How does an evil so great as the NK saga get started? One place to start is the childhood of Kim Il Sung. He grew up surrounded by Christianity, even in his own home, but also under the oppression of the Japanese. He and his people had always longed to be free of foreign domination. So far so good. Coupled to his dream of Korean freedom was his military skill. Though nothing like the mythology he and his friends would write about himself, still the fact remains that he was somewhat successful in "guerilla" warfare.

Most people have trouble saying no to success, especially when it supports deep inner longings. His military work had been done in Russia, so the Russians noticed him, approved of him, and decided to use him in Korea after the peninsula was tragically divided into two parts. They of course taught him their communist ways.

He learned, for example, how to take control of the wealth of a nation and redistribute it. When he applied his new knowledge of redistribution to the northern portion of Korea, the poor loved him for it, and followed him slavishly. The rich who complained were eliminated. The others came on board and became the new ruling class, which Communism never has, but always has.

Young Kim soaked all this power in and longed for more. Power corrupts, they say. He began to need "absolute obedience" and lavish praise. Here was a man who never finished Middle School, suddenly the king of the mountain.

Poor Korea. They had never had a history of democracy. They were used to people coming in and taking them over. And that's what Kim did. And is still doing. Imagine two generations who have grown up thinking that Kim-il-sung-ism is normal.