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> When it collapsed, East Germany was still led by the same people who had created it. The Berlin Wall only existed for 28 years. North Korea is a multi-generat
by TMWNN 9mo ago
> When it collapsed, East Germany was still led by the same people who had created it. The Berlin Wall only existed for 28 years. North Korea is a multi-generational prison.
Excellent point. Something that refutes another of Asimov's critiques in his review, that tyrannies inevitably end through tyrants' deaths, or at least become milder in their oppression. Admittedly he wrote the review in 1980, back when a) the first Kim was still in power and b) no one in the West saw North Korea as anything other than an "ordinary" Communist state—no awareness of Juche, etc.—but still.
- decimalenough 9mo agoNorth Korea is rather exceptional though. Few dictatorships manage even one smooth succession, let alone two.
- neilellis 9mo agoMonarchies
- chungy 9mo agoIt depends on one's definition of dictatorship. I personally do not believe, for instance, the British Crown is one such instance.
- j-bos 9mo agoBesides that, multiple ways to read this. "Monarchies" could've been a reference to pre modern monarchies of which many made it through at least 3 successions. Or as a correction to the upper comment, saying that the Kim's are more monarchy than plain dictatorship.
- pmontra 9mo agoThe British Crown had to concede some rights centuries ago, or there would have been civil wars and probably no more crown. Dear Leaders are the ones that don't have to concede anything, yet.
- ninalanyon 9mo ago> or there would have been civil wars Would have been? There were.
- Timwi 9mo agoNot only have there been multiple civil wars, there has also been “no more crown” after the beheading of King Charles I (1649) until the restoration in 1660.
- ses1984 9mo agoA lot of monarchies aren't really stable across two or more successions either.