To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life’s but a walking shadow.
– Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Act V., Sc. V.
The world certainly is changing.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has died at the age of 69, state-run television has announced.
Mr Kim, who has led the communist nation since the death of his father in 1994, died on a train while visiting an area outside the capital, the announcement said.
He suffered a stroke in 2008 and was absent from public view for months.
His designated successor is believed to be his third son, Kim Jong-un, who is thought to be in his late 20s.
As for Kim Jong-un, we don’t know much about him. He doesn’t come out in public very much but he is reportedly close to his father. The oldest son, Kim Jong-nam, is apparently more interested in other things.
You can see a brief glimpse of Kim Jong-un in this video of the North Korean military showing off their goose-stepping in front of him and his father Kim Jong-il. Kim Jong-un is in black on the reviewing stand.
Memeorandum thread on this topic.
UPDATE: Smitty makes a witty observation.
UPDATE 2: Telegraph.com.au – “Over the Rainbow”
Allahpundit reminds us that the question may not be so much about whether Kim Jong-un is a bad guy but rather how loyal the military may or may not be to him. Excellent point.
