Honestly, the BBC should come with a government health warning! Driving home today - after my usual early morning swim - God I'm good! - I heard the news presenter say that today was the United Nations' World Happiness Day. I very nearly drove off the road! Apparently, this prize collection of crooks, thieves, murderers and rapists believe that on one day a year governments should concentrate their thoughts on what they can do to make their citizens happier - and, no, mass suicide on their part is not an option. Even so, and in line with my policy of always trying to be helpful and positive, they might like to make a start by questioning the delegate from North Korea because, according to my faithful observers at NightWatch, 'Fat Boy Kim' is taking his hobby of 'playing soldiers' to an extreme degree. The whole country is close to being on a maximum 'war footing' basis as his military undertake nationwide exercises which means that all production and distribution of food stuffs for the civilian population come to a halt. Reports from The Daily NK:
[C]onfirm that a partial mobilization of manpower has occurred since 11 March, unlike any in a long time. The only work teams still functioning are those devoted to goods for the armed forces. Production teams that make goods for civilians are participating in or are supporting the training.
Food allocations are based on production output by workers. Closure of a production line for military training terminates food allocations for the workers on that line. Mobilized workers are fed by the army but their families at home must fend for themselves or receive special allocations from the government or pilfered food from the army. The contacts in North Korea report serious food shortages among the families of the mobilized workers, some of whom have threatened protests. In one major city on the China border, the government made a special allocation to avert a riot.
Doesn't sound like life is a barrel of laughs in North Korea and I wasn't surprised to hear another report on the radio to the effect that huge numbers of North Korean children are showing signs of debilitation and illness due to malnutrition. If anyone deserves a dose of malnutrition it's 'Fat Boy Kim'!
