A world trapped in time... North Korea

   North Korea. I'd heard about it in the news... the insane leader guy with the nerdy hair and dark glasses threatening to bomb us... The scenes on the net made him seem comical, too ridiculous to be serious. Too outrageous to be much of a villain.
   But I have to admit, when someone threatens nuclear war, they usually get my attention. I'm a cold war kid. I remember the bomb drills in elementary school. But nervous or not, I really didn't have a clue what was going on over there.
  I doubt very many people do.
   Recently I went through yet another documentary phase. I watch everything I can get my hands on till reality gets a bit too much for me. It was then that I stumbled on "State of Mind"(available on Netflix for streaming). Centered around a budding young gymnast, it chronicles her preparations for an event known in North Korea as the "Mass Games". This is an event unlike anything you have ever seen in the rest of the world. The closest thing to it would be the opening ceremonies for the Bejing Olympics... on crack... with a real hostile twist.  It consists of hundreds of thousands of people forming a unified dance, gymnastic, and military spectacle. There are no solos... only mass discipline. There are 80 performances over 4 months and then training begins immediately for the next one. It is a literal representation of the suppression of the individual. The very essence of their "Communist" society.

   I put that in quotes because no one has ever had a Communist society. Not the Soviet Union, not China.. nowhere.     There have only been Fascist Dictatorships with a bit of Socialist philosophy to help mask the bad taste it leaves in your mouth. That is why it's such a bad word in the US. Because people don't know what the word means. What the true concept is. But I digress.

   Anyway... watching this documentary, I was suddenly aware that this was not archival footage. This was modern day. And that scared the shit out of me. It is shot in the capitol of Pyongyang. And that capitol has all the trappings of an Orwellian nightmare. It is prewar Berlin circa 1945 mixed with a bit of the decades up to the 70's until time abruptly stopped. A terrifying mix of depression and oppression. It is a desolate place, filled with crumbling buildings, massively imposing architecture and statuary, and scarcely a person. There are 8 lane roads with no cars but people still directing traffic. There are subways that have chandeliers that rival Gone with the Wind but not enough electricity to run them reliably. And unbelievably, it is the showcase of this disturbing nation ; a vision of utopia from the mind of their twisted leader.

   The reality is that it's a country in ruin. Estimates of deaths due to starvation range from one to three million since the 90's due to ill managed funds and natural disasters. There are only a few hours of electricity and running water a day even in the cities. There is no proper health care and supplies. The economy is essentially dead.
  One might wonder how the government is still able to garner control but in reality it is relatively easy to understand. It is a cut off world with absolute autonomy. There are no private computers, no television that isn't government run, and no cell phones allowed. There are hardly any land line phones either. Each house is equipped with one radio with volume but no off button that features only state announcements and propaganda. For fifty years, they have heard and seen only what their leader deems appropriate... lofty propaganda reports of government successes and reminders to restrict individuality at any cost. The fear is palpable as neighbors turn each other in at the first hint of dissent. And for those who dare to voice their objections...there are concentration/labor camps. But North Korea takes it a step further than arresting the insubordinate...  their entire extended family, three generations in all, are thrown into hard labor for life...no questions asked. So people stay quiet and passive....and speak only to revere their "Great Leader".

  A rival to Hitler for the most insane dictator, this so-called "Great Leader", Kim Jong Il was born into his destiny. In his country, he is considered the son of god. The god being his deceased father, Kim Il Sung... and hold on to your seats, people...this dead man is still considered the president! I kid you not. I once heard a comedian suggest we elect a dead man as president to scare Al Queada... I mean who wants to mess with a country insane enough to follow a dead guy? Well, the North Koreans have done it and truth be told... I am scared. We are essentially talking about an entire country made up of a very hostile cult.

 And when I mean hostile... I mean toward the United States. They hate, loathe, despise...well, you get it...Americans. A grudge of 50 years, stemming from our breaking up their country (with the help of China and the Soviet Union). Now I won't say we don't deserve it....Our government has a long track record for being bastards to a great deal of the world. But there is hate... and then there is insanity. This loathing is akin to what the Nazi's felt toward the Jews. There are posters... enormous propaganda posters lining the streets with images of extreme violence toward  U.S. soldiers, toward the White House... toward us. They blame us for everything that has gone wrong in their country. Their failing electricity (we offered help but withdrew aid when Kim Jong Il wouldn't halt his nuclear weapons program), their famine (we actually did help them with that but the people don't know), and their failing version of communism.

  It is a literal representation of 1984. Total subservience to a government run on propaganda and fear. And it is happening now...today. It is a situation that needs to be dealt with but I doubt a war would solve anything. It would probably only act to unify the country further as it would fulfill the prophesies and rantings of Kim Jong Il. Instead I think we would have to be subversive. Find a way to educate the people. Help them see the hypocrisy that is their government. For a man who denounces importation, individual pleasure, and inequality, it would be interesting if the people knew he  is one of the biggest importers of Hennessey Cognac, has a fleet of imported Limousines, and lives large like the twisted dictator he is. Or hopefully the people already know and slowly the dissent will flourish and we will be ready to offer our assistance to them on fallen borders. I really hope so.
  But for now it's a society trapped in time. Trapped in fear. Trapped.

Additional Links for people interested..

Vice does a tour of North Korea
http://www.vbs.tv/newsroom/vice-guide-to-north-korea-1-of-14

National Geographic Documentary
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxLBywKrTf4

There is a great book called "Nothing To Envy"
http://www.amazon.com/Nothing-Envy-Ordinary-Lives-North/dp/0385523904/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1281328854&sr=1-1