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January 31, 2012

The Factions Behind North Korea's Facade

Aidan Foster-Carter, Asia Times

AP Photo

Say what you will about North Korea, they put on a great show. Kim Jong-il's funeral was a fine performance, combining iron discipline with well-choreographed emotion. Cry now!

But a show it was, like everything in Pyongyang. There, politics is enacted as theater. What we see is smooth and flawless. The messy stuff is kept firmly off-stage, behind the scenes.

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TAGGED: North Korea, Kim Jong-un

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