In Memoriam: Hitchens, Évora, Havel and Jong-Il

Christopher Hitchens (1949-2011) died late last week- obituaries and memories of this combative, fierce atheist are all over the internet and I have to say, whether I agreed with him or not (sometimes I did, sometimes I didn't) he was a fantastic writer who was a genuine public intellectual- the probable last of a dying breed. One of these days I'll have to snag a copy of his writings or his memoirs just to have- he's well worth reading.

I was also sad to learn this morning that Cesária Évora (1941-2011), the extraordinary Caboverdian singer had died at the age of 70. Called the 'Barefoot Diva' since she performed barefoot in solidarity with the poor of her native Cape Verde, her voice was soulful and bittersweet as she explored the Portuguese style of fado and the mournful morna throughout her career. (I've got a thing for distinct voices- Tom Waits, Norah Jones, etc- Cesária Évora was right up there with the best of them.)

One of the true champions of human freedom died yesterday: former President of the Czech Republic Vaclav Havel (1936-2011) died at the age of 75. A dissident and a playwright whose words and commitment to non-violence proved pivotal in the fight against communism, he lead first a free Czechoslovakia and then the Czech Republic after the fall of Communism- this quotation was one I always found to be extremely inspiring:
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"Hope is a state of mind, not of the world. Hope, in this deep and powerful sense, is not the same as joy that things are going well, or willingness to invest in enterprises that are obviously heading for success, but rather an ability to work for something because it is good"

There was a generation of leaders and intellectuals that emerged in the wake of the Cold War that genuinely thought that the potential freedom that capitalism- true capitalism not that politician tainted, crony capitalism we currently have here in America- would be truly transformative for humanity. They weren't just committed to economic freedom in and of itself though- these were true democrats, believing in human rights and political freedom to go shoulder to shoulder with the economic freedom. In that sense, Havel belongs to a generation that cannot be claimed by any ideology or political party- he was one of the true freedom fighters.

Then, of course, there was the one that dominating all the headlines. Kim Jong-Il (1941/2-2011)*, Leader of North Korea has died at the age of 69. A horrible Stalinist throwback, he's kept North Korea isolated, poor and starving while maintaining a million man army for God knows what crazy reasons that were rolling around in his head. You know the James Bond villains with the super-weapons that you knew couldn't possibly be realistic in any way, shape or form? Yeah, what made Kim scary was that you thought that he might be crazy enough to make such a weapon- and use it. (Which is also what made the North Koreans such brilliant Bond villains in 'Die Another Day.') He's been succeeded by his son Kim Jong-Un, who has been dubbed 'The Great Successor' and already people are wondering if a collapse and reunification could be just around the corner. I would say it's getting closer- but it's not there yet. The true player in all of this is China. They don't want a united Korea on their border- such a Korea would be an economic competitor and a potential challenger for regional hegemony and happily, China controls North Korea's light switches. So no one's going to war with Beijing's say so- and with China's help North Korea would collapse in a big hurry. So I'm not betting on collapse and reunification anytime soon. However: Kim Jong-Un is pretty young and there are, reportedly, factions with the military that are probably fighting for power behind the scenes. If he loses control of some of the military- all bets might be off. So stay tuned.

*No, his year of birth isn't a typo. I'm guessing it's 1941, but wikipedia (the font of all knowledge) has this to say on the matter:

Details surrounding Kim Jong-il's birth vary according to source. Soviet records show that he was born in the village of Vyatskoye, near Khabarovsk, in 1941, where his father, Kim Il-sung, commanded the 1st Battalion of the Soviet 88th Brigade, made up of Chinese and Korean exiles. Kim Jong-il's mother, Kim Jong-suk, was Kim Il-sung's first wife.
Kim Jong-il's official biography states that he was born in a secret military camp on Baekdu Mountain in Japanese Korea on 16 February 1942. Official biographers claim that his birth at Baekdu Mountain was foretold by a swallow, and heralded by the appearance of a double rainbow over the mountain and a new star in the heavens.

Anyway, take from that what you will...