The forbidden country

 

Forbidden cryptids in *North* Korea?! Clearly a counter-revolutionary provocation, since it doesn´t mention the famed unicorn lair outside Pyongyang, LOL. 

Bad jokes

 

- Yes, Korea is here somewhere! Never heard of Oman...

Marx said that world history always repeats itself twice: the first time as tragedy, the second time as farce. Somebody has proposed burlesque as the third repetition. I´m not sure what stage Trump´s foreign policy has reached, but it´s certainly beyond farce at this point. 

Trump recently said that he will declare the Strait of Hormuz American territory. A few days later some spokesman of the Trump administration dismissed the statement as a joke?! Then, the erratic president threatened to "bomb the shit" out of Oman.

Another jocular remark, I suppose?

But perhaps Trump can still do something properly tragic, since he decided to scale down US involvement in a joint military exercise with South Korea, citing the ROK´s refusal to back his increasingly quixotic adventure in the Gulf. Instead, he bragged about having good relations with North Korea! The same North Korea which may be in the process of sending tens of thousands of fresh troops to aid the Russians in Ukraine.

It will be interesting to see if Trump´s end will be a tragedy, a farce or even a burlesque. Maybe the Don could at least give us one more performance? For old times sake.

Invasion army?

 

Credit: Nicor 

50,000 North Korean soldiers may be deployed in Russia soon, according to Ukrainian president Zelensky. Something tells me they´re not there on vacation! Their end destination may very well be Ukraine itself. 

That Russia needs cannon fodder from *North Korea* does show that Putin´s war isn´t going entirely according to plan. On the other hand, nobody cares where the soldiers come from if the trick turns out to work...

Last time around, Russia and their original ally (then about 15,000 strong) did manage to take back control over the portions of the Kursk region which had been captured by Ukraine during a surprise offensive. However, this obviously wasn´t enough to defeat the Ukrainian military overall.

I assume this is another "trial balloon". And since the Korean People´s Army is supposedly two million men strong, Putin could potentially keep up the pressure for years. Assuming Kim Jong-un is interested, obviously. 

We live in "interesting" times.

Bomba högkvarteret

 

Credit: Artyom Vasiliev

Det är tydligen en russifierad korean som äger Wildberries, Rysslands största e-handelsföretag. Ukraina har under en period bombad företagets lagerlokaler av diverse orsaker. Hübinette har kvittona.

Om de ryska företaget Wildberries´ grundare och ägare

Dzungariska slavinnor

 

Okej, det här var ju nästan lite intressant. En dimension av världshistorien jag helt har missat! Var tvungen att kolla upp vad i allsin dar "dzungarer" är för något. Observera förresten att Frans II Rákóczy enligt diverse skrönor var far till den mystiske greven av Saint Germain... 

General Adam Ludvig Lewenhaupt

Oh no

 

Sources say that Trump will now concentrate his attention on North Korea. Oh no! 

UFOs exist in the fifth dimension

 

Credit: JJ Harrison

So apparently Donald Trump is now threatening to leave South Korea. I´m sure this is just an extremely smart negotiation strategy. Right?  

"A different kind of Communist"

 

Billy Graham seems to have been...I don´t know...an unofficial American diplomatic envoy? His contacts with genocidal maniac Efraím Ríos Montt in Guatemala are well-known (and scrubbed from Wiki´s Billy Graham entry!), but I never heard of his North Korean exploits until now. For whatever reason, *they* are briefly mentioned on Wiki. Hmmm...

Here is Wikipedia:

>>>In a 1999 speech, Graham discussed his relationship with the late North Korean leader Kim Il Sung, praising him as a "different kind of communist" and "one of the great fighters for freedom in his country against the Japanese". Graham went on to note that although he had never met Kim's son and then-current North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, he had "exchanged gifts with him". [The link to the source doesn´t work on my computer]

And here is Gemini: 

Can you tell me more about Graham´s relation with North Korea?

Billy Graham’s relationship with North Korea was one of the most surprising and debated chapters of his career. Despite being a staunch anti-communist who once called Communism "the greatest challenge the church has ever had to face," he became a rare bridge between the West and the "Hermit Kingdom."

His connection was deeply personal: his wife, Ruth Bell Graham, had attended a missionary school in Pyongyang in the 1930s (before the Korean War), which gave the family a unique emotional tie to the region.

1. The 1992 and 1994 Visits

Graham visited North Korea twice, in 1992 and 1994, meeting directly with the nation's founder, Kim Il-sung.

• Preaching in Pyongyang: Graham was the first foreign religious leader allowed to preach in North Korea since the war. He spoke at the Bongsu Church (one of the few state-sanctioned churches) and lectured at Kim Il-sung University.

• The "Messenger" Role: During his 1992 trip, Graham carried a verbal message from President George H.W. Bush to Kim Il-sung. In 1994, he did the same for President Bill Clinton during a period of high nuclear tension. This effectively made him an unofficial diplomatic envoy.

• A "Cordial" Relationship: Kim Il-sung reportedly welcomed Graham warmly. Graham presented the dictator with a copy of his book, Peace with God.

2. The "Kim Il-sung as God" Controversy

Following his 1992 visit, North Korean state media (Rodong Sinmun) claimed that Graham had praised Kim Il-sung as "the saint of all saints" and even suggested he was "God who rules the human world."

The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) immediately and forcefully denied these reports, stating that the quotes were state propaganda and did not "even remotely resemble" Graham’s theology. Graham maintained that while he was respectful of the leader, his focus was strictly on the Gospel.

3. Diplomatic and Humanitarian Impact

Graham's visits opened a small window for humanitarian work that continues today:

• Samaritan’s Purse: His son, Franklin Graham, took over the mantle, visiting the country multiple times. Through his organization, Samaritan’s Purse, the Grahams have provided millions of dollars in medical equipment, food, and disaster relief to North Korea.

• Back-Channel Diplomacy: Many historians believe Graham’s 1994 visit helped pave the way for former President Jimmy Carter’s landmark trip later that year, which temporarily defused a nuclear crisis.

Why did he go?

Graham was often criticized for "legitimizing" a regime known for extreme religious persecution. His defense was consistent: he believed that to reach the people, he had to speak to the leaders. He once said:

"I didn't go as a politician; I went as a minister of the Gospel... I think there's going to be some changes."

While the "changes" Graham hoped for (in terms of religious freedom) never fully materialized, his visits remain a unique example of "faith-based diplomacy" during the Cold War era.

Did he praise Kim Il-sung as a "different kind of Communist" and a national liberation hero?

Whether Billy Graham actually praised Kim Il-sung in those specific terms is a matter of significant historical debate, largely because of the "he-said, she-said" nature of North Korean state propaganda versus the official records of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA).

Here is the breakdown of those specific claims:

1. The "Different Kind of Communist" Quote

It is widely documented that Graham spoke of Kim Il-sung with a level of personal warmth that shocked his Western critics. He did occasionally suggest that Kim was a leader who deeply cared for his people’s well-being, which some interpreted as labeling him a "different" or more humanitarian type of leader.

However, it is important to distinguish between Graham’s diplomatic politeness and ideological endorsement. Graham was desperate to maintain access to the country to continue his ministry, so he often avoided criticizing the regime's brutality in public, choosing instead to focus on Kim's "personality" and "hospitality."

2. The "National Liberation Hero" Claim

The claim that Graham called Kim Il-sung a "hero of national liberation" or a "great revolutionary" originated primarily from North Korean state media (KCNA).

• The Propaganda Angle: The North Korean government was notorious for "ghostwriting" quotes for visiting dignitaries. They regularly published reports claiming that Graham—one of the world's most famous Christians—had recognized the Juche ideology or praised Kim Il-sung as a god-like figure.

• The BGEA Denial: Graham’s team consistently refuted these reports. They argued that the North Korean government twisted Graham’s standard diplomatic pleasantries (e.g., acknowledging Kim’s role in Korean history) into full-blown ideological endorsements.

3. The Evidence of Praise

While he denied the most extreme "God-like" quotes, Graham did make several public statements that were highly controversial:

• Social Order: Upon returning from Pyongyang, Graham noted he was impressed by the "health" and "discipline" of the North Korean people, famously remarking that he saw no crime or drugs in the streets—a comment that critics said ignored the reality of a totalitarian police state.

• Religious Freedom: He was criticized for suggesting that there was a degree of religious freedom in North Korea based on his visits to the Bongsu and Chilgol churches, which many experts considered "show churches" designed to deceive foreigners.

Summary of the Relationship

Aspect	Graham's Public Stance	Critics' Perspective
Goal	Evangelism and "building bridges."	Legitimizing a dictator.
Tone	Diplomatic, focusing on "mutual respect."	Naive or complicit in propaganda.
Theology	Remained strictly Christian.	Accused of staying silent on human rights for access.

Ultimately, Graham walked a razor-thin line. He never renounced his Christianity or his belief that Communism was fundamentally flawed, but he was willing to use flattery and diplomatic "softness" to ensure he was the one Westerner Kim Il-sung would actually listen to. Whether that was "wise diplomacy" or "compromise" remains a point of contention among historians today.

Does this clarify the distinction between what he actually said and what the North Korean media claimed?

True blue

 

OK, this was funny. Gemini (which is All-Knowing and Infinitely Wise - yes, I´m ironic) actually confirms that blue tigers may be real?!  

Are there reports of blue tigers?

There are indeed historical reports of blue tigers, often referred to as Maltese Tigers. While no physical specimen or photograph has ever confirmed their existence, the accounts come from credible sources and are supported by known feline genetics.

1. The Historical "Maltese" Sightings

The most famous reports centered on the Fujian Province in South China in the early 20th century.

• Harry R. Caldwell (1910): An American missionary and big game hunter reported seeing a tiger with a "deep shade of Maltese blue" fur and black stripes. He initially thought it was a local man dressed in blue clothing until he saw the tiger's head. He spent years trying to track it, even naming it "Bluebeard," but never captured it.

• The "Maltese" Name: The term comes from domestic cat breeds like the Russian Blue or British Shorthair, which are often called "Maltese cats." Their fur is actually a slate-grey or bluish-grey, not a bright sky blue.

• Korean War Accounts: There were also sporadic reports from American soldiers serving near the DMZ in Korea in the 1950s who claimed to have seen "grey-blue" tigers in the mountains.

2. Is it Genetically Possible?

Biologists generally agree that a blue tiger is biologically plausible. Many other felines express this "blue" (dilute) coloration:

• The "Dilute" Gene: In domestic cats, bobcats, and lynxes, a recessive gene can cause a "dilution" of black pigment into grey-blue and orange into a pale cream or "fawn."

• Genetic Drift: Scientific theories suggest that in the shrinking, isolated population of South China Tigers, this rare recessive mutation could have become more common due to inbreeding (genetic drift) before that specific lineage went extinct in the wild.

3. Current Status: Myth or Extinct?

As of 2026, the blue tiger is considered a cryptid (an animal whose existence is rumored but unproven).

• No Modern Evidence: There have been no confirmed sightings in decades.

• The South China Tiger Crisis: The subspecies most associated with the "blue" trait is now considered functionally extinct in the wild. If the blue gene existed, it likely died out with those last wild populations.

• Misidentifications: Skeptics suggest that "blue" sightings might have been normal tigers seen in deep forest shadows, or tigers whose orange fur was heavily coated in grey mud.

---

Comparison of Rare Tiger Morphs

Type	Status	Cause
White Tiger	Common (Captivity)	Recessive "Chinchilla" mutation.
Golden Tiger	Rare (Captivity)	"Wideband" gene affecting stripe color.
Black Tiger	Confirmed (Wild)	Pseudo-melanism (thick, merging stripes).
Blue Tiger	Unconfirmed	Hypothetical "Dilute" gene.

Would you like me to generate an image showing what a "Maltese" blue tiger might look like based on these historical descriptions?

Maltese blue

 

Could tigers be blue? Have such animals actually existed? This interesting video argues that the answer is "yes". It´s probably genetically possible. Blue or blue-ish tigers have been reported from China and North Korea. In southern China they were sometimes referred to as "blue devils". Unfortunately, solid scientific evidence is lacking (as in: an actual pelt or stuffed specimen). So if you find one, be sure not to miss!    

Let history judge

 

Previously posted on August 11, 2023. Just a little reminder! 

Marxism is a religion. Something as strange as a "materialist" religion, but nevertheless. Or, to put it another way: if Marxism had declared a belief in God, or existed 1000 years ago, everyone would readily have recognized it as some kind of Kabbala in radicalized Shia Muslim garb. It´s almost ridiculous.

So world history has a deeper meaning, culminating in the establishment of communism. Which is the end goal not only of human history, but of the cosmic process itself. Where does this come from? Let me guess: the megalomaniacal brain of a...Hegel? 

But how could Marx and Engels divine the deeper meaning of history? They couldn´t, of course. They were just speculating. Lenin turned Marx-Engels into virtual prophets, with himself as Imam, exegeting their esoteric message...and adding to it. He even founded his very own Assassin order, and spread the dawa worldwide. And just as any Muslim dynasty betrays the revolution that brought them to power, so did the Communists. Heretical splinter groups abound!

Hegel´s ideas about gradual salvation through struggle presumably comes from Oetinger. And the whole scheme is probably just Lurianic Kabbala or some form of Hermetism, secularized and properly immanentized. Marx believed he placed Hegel "on his feet", but he really just founded a materialized Gnosticism. In all fairness, though, Marx and Engels were still too German, rationalist, enlightened and "scientific" to go all the way to secular religion. 

The transformation of Marxism to some kind of millennial cult comes during the 20th century. It´s probably not a co-incidence that this happens in Russia and China. While Social Democracy becomes a reformist form of postmillenarianism and even later pseudo-socialist churchianity, Communism becomes a kind of bizarre Ghulat imitation in its Russian form and a substitute Taoist sect in its Chinese ditto. 

If a future historian would analyze these movements *without looking at their formal ideology*, he would immidiately see the similarities between Maoism and apocalyptic Taoism (or the pseudo-Christian Taiping rebellion). He would then marvel at how the Russian "Bolsheviks" recapitulated the Abbasid revolution in the Muslim world. Of course, the actual geopolitics of the Soviet and Chinese Communist regimes would be no mystery. I suppose the same historian would also scratch his head over the restoration of the Korean imperial dynasty in the form of the Kim family...

This is not the end point of history. It´s not even the beginning of the end. It´s just the same old story, recycled again, and again. Marxism has been recycled by history and found to be just another Sino-Russo-Semitic religious movement. We´ve been here before. What is perhaps more surprising is that so many people in the Western world believed in the crap. But then, it´s amazing that so many people believed in it 1000 years ago, too! 

I have spoken.

Yeah, so about that...

 

Don´t be too sure. Just wait until the next drop!

Ordain the Brilliant Leader!

 

Welcome to the night club!

A propos the previous blog post...

This is from the website of the Universal Life Church Monastery (the ex-night club breakaway faction). These guys are more insane than I expected!

Juche (North Korea) 

Zhukov offensive

 

The pro-Russian "military bloggers" have been waiting for a Russian "Zhukov offensive" in Ukraine for almost four years now. Sure, Russia might still win the war, but the reason would be slow, grinding wearing-down tactics, not some World War II-type offensive. 

I mean, if the Russians had been capable of such, why wait four years? They certainly *did* go on relatively swift offensive in the Kursk region (with the help of North Korean military!), but it seems the momentum stopped pretty much at the old national border.

Instead, the Russian spooks have gone on a "Zhukov offensive" all their own, trying to trick Donald Trump through flattery (?) and dreams of economic gain (?) to hand over the Ukrainian defense wall in the Donbass to the Russians without a fight. That is, without an actual military offensive. 

It´s almost as if the "military bloggers" are wrong or something. 

Mordor

 

Bashkir horse archers (part of the Russian army) in Paris, 1814. Is this the Alt Right´s wet dream? In its recent conflict with Ukraine, Russia has used North Korean troops in the Kursk region...