HAPPY HOLIDAY

It seems yesterday was the 51st anniversary of the ending of the Great Fatherland Liberation War. I didn't notice until this morning, so I missed the chance to have a celebratory drink.

Actually, that's not true, I did have a drink yesterday. Some rather nice Fume Blanc from Washington State. And I never really need an excuse – for instance, tonight we shall raise our glasses to the feast day of St. Leopold Mandic.

Still, yesterday was an important day in North Korea - they had a chance to celebrate their 'victory' in the Korean war:

Pyongyang, July 27 (KCNA) -- Functions were held on Monday to mark the 51st anniversary of the victory in the great Fatherland Liberation War. Present at the evening gala of the Ministry of the People's Armed Forces held at the Jonsung Square were Kim Yong Chun, chief of the General Staff of the Korean People's Army, senior officials of the ministry and servicepersons of the KPA.
As the song of "Long Live Generalissimo Kim Il Sung" resounded forth the square turned into a sea of dancers.
The evening gala was closed with chorus "We Will Defend the Headquarters of Revolution with Our Lives".
Meanwhile, a performance was given by the Korean People's Army Song and Dance Ensemble at the April 25 House of Culture.
The performance began with mixed chorus "Long Live Generalissimo Kim Il Sung". Put on the stage were numbers including mixed chorus "July 27, Our Day of Victory," dance "The Final Decisive Battle", series of wartime songs "My Song in the Trench" and female solo "Love Goes to My Motherland and Hatred to the Enemy."
The performers successfully represented the spirit of heroic struggle and matchless feats the Korean People's Army and the people performed when defeating the U.S. imperialist aggressors at the front and in the rear and devotedly defending the freedom and independence of the country during the last Fatherland Liberation War.

The Korean war and the first Iraq War were the only two wars that have ever received UN authorization (though the first was 'technically' a police action, it was indeed a full-scale war). They have quite a lot in common.

They both ended pretty much the same way. After the wars, the two countries' respective dictators were still in place, there was the need for a permanent US military presence to contain them and the Cognac-swilling tyrants who ruled the places would regularly claim 'victory' and denounce US imperialism.

While the claims of 'victory' by Saddam and Kim Jong-il/Kim Il-sung were and remain laughable, it really couldn't be said that they were defeated in the UN-sponsored actions. The UN is not interested in removing dictators, it's more concerned that they can get access to foreign aid.

Nevertheless, I don't feel up to UN-bashing at the moment, it is after all a festive occasion.

So, instead, I offer a belated congratulations to those North Koreans who were liberated on July 27 and 28, all 468 of them.