No, not the training academy outside of Chicago run by McDonalds for staff development. The new Hamburger U. is Kim Jong—il University in Pyongyang. The world's most bizarre country continues to amaze. According to an AP dispatch, the government of North Korea has introduced hamburgers to the North Korean diet, starting with the elite students at Kim Jong—il Univeristy.

According to the AP, the Dear Leader introduced the gastronomic innovation with the following words, certain to be engraved in marble soon at yet another monument to his immortal wisdom:

"I've made up my mind to feed quality bread and french fries to university students, professors and researchers even if we are in (economic) hardship."

Cynics might well wonder exactly what kind of meat gets ground up into the patties. There have, after all, been repeated stories of human flesh for sale in rural markets in North Korea. And there are reports that at least two million humans have perished in the state—caused famines which have plagued the Communist North, while leaving South Korea unaffected.

It is suggestive, to say the least, that North Korea has created a factory to produce the burgers its populace. Why the need to centralize production? Is it just another Marxist central—planning obsession? There are no economies of scale beyond the size of a McDonald's outlet, and refrigeration equipment is one luxury the electricity—straved North cannot afford.

Visitors to North Korea might be well—advised to forego the treat—on—bun in favor of less suspicious dishes, such as, for instance, barbecued dog meat.

Posted by Thomas  07 07 04