Comments on: Cummings takes Kim Dae-jung Academic Award

By: Young Ahn

Young Ahn — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 08:04:25 +0000

There goes an old Englisch saying, that
birds of a feather flock together. And
we can say KDJ and BC are the same birds
at least in the opioion over the re-unification of Korean penninsula IN THE
VERY direction OF “juche” under the alias
of low-stage federal republics of korea.
That is ,in another word, communization of
Korean penninsula. We want both men to stop
the crazy idea at once.

By: snow

snow — Sun, 27 May 2007 15:21:13 +0000

“So it will be interesting how Kim Jung il will brainwash NK people and whether it would work if US open a door to NK.”

The problem is that even if the US were to open doors to NK, KJI would milk it for its propoganda value, because he can’t do an about face regarding the US. It is a fundamental scapegoat propping up his regime, just as with Castro.

Heck, the US can’t even win the propoganda war with its own allies. There are plenty in South Korea who would be glad to tell NK defectors about all the evils of the US.

By: stannn

stannn — Sun, 27 May 2007 09:14:40 +0000

Richardson,

“Also, probably a lot of North Koreans *do* still buy the cult message. Even the disaffected defectors have a hard time abandoning that level of brainwashing, at first. I’ve seen this for myself”

I do know that NK people “do” love their country and their government even they defected.

another perspective for you,

once I talked to a former NK special force soldier who defected to SK. He told me that
the NK people don’t really believe in Juche no more. You should distinguish what people say in front of the camera something like the discovery channel with the other people watching you and what they really think.

Anyway, he told me that what NK people are still buying from the cult message is US is the greatest enemy to destroy *not only NK regime but also to kill or enslave all NK people.*

Believe it or not, this is what I think the true mindset behind the ordinary NK people, the great fear of US.

So it will be interesting how Kim Jung il will brainwash NK people and whether it would work if US open a door to NK.

By: Netizen Kim

Netizen Kim — Fri, 25 May 2007 20:04:51 +0000

Never let your sense of morals stop you from doing what is right.

By: lirelou

lirelou — Fri, 25 May 2007 00:13:56 +0000

Slim, I lost all respect for the Nobel prize when they gave it to Kissinger and Le Duc Tho. Mr. Tho (first name), to his credit, never accepted the money.
wjk: I’ll bite that red herring.
1 - Sanctions have certainly done Castro a favor, they allow him to blame the failures of his regime on the U.S.
2 - They are purely political, and an example of one of many flaws in a democratic system, where a polticially active minority community can kidnap an issue. (All the communist regimes that collapsed had full trade and diplomatic relations with the U.S. - but that point is moot on SW 8th Street.)
3 - Cuba will outlast even Castro, but the system he instituted will change - or collapse. The changes will likely be incremental, but rapid.
4 - Some of the Castro regime’s social changes will endure.

By: wjk

wjk — Thu, 24 May 2007 17:56:50 +0000

slim, tell me, do you think the US is doing Cubans a favor with the sanctions?

Do you see Cuba collapsing when Castro dies in the next 5 years?

By: slim

slim — Thu, 24 May 2007 12:45:38 +0000

Buying a Nobel Peace Prize at the expense of the prolonged suffering of 23 million people and not doing anything to advance the cause of peace is hardly a puny accusation — at least in the reality-based community in which most of us are forced to operate. The prize is tainted and if Kim had any integrity left, he’d recognize that.

Back to topic, Cummings is a perfect fit for a prize associated with DJ and North Korea.

By: 10DH

10DH — Thu, 24 May 2007 12:08:06 +0000

Maybe the tired old KDJ thought he was meeting Omar Sharif.

By: Antti

Antti — Thu, 24 May 2007 11:41:21 +0000

The funny thing I saw is that Korean book stores are still selling more copies of earlier books by Cumings

Cumings gave the publishing rights of the Origins I and II to Yuksabipyungsa, so the available English-language print of that work is Korean.

By: Railwaycharm

Railwaycharm — Thu, 24 May 2007 10:54:42 +0000

Ah…..Noam Chomsky……I recall my professor trying to shove Chomsky down our throats as a resource. A conservative school at that! The better part of Chompsky ended up a puddle in the bed.