Who's Not Curious About North Korea?

Google Chief Urges North Korea to Embrace Web was the, The New York Times, January 10 dateline, by Andrew Jacobs, Beijing. 

Beijing in Red parallels North Korea on the right.

News that confirms reporters can still congregate as close to Pyongyang as Beijing. Though the San Francisco Chronicle and Associated Press reporter Jean  H. Lee, filing from North Korea, January 7th, chronicled the government can accommodate a successfully coordinated field trip. That, as everyone knows from their local situations - politicians leave.  

news.asiaone.com

While Reuters' headline, Richardson says didn't meet detained American on North Korea trip, is straight to the point. 

North Korea is not lightening up. Forget songs and dance and microphones in politicians' faces. For now, all that matters is the North Korean people diversify. 

Does North Korea have to be such a misfit odd-duck? China's state is even "trying" to have more than token regard for individual rights. Something beyond the smile and nod of the head. Because the truth is, rational thinking is North Korea should peacefully evolve from cultural dependence on the supreme right of the The State into their greatest resource, each independent North Korean.

Really? What are the odds, in locked-down North Korea, that an American conspired to do more than just smile at a few people? Fact is every bureaucratic position in North Korea is on pins and needles over their own interests in whatever transition happens. Just as a self-interested capitalism was always behind the communist facade. 

Once North Koreans agree to transition from Joseph Stalin's paranoid method of governing, that was just easiest for the ruthless dictator to control. It was a different time and era when at best people had marginal expectations. It is legitimate to expect the intelligent rulers of North Korea to share.

What should be encouraged is anyone with two sticks to rub together starting businesses. Go for broke. No taxation for a few years until a private economy gets on its feet. As has been repeatedly proven, commercial and government interest can overwhelm grassroots capitalism.  

news.nationalpost.com

Because obviously North Korea's time has come to do something, and quit pretending this is a game of chess over nationalism. Its about those satisfied with their jobs making sure everyone else is too. That was supposed to be communism, where everyone had as much as they needed? Fully circulating capitalism is the socialist revolution. Kim Jong-un? 

sequart.org

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timesunion.com

Is The Baseball Players Hall of Fame Worth The Fuss?

Yesterday Bill Shaikin reported, from the Paradise Valley, Arizona baseball winter team owners' meetings, for The Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune, that professional baseball commissioner Bud Selig believes Hall of Fame vote does not diminish MLB. 

No, why would Bud Selig worry? His celebrity is assured he'll get a special dispensation vote into the Hall. I'd rather Bud tolerated the question rather than be defensive. 

This year's Baseball Hall of Fame vote was about baseball writers, whose careers are made slighting sports celebrity because - that puts readers in the seats. Suddenly the very people who constructed tawdry scenarios, out of, most likely, very personal stories, are not going to compromise their economic franchises to vote tainted heroes into The Hall. 

Bud Selig isn't bothered the National Baseball Hall of Fame could be interpreted as the Baseball Owner Lobbied Baseball Players Hall of Fame?

Truth is since the time players broke through bargaining for a better share of baseball's profits, players have been made scapegoats for prices going through the roof. Otherwise no self-respecting business person would be seen trying to get away with what sports franchises are forced to charge customers to make money. 

If Baseball can't share with the public, how are a bunch of sports writers going to discern athletes may deserve some pity for probably feeling cornered into taking performance enhancing drugs. Excuses? Sure, as self-righteousness is. Soapbox View