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December 19, 2011 | | SURVIVOR A relentless crusader who has outlasted sustained efforts by the media and his party to bury him, Ron Paul is able to connect with young voters in ways the Republican Party can't: he understands we must jettison the imperial apparatus and the paranoid mindset of the Cold War. Succession Kim Jong-Il’s chosen successor Kim Jong-Un may find himself overshadowed by his more experienced uncle Jang Sung Taek. Jang has been a part of the Worker’s Party for thirty years and occupied important positions in the military, secret police, and running special economic zones. Whereas, Kim Jong-Un was unknown until he was made a general in September 2010. One North Korea expert said, “Kim Jong Un has had only two years. It is not enough time to become crown prince.” The regime already appears to be setting up a system of collective leadership, giving the military greater power. SIDE EFFECTS Talk about bad timing. Before Kim Jong-il’s sudden death, the U.S. was reportedly on the verge of a landmark deal with in which North Korea would receive a large donation of food aid in exchange for that nation halting its uranium-enrichment program. An Obama administration official who spoke to CBS News says that deal is now in danger of falling through in the midst of a likely succession struggle. The two nations have been in secret talks for months, according to the report. Now Obama must deal with a newly tense situation on the Korean Peninsula, where 28,000 U.S. troops are station south of the North Korean border. PROGRESS Hopefully this is the first step to ending the brutal crackdown against antigovernment protesters. Syria has signed an agreement to allow the Arab League to send monitors into the country this week after earlier refusing some provisions in the deal. The Arab League said it accepted some amendments by Damascus but that the observers would still be “free” to travel but “under the protection of the Syrian government,” and would not be allowed at sensitive military sites. Syria’s opposition said the move was a “ploy” to avoid more serious United Nations Security Council action. WHITEOUT It wouldn’t be winter without a serious storm. The Southwest is gearing up to get hit Monday as blizzard conditions threaten Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas, New Mexico, and even Texas. Six to 12 inches of snow are expected to cover the Southwest and plains states and the National Weather Service has issued a blizzard watch, predicting heavy winds and white-out conditions. | | 
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