Rodman in NK

I'm sure you have heard about Dennis Rodman's recent trip to North Korea with Vice and I'm curious what you all think about it.

Basically every news report ends with a reminder of the humanitarian atrocities committed there and most of the comments seem to be about how terrible this is / Rodman a horrible representative / Rodman is terrible for talking to him & saying anything positive about NK.

I think this is really great. I got into a pretty bad argument when I was back in the states about my belief that North Korean people probably weren't actually evil. This story is such a crazy change of pace from the normal stories about the country- kind of a reminder we're all actually people. I would never say I'm sympathetic to the Kim family- but the fact that Kim Jong Un likes basketball and hugged Dennis Rodman is quite humanizing. Heck, he didn't create the current system and is probably as brain washed as everyone else (perhaps crossing a line of being too generous..)

Anyway, the whole thing kind of reminded me of when people were up in arms that China could host the Olympics because of all the humanitarian issues or whatever. Obviously, cutting all communication with NK has been great for international relations so far- just opening a door to communication, even with Rodman, seems like a wonderful change.

Kim Jong Un seems to be angling to tone it all down, there have been quite a few prominent Americans visited since he took power, he doesn't seem as mad as his dad. It also seems that China is refusing to back them up anymore which seems to me to be the only thing that is really allowing the regime to continue
I really hate it when people use 'evil' when referring to ridiculously complicated situations. I imagine that the Kims haven't had real power in the country for about a decade, their government is meant to be a bit like China with lots of 'Supreme Councils' and so on

I agree with both of you.

Rodman seems to be a twit. George Stephanopoulos eviscerated him at the weekend, but this could have some positive results. Also, the fact he's coming across as a twit doesn't necessarily mean that he is).

In the 1970s, Nixon and Kissinger established diplomatic links with the person that I hold to be one of the most evil human beings in the history of the planet, but some of us may feel that has proved to be beneficial, and that all started with a bit of table tennis. I think there are a lot of similarities in the situation.

I didn't catch the Stephanopoulos interview- did Rodman say anything particularly idiotic? I'd only read about his commenting he hoped to meet Psy over there- and I have no idea if it was meant as sarcasm. Otherwise everything I've heard that he said were things about loving the North Korean people, being friends with Kim Jongun, ect.

"The Worm" was easy pickin's for George S. Basically just said he thought Kim was a humble and good man, respected by his people. George reminded him of the control and imprisonment going on there. Rodman probably had some interesting points to make, but no way he could articulate them even WITHOUT the twelve pounds of bling bling hanging from his lips.

I think there is good reason to believe that this Kim may just be a force for positive change in the DPRK. He has made serious efforts to understand and begin copying China's economic success...a good starting point. And many analysts believe that he has taken a great deal of power away from the military due to their earlier screw-ups in weapons launching.

Too bad he looks like the spoiled, fat kid that nobody ever picked to be on their football team.

From what I just read on a news site, NK is now threatening the US with a pre-emptive nuclear strike over some sanctions. So if Mr.Rodman is trying to invent "Basketball Diplomacy" to replace "Ping-Pong diplomacy" it is not going so well.

Conversation:

"Hi, I'm Kim-il something or other. I'm decended from the gods of this land to do as I please to anybody on this planet at anytime"

"Cool, I'm the Worm, I'm not from this planet"

I think Rodman is like some sort of Zelig. He's been present at every important historical event but we just didn't notice it til now.

* Rodman at the Paris Peace Talks
* Rodman at Potsdam
* Roadman at Runnymede

All roads lead through Rodman, eventually. Especially the twisted ones.

I think Dennis Rodman is a bit like Mike Tyson, the first thing that you think is that he's just some drug taking meathead, but then there's always the seed of doubt that his stuff is going over my head...

...

I can just imagine the meeting at Vice where those pricks thought this up. Guaranteed it involved ketamine, acid and laughing gas.

I can just imagine the meeting at Vice where those pricks thought this up. Guaranteed it involved ketamine, acid and laughing gas.

Oh no, you got it all wrong. It went something like this:

"Well gentlemen. We tried fighting grampa and that didn't work.

We tried threatening daddy and that didn't work.

We tried getting China to help with sonny-boy and that didn't work.

Those North Koreans are impervious to intelligence, might and peer pressure. Let's try unorthadox and I don't mean non-Jews. Who's the most ridiculous person we have available?"

"Mike Tyson, Sir!"

"Okay, the second most ridiculous person not involving patrons of Walmart?"

"RODMAN!!!


And if that doesn't work, we'll try Sally Struthers or Celine Dion

If the State Department change John Kerry's Wikipedia entry to reflect the fact that he was a member of the famous Chicago Bulls 'Swift Boats' 1973 Championship team, world peace could be within reach.

Obviously, to enable continuity and ease North Korea's gradual acclimatisation to the outside world, they'll have to dye his hair and pierce his face multiple times before his first diplomatic foray to the country.