North Korea - Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

The North Korean Dictator Kim Jong IL is dead. Decades of ruling with an iron fist has left his small country economically destitute, illiterate, and paranoid. The cult of personality that he has fostered was successful in that while his people are starving, they are seen as crying and wailing over his death.

At least that's what being shown on tv. It's very possible that a lot of it is staged and for show. It's an attempt to fool the West that devotion to him was strong, and that it will transfer to his son and heir apparent, Kim Jong Un.

Or will it? Kim Jong Un is 28 or 29 years old, no one really knows. It appears that he might have a easy transition in taking power. No violence has occurred, no uprising has burst forth. It helps to know that almost one million soldiers are under arms and ready to destroy all his political enemies.

Some pundits have said that since Kim Jong Un has studied in Switzerland as a young man, that he might be astute enough to allow economic reforms to take place. Maybe he can impose an economic model similar to China, allowing privatization to take place, but keeping a totalitarian hold in political power. However, he was groomed to rule by his totalitarian father. This makes it almost impossible to believe that he will rule in a caring and merciful fashion. According to a source, he even tortured animals as a child. Many serial killers have the same hobby before they move on to human beings.

What will probably happen is that the military leadership will find a way to eliminate him and take all the power for themselves. Why take orders from a young psychopath in training when you can share power with your military peers? Maybe Kim Jong Un he will find himself a victim of a plane or helicopter crash.  One thing for for sure, without  serious economic  and political reforms, the people of North Korea will continue to suffer living under a egomaniacal dictator, albeit one with a younger face.....