14 DAY TRIAL // After having his own uncle killed, questions about North Korea's dictator's mental status arise, with many voices claiming the man must be suffering from a psychological condition that affects his judgment. But at a closer look, his behavior is exactly as expected, in the particular conditions he finds himself in.
Just a few days ago, Kim Jong-Un's uncle, Jang Song Thaek, was sentenced to death after being accused of treason. The man attempted to “overthrow the state by all sorts of intrigues and despicable methods with a wild ambition to grab the supreme power,” the special military tribunal notes.
The officially called “despicable human scum” was accused of treachery and crimes against the regime by having “improper relations with several women,” as well as “wining and dining at back parlous of deluxe restaurants,” and “squattering foreign currency at casinos,” while on party-sponsored medical treatments abroad, according to Daily Mail.
Pictures of the man heading to his execution took over the Internet and the horrific regime of North Korea's brutal dictator began raising questions once again about the mental capacities of the world's youngest leader.
The man executing his family members and staying busy by creating nuclear weapons must have some unusual psychological features, but for everyone's surprise he is actually not mad. He is what academics call a “rational actor” meaning that his actions actually have a well-established goal, staying in power.
If you think about it, it actually makes sense, as Kim's family has a history of extreme personality cult with his father and others before him being iconic leaders of the country. With a regime that revolves around the leader, enemies are unavoidable, both outside the regime and inside it as well.
Like any other dictators that don't think even for a second of letting go of their power, Kim holds his country in place by inducing fear in its people and official staff, of course. His executed uncle, guilty or not of the charges brought to him, served as an example for future rebels, showing that regardless of the connection between the dictator and his cabinet members, he will always kill the “traitors.”
When an “almighty leader” like Kim feels threatened, he acts by inducing more fear, proof being that the number of mass public executions has grown tremendously in the last months.
Another normal feature that rational dictators have is paranoia, everyone is a potential threat, a potential enemy to the leader and to the regime as well. If history serves as an example, dictator's “rational paranoia” led to horrible events, like the ones at the hands of Stalin, Hitler and others.