enemy At the Gates’ was based. After the German defeat at Stalingrad, some German POWs in Siberia became mad with hunger and resorted to cannibalism. These starving prisoners started roving in packs, scavenging for fresh corpses, but soon began attacking other prisoners. Eventually, (still-sane) German officers and NCOs convinced the Russians to give them crowbars so that they could organize and systematically hunt down the cannibals. Until now, that was one of the worst substantiated true stories I knew about.
The horror story that is North Korea just goes on and on. I can’t think of a single people in the history of the world–at least in modern history–who has suffered more than they have.
troyriser_gopftw on April 24, 2013 at 6:11 PM
Well, looks like they will have to drop one on somebody.
jake49 on April 24, 2013 at 6:12 PM
I wonder how much those North Korean military hats weigh?
bw222 on April 24, 2013 at 6:29 PM
They do that, and the Norks will likely get full recognition ….probably more than they’re demanding.
hawkeye54 on April 24, 2013 at 6:35 PM
North Korea may be the biggest casualty of the Boston Bombing and the manhunt for the terrorist. It sure wiped their ranting’s right out of the media news cycle, and now, nobody gives a crap.
Wallythedog on April 24, 2013 at 7:11 PM
Obama should announce that NK does not know the first thing about nuclear power, their whole country is always without electricity.
KenInIL on April 24, 2013 at 7:36 PM
Setting off a few tons of TNT underground doesn’t merit such recognition-whatever that means anyway.
Dr. ZhivBlago on April 25, 2013 at 12:19 AM
Well they DO demand that they be called the DEMOCRATIC People’s Republic of Korea.
And in similar fashion we have a DEMOCRATIC Party that is lead by a narcissitic twit a.k.a King Putt.
There was a diplomatic message sent to Washington from Little Kim Jong-un that read: We will destroy America, its spirit and their economy.
Our Dear Liar, President Present replied back: Too Late!
Remember when he leaves office in Janurary 2015 … HIDE ALL OF THE TELEPROMPTERS. OK?
Missilengr on April 25, 2013 at 3:59 PM