Death of a Dictator

It was announced two days ago that Kim Jong Il died of a heart attack. It was alo reported that he suffered that heart attack from over work. He was only 69 years old, which is relatively young by western standards, but seems to me to be a pretty long life considering that many of his 'communist brothers,' aka subjects, die of starvation far ahead of that number. (Those that do make it to a later life are often shorter than their Southern Koreans). I’ve read a few articles about the man that everyone North Korean refers to as “the great leader,” he was listed as one of odder world leaders though in my opinion he doesn’t hold a candle to Gaddafi. What I guess I don’t understand is how his country who would be far better off without him and his cronies, can continue to worship him as some sort of God? He is only a man even if he was born under a double rainbow… How can you worship a man who is clearly a mortal, especially when you’re starving as so many N. Koreans are?

I think it goes back to common occurrence in my home country, and something that is replicated the world over, the "cult of celebrity" who are either in power or on TV. No one forces us to turn ‘Tebow’ into “Tebow the saint” but we do it anyway without any external political forces bearing down on us. I think if you turn celebrity into something that is countrywide, meaning the majority likes that person and then makes that devotion contingent on protecting you and your own I could see how people would just follow along. I’ve never experienced anything like a totalitarian society in my life. The closest thing I’ve ever come to it is reading ‘1984’ back when I was high school and then watching ‘V for Vendetta.’ Standing up to oppression is not an easy task, even monumental if you do it all by yourself. I would imagine it can cost you everything: friends, livelihood, and often your family. It’s easy to find reasons not to dissent. As I said before, standing up is a hard proposition especially when people are carried away in the night for it. Though I suppose if we’re really honest with ourselves we could all be dead tomorrow, so when then are we all so timid?

The sheer force of will and fortitude that is required is why people lionize for their dissent. Though the people who are most often respected are those outside their countries where we can see it at a convenient distance away from ourselves. Physical distance allows space for ignoring the sacrifice of others and makes it far easier to not do our own soul searching in effort to apply that transformative force in our own lives. Or maybe those people who can stand against the weight of public scrutiny are made from tougher stuff than the rest of us? 

Where was I?

I haven't put a new post on this blog in over a year. It's not because I haven't gone anywhere and not done anything, I've done quite a great deal. I've seen and met some really great people and I've been to multiple new countries, it's just this medium got off my radar and well, I don't really feel comfortable writing in this place. I've never gotten the impression that too many people read it, and especially if it isn't updated often I totally get not wanting to stay tuned in; I wasn't even tuned in and I create the content here... yikes!

I've been home in Massachusetts, now for over 3 months which does seem reasonable but seems like an entirety if I actually think about it. I'm from northern suburban Boston and that is currently where I reside. I've missed the people over the years and it's nice to be back in a place where I grew up, but I didn't and don't miss the atmosphere of this upper middle class suburb. I guess it must be my lack of interest in keeping up with the Jones? Which I've never understood, or maybe it's just my lone wolf streak. Back when I had a full time job and hadn't moved to Spain yet, I never wanted the big @ TV nor a large mansion style house, that so many of my coworkers seemed to be rushing toward. The only thing I'd understand is having the large house because I had like a million kids, which interests me far more than a big TV and driving a Ferrari. Money is a means to things but not a point to itself, I've learned a little of that by experience.

In the interest of full disclosure I currently have like, no money and most definitely no job. I've been taking classes half time and I haven't really wanted to find something that would muck up having time to spend the time studying I need to do everyday. As a result I spend far too much of my time doing nothing except absentmindedly cruising the Internet not doing anything truly salient except responding to my spur of the moment curiosity. It makes one knowledgeable about a lot of things, but it doesn't really add productivity to ones life...

It's good to be back in the US of A, I miss España, but as Dylan says 'the times they are a'changin''