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Lives of two 20-somethings vastly different

February 14, 2013
	<p>Olsen</p>

Olsen

Photo by Derek Berggren | and Derek Berggren The State News

Editor’s Note: Views expressed in guest columns and letters to the editor reflect the views of the author, not the views of The State News.

When you’re in your 20s, you don’t seem to have much influence on the fate of the world.

Take me, for example. At this point in my life, I’m 22 years old and a soon-to-be college graduate. I live a balanced life that includes juggling class and work — while trying to make time for friends — and some of the biggest stresses in my life come from folding my laundry and trying to find any motivation whatsoever to exercise.

The responsibilities I have are small but expected for someone in my situation.

I am expected to graduate on time and find a job at some point. Other than myself, the only person I have to worry about displeasing is my mother — which, don’t get me wrong, can be scary in and of itself — but besides her, the list stops there. Any blame for failing to accomplish one of these things falls directly on my shoulders.

But that’s not how it is for every person around my age in the world. And earlier this week, a portly 28-year-old North Korean made that alarmingly clear.

See, unfortunately for the rest of us, North Korean President Kim Jong-un isn’t like you or me.

Sure, he’s in his 20s. He’s probably had his heart broken once or twice. He probably has some lingering daddy issues he’s trying to make peace with. And maybe he even sings in the shower from time to time. But when you get past those assumptions, the list of comparisons becomes short.

Unlike you or me, Kim’s choices have the capacity to hurt people in this world, and the nuclear test he issued Monday is a scary reminder of that fact.

Monday night’s 5.1 seismic event — caused by an underground nuclear text he commanded — didn’t just shake the earth of the small country he dictates, but also the psyche of every person around the globe.

In his little more than a year in office, Kim has done little for his country other than set it up to be the fictitious-external threat he envisions it to be toward the rest of the planet.

Despite promising his people more food, economic reform and improvements in public services, Kim has done nothing but captain North Korea’s titanic-like slide into oblivion.

As his power continues to grow, certain areas of his country are met with famine or starvation. But he doesn’t care.

Kim seems set on continuing to develop the only product North Korea’s economy now consequently produces – weapons.

But for every other 20-something in the world, this fact isn’t anything new.

Most of us have gone our entire lives fearing the “imminent attack” North Korea — and nuclear weaponry — poses. So why should what happened Monday night make any of that different?

I’ll tell you why. It’s because eventually, flirting with the notion of using nuclear weaponry won’t just be an ominous threat, and the events that took place Monday night won’t just be tests.

As Kim continues to isolate his country from the rest of world, he pushes the boundary lines of what other nations will do to silence his actions once and for all.

In the week leading up to the test, the North Korean government posted on its official website a video of what appeared to be the bombing of New York City with the caption: “Somewhere in the United States, black clouds of smoke are billowing.”

The video was bizarre and set to the backdrop of USA for Africa’s hit, “We are the World.”

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An ironic music choice, you have to admit. But still, how is any nation expected to react to something like that?

Even China — North Korea’s last remaining patron and ally – warned Kim of the consequences that would result from another nuclear test. In the Chinese Communist Party’s official newspaper, an editorial was published that spoke of the possible price that would come from such a test.

But regardless of how many nations one out-of-touch dictator from North Korea manages to piss off, the saddest part in all of this is it is completely out of our control.

For all of us other 20-somethings in this world, the way this whole matter is settled is a decision none of us will have a vote, say or choice about.

In the event that, one day, every nation decides getting along with one another is too difficult a task, and using nuclear weaponry is the only possible solution to our problems, our leaders will make that decision without ever considering how such an attack might affect any of us.

When it’s all said and done, whether we’re the last nation of people on Earth who can say they were successful at getting rid of every person out there they didn’t like, it won’t matter.

The situation at that point will be too detrimental to fix, and even nuclear weapons won’t be powerful enough to solve the problems at hand.

But who am I to say what’s right? After all, what do I know? I’m just 22.

Greg Olsen is the opinion writer at The State News and a professional writing senior. Reach him at olsengr2@msu.edu.

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