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Dictator Gambles Can Pay Off
- Dictators often gamble because the rewards of aggression can outweigh risks when opponents hesitate.
- Kim Jong Un ordered the 2010 Chonon sinking and benefited when South Korea tempered its response, showing provocation can consolidate power without catastrophic blowback.
Nukes Are Dictator Insurance
- Nuclear weapons give dictators a strategic insurance policy that deters interventions and increases bargaining power.
- Kim Jong Un used nukes to avoid being 'called' like Saddam or Qaddafi and won unprecedented international meetings, including with a U.S. president.
Question Sensational North Korea Reports
- Be skeptical of sensational North Korea stories because activist incentives can produce false narratives.
- Robert Evans cites a missionary who admitted fabricating a Bible-execution tale to draw media attention and donations, which misled coverage.