Che wrote:it is what i would expect to see in a Propaganda film, and have seen in others such as the ones potrayed by the Nazi's in WW2.
that a communist would lump Nazi Germany and socialist DPRK into the same category I find alarming.
The reports coming back from North Korea are that millions of people have and are dieing of famine.
First of all, these are video clips of the DPRK before the famine. This famine is now over.
As I said elsewhere:
there was a famine in the DPRK in the late nineties, brought about by massive floods and natural disasters, and worsened by the economic blockade. The droughts hit at critical stages in the crop cycle (e.g. planting, pollination/flowering). These factors greatly hindered rice and maize productivity and production. There were also huge shortages of fertilisers and other essential agro-chemicals. Unfavourable rainful and water availability also adversely affected the production of paddies, patatoes, and barley. And although the droughts affected parts of China and the Middle East, nonetheless they hit the DPRK the worst, for the DPRK can only produce food during one season of the year (June to October). The DPRK, moreover, has difficulty importing food, and therefore had to rely on assistance from the international community, on which it had relied for over half a decade. However, the assistance did not meet what was required to maintain agriculture and food production.
Such was one the conclusions of the FAO/WFP Crop and Food Supply Assessment Mission to DPRK report (which can be read here:
http://www.reliefweb.int/w/rwb.nsf/480fa87...59?OpenDocument [This does not seem to work anymore. -1949]).
In spite of this, the US, intent upon starving the people of the DPRK into submission, is still pressuring other countries to stop exporting food to the DPRK. (They are still suffering from shortages, but certainly no famine.)
From the National Lawyer's Guild report:
". . . we covered nearly 500 kilometers. During that time we had the opportunity to see agricultural communities and small towns. We noticed that the people on the whole looked well dressed and active. We saw no one who looked malnourished or emaciated and our observations were confirmed by many of the foreigners we met who had dealings around the country. The DPRK has very little areable land and we saw crops being harvested everywhere it was possible to grow them. It appears every square inch of arable land is cultivated, and on the roofs of their country cottages people had planted vines of what looked like melons or squash. The people we passed on the road or in rural towns looked relaxed. The images of children heading to school or playing, or women sitting side saddle on bikes as their husbands pedaled, provided human moments that moments that make war unthinkable. No one seemed dispirited or broken."
From here:
http://www.nlg.org/korea/myths_of_the_hermit.html "MYTH #2 - People are being Starved to Death by the Government
"While officials we met admitted to food shortages and hunger during the floods and natural disasters of the late 1990's, this is really old news. At that time it was the DPRK government who reached out to the international community for disaster food assistance. Today they are still in need of some imports, as are most countries, but everywhere we traveled we saw crops growing - even on rooftops. Rice was laid out to dry without guards. Small fruit stands existed and people looked healthy and active. Many others we met who traveled around the country supported our observations. Even in the countryside, housing is provided free to all DPRK residents.
"Sadly, the U.S. push for economic sanctions, and its pressuring of Japan, South Korea and other countries to cut off their food exports to the DPRK, exemplifies the inhumanity of using food and starvation as a political tool. With the emerging false justifications to start the war with Iraq, it is incumbent to set the record straight and base our decisions on up to date information." [/i]
And the whole "leader worship" stuff: From
"North Korea: The Grand Deception Revealed":[i]The U.S. government and press have continually demonized the leadership of North Korea as ?evil dictators,? the ?last emperors?, ?ruthless.? and murderers of their own people. In fact, the U.S. President G.W. Bush went so far as to make insulting and discriminatory comments, calling Kim Jong Il a ?pygmy? and that ?little dictator.? This attack on leaders that appear to harness great respect from within their country appear misguided and intended to thwart peace. The delegation voiced concerns as to whether efforts to demonize and dehumanize another country?s leader aids in preparing the American people for another war. Saving face in Korean society, called ch?emyon, is very important and we urge our leaders to understand Korean culture when they deal with this complex nation and that we cannot be respected unless we respect others.
One afternoon we visited the birthplace of Kim Il Sung, the first leader of the DPRK. He appears highly respected and much loved here because he fought his entire life for the sovereignty, independence and dignity of the Korean people, first against the Japanese, then against the Americans.
Despite the allegations made by some in the west that a ?personality cult? exists in North Korea, that was not our impression. On the contrary we found that their former leader Kim Il Sung is regarded in much the same way as people regard, for example, Mao in China, Churchill in WW II Britain, or Washington in the United States. Our visit to the birthplace, as one delegation member noted, might have been a stroll around Mt. Vernon ? the home of George Washington. [My emphasis. -1949]
Kim Jong Il appears to be respected as someone who continues to fight for the same principles as his father. He was not immediately appointed after his father?s death, but took a long period of mourning. The Korean Workers Party and National Assembly took some time and some serious discussion before electing him. He had been heading the military for some time. We learned that under the Juche principle, a strong leader is necessary to guide the will of the collective as represented in the Workers Party and the Assembly. However, as discussed below, the North Koreans have an elaborate system from the shop or farm level up to receive input on key national issues. How well this is utilized is a project for further delegations, but to assert that there is no democratic participation, only top-down decisions, in the DPRK appears an exaggeration.
Something the media over there no doubt suppresses from the people and the international community.
again conspiracy theorist methodology is being employed. this is the type of reasoning you are using: if I cannot find an elephant in my bedroom, it is because he is hiding himself very well.
- By ralfy
- By B0ycey