when I'm wrong, I'm wrong

There are times when I'm not wrong. At those times, it pisses me off when someone swoops in with an unnecessary "correction." Accuse me of being wrong, when I'm not wrong, and risk my wrath. If you think I'm wrong about something, then next time try asking, not telling. I'm much more agreeable then.

But there are times when I'm so obviously wrong that I'd be an idiot not to admit how wrong I am. This is one of those times.

Over at Joshua Stanton's blog, One Free Korea, I had cynically commented that there would be almost no way the US government would go after Dennis Rodman for having brought luxury gift items to North Korea. Joshua's post is here; my comment is here. I wrote:

I’d say imprisonment is off the table for Rodman. He’ll get away scot-free. Fining him is slightly more plausible, but I’m doubtful that even that will happen.

Oh, how wrong I was. As I wrote on Twitter yesterday:

Well, Joshua (@freekorea_us), I didn't think it would happen, but it looks to be happening: [LINK]

I almost feel sorry for Rodman, who never really had much going on in the brains department. His drunken tirade, while he was in North Korea, was disgraceful bordering on dangerous, both to himself and to his retinue of naive basketball players. But I was wrong to think that Rodman was somehow magically protected from scrutiny by Uncle Sam. I had falsely assumed that other stars in Rodman's privileged position would have gotten away with doing what Rodman had done, and that this would be true for Rodman himself.

This is my mea culpa.

Dennis Rodman is currently at an undisclosed rehab facility, where he's being treated for alcoholism. I can't say I blame him: a trip to North Korea would drive me to drink, too. I'd need massive amounts of booze to keep the heartbreaking reality of a normal citizen's life separate from the antiseptic, impervious reality of life inside the Kim dynasty's palace.


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