Comments on: Ruling the Rhetoric on North Korea: A Pedagogical Perspective

By: bruce

bruce — Wed, 09 Oct 2013 11:25:16 +0000

anytime i am privy to an alternate view of the reality of what is north korea, it brings me much joy to find confirmation of things which i had always suspected, mainly the disproportionate amount of hyperbole and vitriol that is directed at north korea from almost all of our western media outlets. reading such blatant propaganda, along with the hateful and ignorant comments that follow makes me sick to my stomach, and just disgusts me at how much more brainwashed we are as a western people that pride ourselves on so called freedoms and liberty.

mr bassetts’s comments on the hypocrisy of everything we demonize about north korea is spot on. it goes beyond human rights abuses and incarceration levels. nobody ever reports on the facts that the US has a far worse track record compared to north korea when it comes to education, housing and health care. the percentage of population living in in or near poverty now here in the richest country in the world is staggering. we really ought to clean up our own backyards before we take it upon ourselves demonize another country that we know so little about, especially with such little verifiable information to go on…

By: Kil Sang Yoon

Kil Sang Yoon — Tue, 08 Oct 2013 00:52:26 +0000

Thanks both Mr. Abt and Mr. Bassett for your insight and very fair understanding of DPRK.

It is highly unfortunate for a nation like the US to infiltrate the minds of their citizens with misinformation and distortion of other countries, which do not go along with the US. The US needs to make “enemy” as the friend!

By: David Hart

David Hart — Mon, 07 Oct 2013 08:03:12 +0000

Absolutely spot on, and should, in my opinion, be read and embraced by every US politician and government official. I think if we just gave the North Korean people a real chance at a better life, instead of simply dismissing them all as “crazy, robotic automatons” who mindlessly chant the glories of their leaders, they would turn out to be as innovative and productive as their cousins in the south. We need a new, fresh approach to relations with the DPRK, as it is obvious that our present course of action is not working.

By: B.J. Murphy

B.J. Murphy — Thu, 03 Oct 2013 15:09:49 +0000

Here you go, Ki Suh. This was relayed to me from Michael Bassett. I’ll be sure to include it in parentheses as well.

http://www.nknews.org/2013/08/are-north-koreas-public-health…aggerated/

http://www.nknews.org/2013/09/how-human-rights-in-north-kore…improving/

By: Ki Suh Jung

Ki Suh Jung — Thu, 03 Oct 2013 14:42:28 +0000

“5 percent of the population in North Korea is malnourished compared to 17% in the rest of Asia.” Source?

By: Robin Tudge

Robin Tudge — Wed, 02 Oct 2013 22:33:45 +0000

Fascinating piece. Thank you all round.