That is the essence of today’s brief column in the Post, about the mourning and mass hysteria in North Korea. I argue that not only is it likely that the grief feels real to those emoting over the death of Kim Jong-il, but that it is potentially troublesome for the North Korean regime. Yes, it seems to suggest a genuine sense of loss and thus some measure of devotion to the cult. But emotion can never be entirely scripted, and anything unscripted in a totalitarian society has the potential to be volatile. Read it here.
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