The Waterstraut Waterspout: Government Week: North Korea

We moved on to our next 'form' of government: Totalitarian. And I mean, what other country could I pick for this than North Korea?

(Fun fact: I thought about not posting any pictures for North Korea, because what could be more North Korean than that? But, ultimately, I decided to keep with my usual format.)

The boys awake to Asa, complete with a "It is time to get up, because I say it is, and you'll be happy to serve your Supreme Leader by getting up."

Things escalated.

There was a war of frozen peas.

The resistance was 'squashed and bagged up' (according to Hayden).

All state owned property was seized (including the computer mouse).

And then of course there was the Nerf dart assassination attempt on the Supreme Leader's life.

And this was all before lunch time.

Which was Bibimbap Bowls and Kimchi. Thank you, Trader Joes!

It earned three spoons up.

Asa, Peyton, and I all enjoyed it. Calib ate it, and Hayden was presented with an apple as his only snack until dinner. But over all, Trader Joes does pretty good with their frozen meals not tasting like a frozen meal. I skipped the spicy chili sauce on mine in favor of the sweet chili sauce (product of Thailand though, so I didn't stay authentic), also from Trader Joes.

We decided to do lunch for North Korea, because we thought the Bibimbap bowls were easy, but small. It was plenty for lunch, but it wouldn't have been enough for the boys for dinner.

(Plus we were on to another country for dinner, but I'll get to that tomorrow).

Anyway, after lunch we learned about Totalitarians and how they differ from Dictators. Basically think of Dictators are the source of the power, but Totalitarian as the scope of the power.

And then the boys were told they were able to get out of the Dictator/Totalitarian Leader's demands if they could correctly identify which was being imposed on them.

Things calmed down.

Well, until there was a military coup, because the boys felt I would be a better Dictator than Asa.

But anyway, on to North Korea!

Or, shall I say the 'Democratic People's Republic of Korea', as they prefer to be called, because I mean what screams Democratic more than North Korea? But, I guess we live in a world where if our leaders say something, it gets to be true, at least by some people's standards. *Sigh*

We don't really know that much about North Korea or really Kim Jung Un. I mean, half of what we do know comes from Dennis Rodman, and how reliable of a source can he possible be? It's one of the world's most secretive countries. Often called the 'Hermit Kingdom', North Korea functions in solitude of the rest of the world.

Obviously, there is an official US Department of State Travel Warning for North Korea. But even if there wasn't, good luck visiting. Only about 1500 visitors with a 'tour guide' can visit the country a year, and even then be sure to stop by the Mansu Hill Grand Monument complex in the capital city of Pyongyang to pay your respects to the 72 foot tall bronze statues of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jung Il. (It's not really optional).

Or you could always stop by to see the 'Eternal President' Kim Il Sung. Sure he died in 1994, but the self-proclaimed great leader is still president, and his body lies under a glass case where people can go pay their respects. In North Korea, the guy is seen as a deity by many, and so his descendants, so they should be treated as such.

There's not much to share about this country. There was that time North Korea invaded South Korea, and following the war our landmark, the 'DMZ' was set up along the boarder. The Korean Demilitarized Zone is one of the world's most militarized spaces. It's 160 miles long by 2 and a half miles wide, of warning signs and landmines, surrounded on both sides by each nation's armies.

I could have also used 'Heaven Lake' as a landmark. It is a crater lake sitting on the boarder of North Korea and China, and is one of the world's deepest lakes.

Or the Rungrado 1st of May Stadium. It's the largest in the world, with a capacity of 150,000. Every year the Mass games take place in the stadium with performances of gymnastics, acrobats, and dancers.

But, the DMZ was most fitting for this country.

The boys made their North Korean postcards. Usually I tell the boys to focus on the positive and avoid anything that might be offensive. I didn't tell them that this time though. (And I could have told them exactly what to draw, since it was Totalitarian Day and all).