North Korea and Drunk Drivers

The destabilization of the Middle East and the North African nations has spread to North Korea in isolated cases.

AsiaNews:

The wave of protests that began in the Mideast appears to have reached even North Korea. For the first time in the history of the Stalinist regime, groups of ordinary citizens have protested in three cities demanding food and electricity, sources say. The event is exceptional and confirms the economic difficulties, especially concerning food supplies, people have to face under the Communist government. According to South Korea’s Chosun Ilbo newspaper, citing a North Korean source, demonstrations broke out on 14 February, two days before Kim Jong-il’s birthday, in the cities of Jongju, Yongchon and Sonchon, not far from the border of China. The State Security Department (the all-powerful agency under Kim Jong-il’s direct control) investigated the incident but failed to identify the people who started the commotion when they met with a wall of silence. “When such an incident took place in the past, people used to report their neighbours to the security forces, but now they're covering for each other," the source said. Korean sources told AsiaNews that this represents a crack in the prevailing mindset. “Different factors are at play. On the one hand, the country’s worsening economic situation is certainly one reason. The regime is in fact unable to feed most of its people. On the other, changes at the top are another as Kim Jong-un gets ready to succeed his father on the throne in Pyongyang.” The younger Kim is “feared by the population,” the source said. “He is viewed as bloodthirsty and mad. “Almost everyone thinks he was behind the military attacks against ROKS Cheonan and an island under South Korean control, which led to restrictions on humanitarian aid from the South. This has further worsened standards of living in the North. North Koreans are ready to do just about anything to stop the succession."

It is clear that the North Koreans are justified in their dissatisfaction with the services being provided to them. They're fighting for things that we Americans disregard, such as food and electricity. It really puts things in perspective, huh? I could talk about North Korea for a long time, but instead I'll talk about drunk drivers.

Recently, my high school teachers have been getting in a lot of legal trouble. The latest of these offenses comes from Mrs. Jennifer Stockard who was arrested for drunk driving last Wednesday. This woman taught me Algebra II my freshman year of high school. Although her last name was different back then, she was just as offensive. I was frequently harassed in class by this woman, so I admit that I was moderately pleased when I heard of her arrest. It feels as if I have been vindicated in a very indirect fashion. Call it Karma. Call it destiny... I call it Michelob Ultra.